Shui Xian (水仙)
archetype: Water narcissus by the stone
A narcissus on the stone's edge: the heavy coolness of minerals and a thin floral breath.
History
'Water narcissus' is the oldest and most widely planted of the Wuyi yancha. Canonical Shui Xian is made from the large leaves of old bushes ('lao cong', the old bush), oxidised to 50–60 % and slowly roasted, drawing out the characteristic double note — a cool flower above and a warm wood below. Old bushes of 60+ years yield 'lao cong shui xian' with a particularly deep vanilla-wood base.
Tradition tells of a wandering monk searching for water in the Wuyi Mountains who found by a cliff a bush with long leaves and asked it for a sip. The leaf gave him water cool as from a spring. Since then this tea has had two names: 'narcissus' for the flower aroma, and 'water' for the cool in the throat.
Terroir
300–800 m. red sandstone, quartz scree, a thin layer of organic matter. dense mists, narrow gorges, direct sun is rare. The best Shui Xian comes from the Wuyi Mountains; 'lao cong' (the old bush) gives the longest vanilla-wood note. Neighbouring counties give a similar but less mineral leaf.
Leaf
dry leaf: long dark twisted strands with a coal-like cast, larger than Da Hong Pao's; in the hand a cool flower-and-wood note
warmed: the warmed leaf — a cool orchid, wet stone, a thin vanilla, the smoke of roasting
after pour: after the infusion — dark orchid, wet cliff, vanilla, warm cedar bark
taste: dark orchid, wet stone, vanilla, woody sweetness; in 'lao cong' a deepened vanilla-cedar base
finish: long, cool, a mineral trail that lingers in the throat like a note of cold water
Properties
TCM: neutral-cool; opens the chest, sends rising yang downward, gently supports the stomach
Modern: moderate caffeine and catechins; the gentle roast makes the tea easy on the body; favourable for breathing and digestion
Cha qi: dense, cool, settling in the lower half of the chest and the belly
Caffeine: medium (40–55 mg)
Brewing ritual
a yixing pot of 120 ml; 100 °C; 8 g / 120 ml. 10s — dark orchid, wet stone; 12s — the peak: vanilla, dark wood, the cool of a stream; 15s — flower and stone in one breath; 22s — a sweet depth, bark; 35s — a long note of cool sweetness; 50s — the finale — a mineral trail.
When to drink
day and evening. autumn and damp shoulder seasons. when you want depth without strain; for solitary work; for the silence after a crowded day. dark honey, aged cheese, vanilla biscuits, dark chocolate, nuts. solitude, or a close person whose presence requires no words
Tea meditation
- Stone and flower are one.
- The cool of the mineral keeps the flower open.
- Let it keep you, too.
Questions and answers
How do you brew Shui Xian?
a yixing pot of 120 ml; 100 °C; 8 g / 120 ml. 10s — dark orchid, wet stone; 12s — the peak: vanilla, dark wood, the cool of a stream; 15s — flower and stone in one breath; 22s — a sweet depth, bark; 35s — a long note of cool sweetness; 50s — the finale — a mineral trail.
What does Shui Xian taste like?
dark orchid, wet stone, vanilla, woody sweetness; in 'lao cong' a deepened vanilla-cedar base
How much caffeine is in Shui Xian?
medium (40–55 mg)
What are the effects of Shui Xian?
moderate caffeine and catechins; the gentle roast makes the tea easy on the body; favourable for breathing and digestion
Related teas