TeaHQ

Lao Cong Shui Xian

Wuyi Shui Xian from bushes typically over sixty years old, whose deeper root systems and thicker leaf give a noticeably heavier, more mineral cup. Age of bush is one of the few claims in Chinese tea that produces a difference most drinkers can actually detect.

OolongBold intensityDemanding to appreciate老欉水仙
Brew at 98–100 °CUse 5–7 g per 100 mlFirst steep 10sGongfu brewing (gaiwan)Full schedule and equipment →

Character

Thicker and more mineral than ordinary Shui Xian, with a mossy woodiness that only old bushes seem to give.

Flavour
Mineral, Woody, Roasted
Aroma
Toasted, Caramelised
Mouthfeel
Full bodied, Rich, Complex
Complexity
Layered
Notes
wet stone, moss, dried longan, sandalwood
Aftertaste
Deep, mineral and extremely long.

Bold intensity: full-bodied, astringent or bitter enough to lead the cup.

Provenance and production

Origin
China
Region
Wuyi Mountains
Cultivar
Shui Xian
Oxidation
Partially oxidised
Roast
Heavy
Harvest
Spring
Processing
Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Oxidation → Kill-green (fixation) → Strip rolling → Drying → Charcoal roasting

Authenticity: Bush age is unverifiable by a buyer and 'lao cong' appears on far more labels than the old plantings can supply.

Brewing

No caffeine estimate is authored for this tea. TeaHQ does not infer one from its category, because category predicts caffeine poorly — matcha and gyokuro carry more than many black teas.

If you like this

Grouped by why they were suggested, strongest reason first. Nothing here is a blended score — a suggestion appears under the best reason that exists for it, and never under a weaker one as well.

Editorially linked

Someone wrote down why these two belong together. The note below is theirs.

  • Zheng Yan yancha

    Old bush, then old bush inside the protected zone. Both claims are heavily abused and this is the order in which to learn what each actually adds.

  • Wuyi Shui Xian

    Ordinary and old-bush Shui Xian. Bush age produces a real difference in body, and the claim is unverifiable by a buyer at any price.

Similar sensory profile

Shares controlled flavour, aroma and mouthfeel descriptors. A looser match — two teas can share descriptors and still taste nothing alike.

  • Ba Xian

    Shares 7 descriptors with Lao Cong Shui Xian: roasted, woody, full bodied, rich, complex, toasted and caramelised.

  • Da Hong Pao

    Shares 7 descriptors with Lao Cong Shui Xian: roasted, mineral, woody, full bodied, rich, caramelised and toasted.

  • Tie Luo Han

    Shares 7 descriptors with Lao Cong Shui Xian: roasted, mineral, woody, full bodied, rich, caramelised and toasted.

  • Wuyi rock tea (yancha)

    Shares 7 descriptors with Lao Cong Shui Xian: roasted, mineral, woody, full bodied, rich, caramelised and toasted.

  • Nong Xiang Tie Guan Yin (roasted)

    Shares 6 descriptors with Lao Cong Shui Xian: roasted, woody, full bodied, rich, caramelised and toasted.

  • Tan Bei oolong

    Shares 6 descriptors with Lao Cong Shui Xian: roasted, full bodied, rich, complex, toasted and caramelised.

Compare this tea with another

Journeys featuring this tea