Compare two teas
Side by side across seven dimensions. There is no verdict and no winner — the purpose is to understand the difference, not to be told which to buy.
Why these two get confused
The same cultivar in two provinces and two formats. Zhangping presses it into small paper-wrapped squares, which exists nowhere else in oolong.
Point by point
| Dimension | Zhangping Shui Xian | Wuyi Shui Xian |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Oolong · partially oxidised | Oolong · partially oxidised |
| Production | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Roasting → Compression. light roast, bud and three plus and spring harvest. | In order: Withering → Bruising (shaking) → Kill-green (fixation) → Rolling and shaping → Roasting. medium roast, bud and three plus and spring harvest. |
| Origin | China | China — Wuyi Mountains |
| Flavour | floral, woody, sweet and creamy. full bodied, silky and rich in the mouth. Aroma: orchid, honey, wood, light caramel. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. | woody, creamy, roasted and sweet. full bodied, silky and rich in the mouth. Aroma: narcissus, damp wood, coconut, caramel. Layered in character. Moderate in intensity. |
| Brewing | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 25s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. | Gongfu brewing (gaiwan): 5–7 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 12s of 6 authored. Gongfu brewing (Yixing pot): 5–7 g/100 ml at 98–100 °C, first steep 10s of 6 authored. Western brewing (teapot or mug): 1.5–2.5 g/100 ml at 90–95 °C, first steep 180s of 2 authored. |
| Cultural context | Not recorded for this tea. | Lao Cong (old bush) Shui Xian commands a large premium on the strength of bush age, which the buyer has no way to verify. The mossy, woody character the term describes is real and identifiable; the age claim attached to it is not checkable. |
| Who may prefer it | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and has drunk enough tea to notice what changes between infusions. It tolerates an imprecise brew. | Someone who wants presence without being dominated and has drunk enough tea to notice what changes between infusions. It rewards attention to leaf weight and timing. |
Nothing above is a recommendation. The last row describes the drinker each tea suits, using each tea’s own authored fields and the same sentence structure for both, so neither can be framed as the safe choice.