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Shui Xian left, in all photos |
Trying one of the last of the ITeaWorld oolongs, a Da Hong Pao, led me to giving review of those one more go. This isn't that; it's their Shui Xian, or branded here as Minnan Narcissus, which that translates to, a reference to a flower type.
That Da Hong Pao was pretty good: intense, earthy, deep with mineral tones, and clean. A heavy roast input and good base of minerals gave it a really inky mineral effect, a bit heavy-handed but nice. It was what I see as one part of the range of being type-typical. Some versions sold as that can be more refined and balanced, less intense, but it's probably the more common type theme for those to be heading towards that heavy roast input and high degree of mineral tone, almost rough natured for being so intense.
These will be different. This Rou Gui is from Jip Eu, that Chinatown shop I never stop mentioning. They gave me this sample in a recent visit there. It's presented as from grown inside the Wuyishan park / nature presever area, and it probably is that, since it's passed on from the brother of Kittichai (the owner). His brother and other family lives in that area, and still produces tea there (I think; I suppose it could be that he's only a vendor instead). We talk about his family history from time to time and I've seen a picture of him at a family tea processing small factory within the Wuyishan park area, that had to be removed when they changed the area use restrictions a long time ago. So I guess that would be 50 years back, and he would be getting along in age now?
I think Jip Eu may not even sell this tea version, it may just be something they shared that they picked up. It's interesting a recent review also related to that context, the one about frozen oolong, tea that was never dried.
This isn't mainly a claim about what this Rou Gui is, or developed support for any of that story. It should be good, and the style could vary quite a bit. I've lost track of the unique name they use for "within the park area" in Wuyishan, which there's a word for (Chinese terms don't stick with me), but in unsuccessfully looking that up I found an interesting reference about that area:
After harvest, fresh tea leaves require four months of processing -- they're baked for more than a month -- before they're ready to serve.
In addition to Da Hong Pao, Shui Xian (Narcissus) and Rougui (Cassia) are two Wuyi cliff teas recommended for beginners.
Shui Xian is elegant and smooth. Rougui has a spicy and fierce kick.
Tea at Chun Hui ranges from $45 per 500 grams to $450 -- each brew takes about 8 grams of tea leaves.
So not the term I was looking for but that summary is interesting, given what I'm about to compare. I think Rou Gui could be elegant and smooth and Shui Xian could be a bit rough or the opposite (which I would typically call refined) based on growing conditions input and maybe even more so processing choices. Anyway, it's interesting.
The price range is too; $9 per 100 grams up to nearly $1 a gram. That sounds right; that's how we tend to buy it in Western outlets too. Stopping at a $1 a gram might be a little low, but beyond that. It's nice that they say you should brew using a heavy proportion; I think so too. That's assuming they mean 8 grams in a 100 ml range of infusion; of course it would also be possible to use a much lower proportion and adjust timing, or even brew Western style, but I don't think that works out as well for this tea type range.
I looked up selling price and description in the ITeaWorld site and this is $20 or so per 100 grams (which is fine, maybe a really good value depending on quality), and there isn't much text description. It says "tea leaves from 60 year old tea trees with distinct orchid aroma," from Dongguantown, Yongchun, Fujian (which means nothing to me). Since they're using a graphic to describe the tea further I can include that:
Oxidation level and perceived sweetness mean something to me but the rest doesn't. Let's actually try it then.
To be clear this is probably an unfair tasting, because these were presented as completely different quality level versions. ITeaWorld teas have been above average in quality level, some maybe slightly better than that, but they're selling them for normal market rates for ordinary range tea, implying they're not some unusual quality level version. If you can find $9 per 100 gram versions of Wuyi Yancha, based anywhere, in online outlets, Chinatown shops, wherever, those tend to be rough edged and limited quality teas. $20 is more normal range. I've bought versions that fit more of the $20 profile (expectations) for under $5 in Bangkok, but usually you get bad tea trying that buying approach.
If the two teas seem similar in quality level this is really either an impressive outcome for the ITeaWorld Shui Xian or a disappointment for the Rou Gui. If I happen to like one better than the other related to personal preference for aspects that's wouldn't necessarily relate to a clear judgement one way or the other, related to quality scope.
Review:
ITea World Shui Xian: the dry leaf smells really nice. I'm not getting all that much intensity from the brewed liquid, the opposite effect from the Da Hong Pao, which started really fast. This is a more refined version, it seems, and probably lower in oxidation and roast level. Not that this is a direct opposition; more oxidation and roast level might make a tea brew faster, and come across as more intense, but different styles could have flaws or rough edges, or balance really well.
I suppose mineral base and floral range does come through. I should do a flavor list next round though, since this is quite light.
I'm brewing two of their samples, so 7 grams in total, and it looks like the other sample is more than that, maybe 8, maybe with larger, more whole leaves making it look even bigger.
Jip Eu Rou Gui: this is more intense but also still opening up. I brewed these for around 20 seconds but people tend to use a rinse step in part because the first round is slow to get going otherwise, even if you soak the leaves for awhile. There is heavier flavor range to this, and maybe it does include cinnamon.
It goes without saying, since I've said it so often, but brewing 15 grams of tea at one time is a lot; I won't get far for infusion count, and will try these again later in the afternoon. It's fine to brew 3 1/2 or 4 grams at a time, that sample packet worth, it just requires adjustment, and I'm accustomed to this range of process.
ITea World Shui Xian, 2: that's more like it. This is actually pretty good. I wouldn't say that an intense floral character comes across but depth of mineral tone standing out more isn't a bad thing. Feel is fairly full, and aftertaste experience carries over, mostly settled on the mineral tone. Sweetness is fine, and flavor range, but it's the way the mineral tone serves as a base and feel and aftertaste supports the rest that make it work well.
Oxidation and roast level do seem to be moderate; it's that lighter style of Wuyi Yancha. I like that, but when the other range is perfectly balanced--medium level for both--there's a sort of magic to that, but it's far more common for the roast to go a bit far, to take on a char effect. There's a perfume-like aromatic tone that good Wuyi Yancha can express that this taps into some, almost like cognac, but it's not so pronounced in this version. For 20 cents a gram tea this is fine, maybe slightly better than I would expect.
Jip Eu Rou Gui: cinnamon is really standing out in this now; that's quite pleasant. It's not as if this gives up anything for refinement to the other, but the style is quite different. They seem to have oxidized this a bit more, not in that modern light range, more in a very well-balanced traditional form (as I take it, but what do I know?).
Feel and aftertaste are ok, and mineral depth, maybe even directly equivalent to the other, but for flavor range being a bit stronger those come across as weaker. Does it make sense what I mean by that? The other is refined and light in terms of flavor intensity, with decent floral range and mineral present, but a shift in higher intensity after you drink it makes aftertaste stand out all the more. The initial punch of sweet, warm, and rich cinnamon tone in this other version is a good bit more intense, so the same level of flavor carry-over, comparable to the first, seems lighter in comparison. Interesting!
This might be gaining flavor intensity through the inclusion of a wood tone, in between green wood and truly aged dryer range. Of course the cinnamon is spice instead, with mineral base.
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color difference is apparent in the leaves, lighter Shui Xian left |
ITeaWorld Shui Xian, 3: brewed slightly longer to zero in on feel differences an aromatic wood-tone picks up in this version too. Floral range is still there, but the mineral is so much more pronounced that it would be easy to miss it. Rich feel and aftertaste stand out all the more.
Jip Eu Rou Gui: that cinnamon note is really dominant. It's pleasant, so that completely works. As far as quality level there isn't much gap between these, so I guess in one sense the Rou Gui falls a little short of expectations. Maybe it's more that the other exceeded them; these are pretty good teas. There seems to be at least one more level beyond these both, I think, but they're good.
The character of that cinnamon input and how the rest balances is so positive that I actually like the Rou Gui more, but I think that's down to preference for an aspect set, more than it being better. It seems slightly sweeter, which balances well with the mineral base and cinnamon tone. It might give up a little in terms of rich feel.
ITeaWorld Shui Xian 4: evolving further to wood tone, not necessarily positive transition, at least in terms of flavor. It's still good though; the supporting feel, mineral base, and aftertaste range are all nice.
Jip Eu Rou Gui: intensity is stronger than ever; this is evolving in the other direction, improving. Even stronger mineral base picks up along with the sweeter cinnamon tone, and aftertaste / finish duration improves.
This reminds me of a comment by a tea maker friend once (Cindy), that it's possible to make Wuyi Yancha versions even from other tea plant types, grown in different areas. The main trade-off or limitation isn't initial flavor profile, necessarily, since those can still be pleasant, but she said that they tend to brew out really fast, that they lack the same durability.
I remember seeing an online comment once about how Wuyi Yancha always tend to brew out really fast, and wondering what went into that, since sometimes that is absolutely true, and in other cases it's the opposite, and they can brew a dozen very pleasant rounds. I think alteration by using higher oxidation level and more roast input comes at a cost, related to this factor, that intensity and differing aspect range also relates to teas brewing out a bit faster.
ITeaWorld Shui Xian 5: it's still ok. It's funny how the heavy mineral tone picked up so much that this is much closer to the Da Hong Pao version character (the sample version I didn't review). That's not a bad thing; I like that inky, slightly rough, heavy mineral input. Wood tone picking up to a higher level than floral tone input is less positive, but that's still ok. Aftertaste is really pronounced still, and feel is fine.
Jip Eu Rou Gui: higher sweetness level stands out at this point, and that cinnamon tone, as it has the whole time. This is definitely staying more refined and balanced over these middle level rounds. I think even the aftertaste range is more extended than it had been; that's odd. Feel might still be a little thinner than for the other version.
There is a good chance that this Rou Gui will evolve more positively, or decline less, over the next 4 or 5 rounds, but this is enough of this story told already.
Conclusions:
Some of what I expected, some I didn't. I think the quality level is a bit higher for the Rou Gui version, as it should be, given initial expectations and context, but it was interesting how some of the positive aspects that generally tie closely to quality level were equivalent or even superior in the Shui Xian version. Feel is richer, smoother, and thicker in the Shui Xian, for example. Rou Gui might be slightly more intense related to using a bit more tea material, and equivalent brewing process, but the Shui Xian held its own ok even related to that.
I liked the Rou Gui more, as I only barely mentioned in one place in this, but I think that was as much about liking typical Rou Gui style more than the general lighter Wuyi Yancha preparation range. That related both to flavor range, that cinnamon, and the overall balance of all the rest. That part probably varies by person, which character or aspects are best.
Again this ITeaWorld product is slightly better than I expected. There's a trend where a new broad type vendor outlets, supporting sales through limited background content, usually sell fairly mediocre teas, and these have seemed decent. Maybe what I'm saying seems contradictory, since in another place I've said that they're only of above average quality, which isn't high praise. Quality and value tend to couple together; I would expect something different from a 20 cent a gram Wuyi Yancha version than one selling for 40 cents per gram, or 80.
I think this context is already clear enough, but let's go a step further, and consider how a well-regarded US vendor sells two Shui Xian versions at different levels / types (from Seven Cups):
Shuixian (Narcissus), Organic Rock Wulong Tea 2022 (50 grams for $28.50, so $57 for 100):
A richly floral rock wulong with an aroma reminiscent of narcissus flowers and a deep full flavor. Traditionally charcoal roasted to develop sweetness while still preserving a high aroma. A great tea for new rock wulong tea drinkers due to its inviting fragrance, rich taste, and relatively low price.
Laocong Shuixian (Old Bush Narcissus) Rock Wulong Tea 2022 ($19.74 for 25 grams, more like $80 per 100 grams):
A truly distinctive high-end rock wulong that showcases the unique character of teas made from mature tea plants. Made from old growth Shuixian tea bushes on average 60 years old. Mature plants provide a smoother, more layered full flavor and more complex nutrition than tea made from younger plants. Fragrant wood and toasted grain aromatics accompany a soft body with persistent minerality and sweetness that intensifies with each sip.
This Shui Xian sells for less than half of their lower priced range version, but then buying directly from China tends to cost less. How shipping factors in varies, and sometimes adding $30 at the end for that evens things up, but they've followed the standard practice of building in shipping in these listings since it's free for $40 orders or over.
Probably both of these Seven Cups Shui Xian versions are even better; I'd be surprised if that wasn't the case. But value tends to be all over the map for different vendors, price in relation to quality level. I'd expect that you can buy versions just as good as these listed ones for half as much through Wuyi Origin, a well respected direct from producer sales outlet. For this more ordinary range of quality level ITeaWorld seems to be a decent source, across most of what I've tried from them, and for this tea.
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