Bai Gu Shui Xian – light roast

Name: Bai Gu Da Shan Shui Xian oolong (白姑大山輕炭焙水仙烏龍)
Year: 2022 winter
Variety: Shui Xian
Baking time: 18 hours, light charcoal roast
Age of tea bushes is around 50 years

Weight: loose in zip bags, from 20 grams up you get a vaccumed pack with a zip bag, see picture, originally packed in 75 grams vaccum packs

Details:

A very different experience compared to 4 seasons oolong from the same mountain, the same farmer and roaster, sweet the very first brew, no rinsing of tea leaves, sweeter, deeper and wider flavour span, a very watery feeling like iceberg water, enhancing Cha Qi feel, it is like a different fruit, a baked cake compared to 4 seasons one, there is this sweet yummy feeling on the tip of the tongue, I might say a freshness of a spring green tea even this is 2022 winter crop, the charcoal roasting makes its marvel, again this is a very unique taste profile, more mushrummie , I assume also the 2 hours longer roast made its difference, we may also consider the 50 years of tea bushes which is extraordinary for oolong small tea trees, a very interesting sweet pinch stays on the mouth palate,

The tea comes from an organic tea garden of Mr. Zhang. The best start for telling the story of him is the quote of my taiwanese friend saying ‘super stubborn man who loves his teas’.  He indeed loves his tea, around his house are tea plots of all kinds tea varieties. His main tea gardens are on Bai Gu Da Shan mountain and some others I do not remember.

The thing I love about his way of tea making is that ‘everything has its own time’. The same the tea processing, some teas need to settle down after the harvest and processing, wait six months, then when it is right time, roast it and then wait another six months before putting them on sale. A very traditional master way of making tea.

When visiting this tea farmer I tasted with him and his son about 18 teas and all were giving me shots of Cha Qi. I was almost flying and then we had this farmer lunch that had a super powerful chicken soup. In that soup were cooked also new and aged white radish pieces. When eating them separately fished out of the soup another attacts of Qi thundered me.

The production of Mr. Zhang are micro lots/batches. These might me some 2 kg or 5 kg or 10 kg. Even I think 10 kg is super big lot for him. These tiny amounts teas gives a master time and space to create a master tea, a tea made with care, attention and time.

His teas are charcoal roasted with another old guy, who does the charcoal roasting whole his life. Living with tea and charcoal stoves 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 20-30-40 years.