Solid daily drinker Shui Xian I picked up on Aliexpress for a low price. 50g came in a red tin. The dry leaf has a roasty autumn leaf/mineral aroma. After a rinse, I could only really smell the charred roast, which worried me a little bit. Thankfully, the roast isn’t quite as dominating in the flavor of the tea.
The flavors are pretty much as expected. Roasty, sweet, a bit mineral. I also get a little bit of dark fruit in the early steeps, maybe dates. The texture is nice and silky smooth, sometimes getting almost creamy. If I oversteep it, which happens more often than usual with this tea, as the big leaves can clog up my teapot’s strainer, I sometimes notice a slightly sour roastiness.
This one is good for when you want a wuyi tea without much hassle or the need to pay great attention to it. It tastes good, but not great. I like it as a morning tea, almost a replacement to a morning cup of coffee. It’s not particularly long lasting. I usually only get around 7 or 8 real infusions from it.
Flavors: Fruity, Mineral, Roasted, Sweet