Aged Shuixian Red circa 2012

Notes of black licorice, root beer, and schisandra berry.

Aged red tea from Taiwan・May 2012・陳年水仙紅茶・Unsprayed

An iteration of Shuixian Red has been a part of our Si Fang Cha collection since its inception. Whether crafted into an oolong, or in this case, a red tea, the leaves of this cultivar produce tea that is thick, layered, and sweet – characteristics that give these leaves a certain caché for those who seek out quality teas. Add the transformative effects of aging, and this tea is the ideal candidate for Song’s private collection.

Harvested and crafted a decade ago in 2012, this tea comes from the same garden as our fresh Shuixian Red. The steep, picturesque organic garden is bordered by pine trees, overlooking views of Lishan. The area dedicated to Shuixian plants is small, and the yield from these trees is low.

In its original form, this tea was sweet, with intense fruit notes. Aged, these flavors take on a slow, rounded complexity, resulting in a brew with rounded, caramelized notes that linger long upon the palate, and across multiple steepings. Ten years on, Aged Shuixian is just at the cusp of displaying the many qualities aging draws forth, and these hearty, rich leaves will continue to mature over time.

Because of the garden’s low yield, the tea’s age, and the quality of craftsmanship, this tea is quite rare. In such cases, setting aside any quantity of tea for aging requires significant patience and foresight on the part of the farmer. Just a small allotment of the 2012 harvest was set aside for this purpose, and we were able to acquire just 16 catties, a little over 200 portions.

Brew some now, alongside the 2022 harvest of Shuixian Red, then stash some away for continued aging.

Brew: 5 grams・150 ml・212° F・1.5 min

Inspired by the intimate supper clubs of the Song Dynasty, Sifang Cha is a small series of exquisite teas for special occasions. Each tea is carefully packed in the collection’s signature canisters.