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The Wood is one of the teas I have been thinking about for a very long time, but I wanted to save it for a special occasion. The other version of this tea (‘the moss’) was one of the best yancha teas I have ever tried! I kept on waiting to brew the wood, but Liu sent me the 2022 versions of this tea so it was time to drink the 2021 version.
The Wood – Lao Cong Shui Xian
This is a 2021 yancha from Xiao Jia Wan (萧家湾) in the Wuyi Mountains. Xiao Jia Wan has been an important yancha region for several decades. This is one of the top-quality yancha oolongs in their shop so I’m very curious to brew and taste it.
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The tea trees are over 50 years old and have never been pruned. The name refers to the ‘Cong Wei’, or Cong flavor, which refers to the woody undertone in this tea.
Tea tasting
- 5g for 120ml gaiwan
- Water 99°C
The leaves have a uniform brown color and they’re medium-sized. There is a certain roast noticeable in the aroma of the dry leaves. There are also fresh and fruity notes that remind me of green apples with toffee. Definitely hints of caramelized sugar as well. It’s insane that the aroma is changing while smelling.
Infusion 1 (12 sec): this one starts out on a floral note. Once these initial floral notes pass, I’m greeted by a pleasant and warming glow of caramel. This glow sticks to my throat and stays with me in the aftertaste. The aftertaste is quite impressive, even for a first infusion it’s a lot more intense and lingers longer than most other yanchas at their peak.
Infusion 2 (15 sec): it feels really complex again and the glow of caramel is subtler in this one. I’m getting an undertone that has slight traces of wood, hence the name. The initial impression is fruitier than the previous one, and this fruitiness stays around longer. It’s only towards the finish and especially in the aftertaste that I’m getting a mix of caramel and green apples.
Infusion 3 (20 sec): the floral notes are not as intense anymore and they have moved to the background. However, I still feel they’re there in the undertone. It’s not as fresh and the flavors are warmer. The experience of the aftertaste in the previous infusions is present throughout the whole infusion. Really complex and full in the mouth.
Infusion 4 (25 sec): I boiled fresh water and the tea just keeps giving. This was a sweet infusion with some caramel in the undertone.
Infusion 5 (35 sec): less sweet at the start and I’m feeling more floral notes now. Still getting the woodsy undertone as well. The tea is still going strong and it’s such a nice experience. Just sitting at the tea table and enjoying this beautiful tea.
Conclusion
The Wood is definitely in my top 3 yanchas of all time. The flavors were full, complex, and kept on giving. It’s a sweet and fruity tea that has a lot to offer. I just felt really happy and relaxed while brewing this tea.
When you are drinking a magnificent tea, you know you have to cherish it and enjoy every moment with it. This is one of those teas.
The Wood – Lao Cong Shui Xian 老枞水仙
The Wood definitely is one of the most impressive Yanchas on our website. We proudly continue providing the new version 2022 of this tea, of the exactly same quality, although there is always some subtle difference due to the harvest of the year.
(use code ‘TEAADVENTURES’ at checkout for 8% discount)
