Phoenix Old Bush Shui Xian Nong Xiang (Heavy Roast) 40g

Among Phoenix oolongs, teas with a showy, expressive fragrance are sold as Dancong (single bush), while teas whose aroma turned out more restrained because of the season or the weather are sold under the classification of Langcai or Shui Xian.

HOJO specifically selects and sells tea made from seed-grown old trees more than 80 years old.

The defining feature of this Phoenix tea is its extraordinarily long finish, something a Dancong in the same price range simply cannot offer.

Roasted teas are common among Chinese and Taiwanese teas, but it is crucial that the roasting be done without scorching the leaves.
In recent years, in Wuyishan and many other producing regions, a growing number of producers raise the roasting temperature, scorch the surface of the tea in one or two roasts, and then market it as charcoal-roasted.

When tea is roasted above a certain temperature, its compounds oxidize from the heat and the leaves burn at the same time. Tea roasted at high temperature loses the very character that made it special, and a burnt smell takes over its aroma.

Properly, tea should be roasted at a lower temperature so that it never scorches. At low temperature, however, the change in aroma from a single roast is slow. That is why the roasting is repeated many times, gradually transforming the tea into a sweet, mature fragrance.

What makes this Shui Xian especially interesting is that it is finished with what is called "fourth fire" (si ci huo), meaning four rounds of charcoal roasting. The four roasts are not done in quick succession. After each roast the tea is rested for several months so the moisture can redistribute, and the whole finishing process takes a full year.

The result of this painstaking roasting is a tea with a distinctive sweet aroma reminiscent of dried fruit, caramel, and whisky.