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. Find value options in Shui Xian Parties.
 
(Updated in April 2023)
 
To be identified as Lao Cong Shui Xian (old arbor Shui Xian), the trees need to meet two conditions:  being over 50 years old and being never pruned. Coming along the years of more than half century, these trees are deeply lignified and often, but not always, covered with moss on the trunk. In some locations, depending on the soil and the microenvironment where the plantation grows, moss may never grow on the trunk of even the oldest trees. Just like those in the photos, from which our "2021 The Wood" was harvested, have bare trunk with no moss on it, although they are 8 years even older than the plantation of our "2021 The Moss". Then this type of trees may present the Cong Wei ("Cong" flavor, the peculiar flavor of Lao Cong) as woody notes, and exactly, so does our "2021 The Wood".
 
In the first a few infusions, our "2021 The Wood" presents some pleasant fragrances that a high-quality Shui Xian usually has, more fruity than floral, due to the relatively high toasting level; it also brings a round and thick liquor, with delicate and complex flavors. Since then, when the common flavors of Shui Xian varietal are softened, the particular flavor of "Cong" appears, as its name suggests, mostly with some comfortable woody notes, which will last until the final infusions.
 
Our Lao Cong Shui Xian comes from Xiao Jia Wan (萧家湾), in Wuyi mountains. Among Wuyi tea people and tea merchants, Xiao Jia Wan has been a well-known location of Lao Cong Shui Xian since long time ago. It was home to large areas of Lao Cong, many of which were planted in the 1940s, sadly the flash floods in 1993 destroyed some of the plantations. During the 1970s and 1980s, even into the early 1990s, often tea farmers in Wu San Di (吴三地), which is the most popular location of Lao Cong today, passed off their Lao Cong Shui Xian as products of Xiao Jia Wan, thus showing how important Xiao Jia Wan was in the history of this variety.