Okay, so the other day I was craving some good tea, and I remembered I had this Shui Xian oolong in my cupboard. I’d heard good things about it, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
Getting Started
First things first, I grabbed my teapot and gave it a good rinse. Then, I measured out about a tablespoon of those Shui Xian leaves. They were pretty tightly rolled, so I was excited to see them unfurl.
The First Brew
I boiled some water and let it cool for a bit—oolong’s not supposed to be scorched, you know? I poured the hot water over the leaves, just enough to cover them, and let it sit for maybe 30 seconds. This is just to “wake up” the tea, I guess. I poured that first bit out—it’s not for drinking. Then, I filled up the pot again with hot water and let it steep. I had seen on the internet that the tea is good for several brews so I decided to make several brews and record how the taste changed.
Tasting Notes
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First Steep (2 minutes): The aroma was kinda floral, but not too strong. The color was a nice golden yellow. I took a sip, and it was surprisingly smooth. Not bitter at all, which is a win in my book. There was this subtle sweetness that lingered, which I really liked.
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Second Steep (3 minutes): The color got a bit deeper, and the flavor started to open up more. It was still smooth, but there was this new kind of mineral, almost crisp, that I didn’t notice in the first steep.
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Third Steep (4 minutes): Okay, this is where it got really interesting. The flowery notes were still there, but there was also this kind of toasty, nutty thing going on. I’m not usually a fan of those flavors in tea, but in this case it totally worked. It was almost like a dessert tea, but without being overly sweet.
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Fourth Steep (5 minutes): The tea started to lose its taste. I think the third was the best. But it was still pretty interesting that it kept its taste for that long.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, I was really impressed with this Shui Xian oolong. It was way more complex than I expected, and it was just a fun experience to see how the flavor changed with each steep. I read somewhere that this tea has some antioxidants and may even help with skin problems. That’s just a bonus, I guess. It is also said that drinking too much oolong tea is bad for you. It can cause headaches and an irregular heartbeat. But I don’t think I will be drinking that much of it. I’ll definitely be brewing this tea again. Maybe next time I’ll play around with the steeping times a bit more.
