This is a black tea made in Tong Mu Guan, Wu Yi Shan, Fujian Province, China.
The tea garden is situated at an elevation of 1000m, and the tea leaves are harvested from 50-year-old tea trees grown naturally without pesticides or fertilizers.
This rare black tea is characterized by its lingering aftertaste and rich, sweet flavor.
A very rare black tea from the high mountains of Wu Yi. This tea offers an uplifting sweet floral note with a smooth drinking sensation that lingers on the palate for a long time. It has no astringency or bitterness, and its soft taste makes it an ideal daily tea at any time of the day. Without sugar or milk, the tea has a natural sweetness that lingers on the palate.
This tea is from Tong Mu Guan in Wu Yi Shan, Fujian Province, China. The tea garden is located at 1000m above sea level and is fully sustainable, with tea trees grown without pesticides or fertilizers.
Tong Mu Shui Xian Black Tea is Made Following the Process of Lapsang Souchong
This tea is made from the Shui Xian cultivar following the process of traditional Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong). Yet, we do not call it Lapsang Souchong because the standard of Lapsang Souchong is to use local tea in Tong Mu. The name Souchong originally refers to the local seed-grown tea in Tong Mu Guan.
Two Types of Lapsang Souchong
Currently, there are 2 types of Lapsang Souchong in Tong Mu Guan:
1. A well-known type of tea that gives a smoky scent.
2. A type that gives a sweet fruity scent and no smoky scent at all, as represented by teas such as Qi Zhong and Xiao Chi Gan (小赤甘).
Generally, traditional Lapsang Souchong has a smoky scent, and the fruity type is often considered a newly developed version of Lapsang Souchong. But we believe in another history.
Lapsang Souchong is also known as the model for Earl Grey tea. It is said that Earl Grey tea originated from an Englishman who drank Lapsang Souchong in the 1800s, was impressed by its tropical fruit-like scent, and later added bergamot flavor to black tea to imitate it. If traditional Lapsang Souchong were smoky, why wouldn't Earl Grey have become a smoky tea as well?
Also, in the 1800s, due to the high demand for Lapsang Souchong, Keemun tea was developed following the method of making Lapsang Souchong black tea. If Keemun was made following the process of a smoky Lapsang Souchong, Keemun should also give a smoky scent. However, standard Keemun black tea is not smoky at all.
These historical accounts may not be 100% accurate, but they suggest that a fruity version of Lapsang Souchong black tea has existed since at least the 1600s.
A Very Rare Black Tea
Shui Xian is a very famous cultivar of Wuyi oolong tea (rock tea). Its popularity comes from its exceptional taste — a strong aftertaste and long-lasting finish. However, the flavor of the Shui Xian cultivar is generally more restrained, and only a highly skilled tea master can manage the process to draw out the flavor. Currently, the Shui Xian cultivar accounts for less than 1% of total tea production in Tong Mu Guan, making it a very rare tea.
Before the 1970s, the Shui Xian cultivar was grown by many farmers. However, many trees were removed afterward for 2 reasons.
Firstly, a professor in Fujian commented that in the relatively cooler climate of Tong Mu Guan, Shui Xian might produce a weaker flavor.
Secondly, before 2000, black tea was not popular in the Chinese domestic market, so prices were low and farmers — especially those in remote areas — struggled to make a living. Many farmers cut down their tea trees and replaced them with more profitable crops, such as bamboo used as raw material for chopsticks and other items.
Higher Level of Fermentation
Compared to other types of Lapsang Souchong such as Qi Zhong, the Shui Xian cultivar has larger and thicker leaves. As a result, Shui Xian fresh leaves are withered in a thinner layer than other teas, and the fermentation is carried out for a longer time.
Traditional Charcoal Roasting Develops Thick Fruity Flavor
In addition to the standard black tea process, Tong Mu Shui Xian and Lapsang Souchong black tea are roasted with charcoal fire.
Process of Tong Mu Shui Xian Black Tea
Fresh tea leaves → Withering → Rolling → Fermentation → Heating to Stop Enzyme → Drying → Charcoal Roasting
The purpose of charcoal roasting is to intensify the taste of the tea. The roasting is carried out at a lower temperature over a long period to promote maturation and bring out the fruitiness in the flavor. Once roasted with charcoal, the tea develops a sweet and rich flavor reminiscent of dried fruits. Charcoal roasting is painstaking work — if the temperature is too high, the leaves will be scorched; if too low, the effect is minimal. Constant monitoring and adjustment are essential.
Some producers bake tea with a hot-air oven, but once tasted, the result is entirely different from tea baked with charcoal fire. Charcoal fire has strong heat permeability and transmits heat to the center of the leaf, whereas hot air heats only the surface, reaching the inner part less effectively. Thanks to charcoal roasting, the tea delivers a clean and clear drinking sensation, with a rich taste that lingers on the palate across many infusions.
