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Shui Jin Gui "Golden Water Turtle" Wu Yi Rock Oolong Tea | Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop

Shui Jin Gui "Golden Water Turtle" Wu Yi Rock Oolong Tea

by Yunnan Sourcing Tea Shop
$8.75 - $240.00
$8.75
$8.75 - $240.00
$8.75

Shui Jin Gui (lit Golden Water Turtle) is one of the four famous varietals grown in the Wu Yi mountain area. Shui Jin Gui has been grown since the Ming Dynasty, if not earlier. It's a hardy bush but with only moderate-low output. Spring is the best, Autumn tea depending on the weather can be quite decent as well.

Every year in early or mid-May the fresh spring leaves are plucked. The pluck is typically 2 leaf to 1 bud or 3 leaf to 1 bud. The tea is then withered in the sun for an hour or so, then rolled to break up the leaf's structure, releasing enzymes. Then the fermentation process (also called sweating) is undertaken. The rolled tea is put into baskets and wet cloth is placed on top to boost and maintain the humidity level. The tea sweats for 5 or 6 hours before roasting. The roasting process is done with fire at a temperature of about 70C. The roasting process halts the oxidation process and "fixes" the tea into a more stable state. This roasting process is completed within 4 to 6 hours and then the tea is allowed to cool a bit before being roasted a second time with a lower temperature and shorter time interval. When the tea is done it should have a water content of about 7.5-8%.

The taste of Shui Jin Gui is complex, sweet potato, caramel, grass and spice all mixed into one delicious feeling! Difficult to describe... has to be experienced to be fully appreciated!

April Harvest

Overall rating: 4.894737 / 5 from 38 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Shui Jin Gui Wu Yi Rock Oolong Tea is a highly regarded varietal from the Wu Yi mountain area, known for its complex taste and delightful aroma. Customers praise its unique blend of sweet potato, caramel, grass, and spice flavors, along with its incredible scent. The tea undergoes a meticulous process involving withering, rolling, fermentation, and roasting to achieve its distinctive characteristics.

Summary topics

  • Oolong Quality: 30%
  • Taste Profile: 36%
  • Aroma Quality: 17%

Review topics: ["taste","smell","color","tea","fragrance","sensation","lid","oolong","notes","brew","potato","bouquet","amber","infusions","profile"].

Review highlights

  • "Strong earthy flavor, smokey, with notes of chocolate, sweet potato, and tobacco." — Han M.
  • "This Shui Jin Gui oolong is a true delight." — Nicola S.
  • "Very nice, mineral taste developing after the second steep, amazing bouquet!" — Jean R.

Reviews

Tobacco smokey sweetness

"The aftertaste is like you have smoked three cigarettes in a row. There is this tobacco like sensation lingering in your throat. The wet leaf smells just like the Premium AA Da Hong Pao (burned tire and smokey). I could not tell the difference. Tasting notes: charred/burnt food, charcoal, tobacco, smoke, mineral, fruity-like sourness, dark notes in general"

— Shiba (5/5)

Tea Review

"Fantastic, well rounded taste. unique mouth coating experience"

— nicholas d. (5/5)

One of my favorite Oolongs

"This has become one of my favorite oolong teas. Great complexity and depth of flavor."

— Bradford P. (5/5)

Refined and Warming

"This Shui Jin Gui oolong is a true delight. The warming sensation it provides is perfect for a cozy afternoon. The flavor is a harmonious blend of burnt sugarcane sweetness, gentle spices, and a hint of dried blueberries. It performs beautifully over multiple infusions, with each steep revealing new layers of complexity. The service from Yunnan Sourcing was exceptional, ensuring the tea arrived fresh and well-packaged"

— Nicola S. (5/5)

The most special roasted profile tea I've had

"I'm new to this style of Oolong, and it's not my preference (meaning a primarily roasted profile). When I first sipped it, I was overwhelmed by the roastiness and thought I wasn't going to like it. I don't have a lot of experience with dark teas, so it reminded me of Gunpowder. But I let it cool a bit and sipped again, and after my palate adjusted, I was quite surprised how much is going on. This tea is definitely special. If any dark tea will win me over, it could be this one. Note that I usually make my tea Western style. Relatively dark in color, and smells like slightly burnt caramel. Lots of flavors going on. Roasted flavor with vanilla, like a roasted marshmellow over charcoal. Notes of spices and smoke. Coffee or roasted barley at the end. A slight bit of milkiness, so it's not completely thin. I can't detect any green in it, personally. Once the tea gets cold, I don't enjoy it nearly as much. If you drink gongfu, obviously this isn't a concern. Maybe this is true for any tea with a roasted profile, but I haven't had enough of them to know. I steeped in 10oz at 205F for 180sec."

— John M. (5/5)

A nice wuyi oolong, will definitely re-order

"I am really a big fan of this oolong, it has a nice warming qi and some lovely burnt sugarcane notes and a bit of spices. Dried blueberries too I think. The roast is well-done, and it doesn't hide the complexity of the tea, it adds richness and doesn't veer into that one-note roasted territory."

— Nicole D. (5/5)

Super tea

"Super tea"

— Maksym K. (5/5)

Good

"Good tea. a bit to toaster for my taste, but i am getting used to it."

— Øystein W. (5/5)

Delicious tea, classic yancha

"Delicious tea, classic yancha"

— do b. (5/5)

I am happy

"Darker brew than the only turtle I have had so far. Fortunately I like it darker. The wait was long but worth it. I like the taste and the price. My experience with Wu Yi teas is, that their taste evolves for better with time, so it tastes real nice now and I expect even more."

— Tomas C. (5/5)

Q&A

How does this compare to the 2017 harvest?
Pretty similar. Same grower, and roasting level is similar. It's got less age so it will taste different than the 2017 if you drink side by side.
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