Shui Jin Gui Tea

Shui Jin Gui tea is a type of oolong tea that has the mellow flavour of Tieguanyin and the fresh fragrance of green tea. It is a treasure among teas and one of the four most famous Wuyi rock teas. It is produced in Wuyishan, China, and is named after the dense, shiny leaves that resemble golden turtles. Shui Jin Gui tea has a heavy, thick appearance, a dark greenish-brown colour and a shiny sheen. When brewed, the tea broth is a goldenyellow colour, with a faint fragrance similar to plum blossoms. The taste is heavy, sweet and smooth. Its unique charm and mellow flavour are deeply loved by tea drinkers, and it is a good tea that is well worth savouring.

Shui Jin Gui Tea Details:

Product Name: Shui Jin Gui
Place of Origin: Wuyi Mountain, Fujian Province, China
Net Content: 125g
Shelf Life: 2922 days
Storage: Protect from moisture, odours and direct light

Shui Jin Gui Tea Picking:

We have strict requirements for picking Shui Jin Gui: the picking time is usually in mid-May each year, when the tenderness and content of the tea leaves are at their best. When picking, the buds and two or three leaves on the shoots are selected. Depending on the growth of the tea leaves, the picking is divided into early unfurling leaves, middle unfurling leaves, and fully unfurled leaves. The picking is carried out from 10am to 5pm on sunny days, avoiding early mornings and rainy days, to ensure the quality of the tea leaves.

Shui Jin Gui Processing Techniques:

Processing techniques for Shui Jin Gui: withering – rolling – fermentation – roasting – re-roasting.

1. Withering: Withering is divided into two types: indoor heating withering and outdoor sunlight withering. The degree of withering is determined by the loss of luster on the tips of the fresh leaves, the softness of the leaves, the breaking of the stems, and the transparency of the veins.
2. Rolling: Rolling is done to cause the tea juice to flow out and the leaves to curl into strips.
3. Fermentation: Fermentation refers to placing the rolled tea leaves in a basket, pressing them slightly, and covering them with a fermenting cloth soaked in warm water to increase the temperature and humidity of the leaves, promote enzyme activity, and shorten the fermentation time. Generally, after 5 to 6 hours, the veins of the leaves turn reddish brown, and the leaves are ready to be roasted and dried. The purpose of fermentation is to cause oxidation of the polyphenols in the tea under the action of enzymes, causing the green tea leaves to turn red.
4. Roasting: Collect the tea leaves that have undergone moderate fermentation and place them evenly on a water sieve. Each sieve should contain about 2–2.5 kg of tea leaves. Then place the water sieve on a hanging rack and burn pure pine firewood (wet is better) underneath. This is why small-variety black tea has a unique pure pine smoke flavour. When roasting for the first time, a high fire temperature is required, usually around 80 degrees. A high temperature is mainly used to stop the action of the enzymes and prevent over-fermentation caused by enzyme activity, which would result in a dark infused leaf that does not open up. Baking generally uses the one-time drying method, and it is not advisable to turn the leaves over to avoid affecting the evenness of drying, resulting in the outside being dry but the inside being wet. Generally, the leaves can be taken out of the oven after 6 hours, depending on the size of the fire. Generally, the leaves are baked until they feel prickly to the touch, are ground into a powder, and have reached the desired level of dryness, and then spread out to cool and then baked again. Tea is a substance that readily absorbs moisture, and it is necessary to re-fire it before selling it to retain its internal quality, with the moisture content not exceeding 8%.

Shui Jin Gui Tea Brewing Method:

As a high-quality product among Wuyi rock teas, Shui Jin Gui is also very particular about its brewing method:

If it is for personal consumption, you can use the cup-brewing method: Use a large glass with a capacity of about 200 ml. First, take about 5 g of Shui Jin Gui tea leaves and rinse them once with boiling water at about 90 degrees to remove impurities. Then brew with boiling water and wait a moment before drinking.

If you are drinking it with a group of people, we recommend the pot brewing method‌:
Add 7–10 grams of tea leaves to the pot, first using 90°C hot water to warm them up, and then using 100°C hot water to brew for 45–60 seconds. This method produces Shui Jin Gui tea with a heavy and thick tea aroma that is very memorable and perfect for drinking with a group of people.

Characteristics of Shui Jin Gui Tea:

Appearance: Shui Jin Gui tea has plump, evenly curved, naturally loose strips, a lustrous greenish-brown colour, and a dense, shiny appearance like the back of a golden tortoise.

Aroma: Its aroma is long-lasting and refined, like the fragrance of plum blossoms or flowers and fruit, delicate, long-lasting and persistent. Lightly roasted Shui Jin Gui has a floral, honeyed, and musky aroma; medium-roasted has a floral and fruity aroma; and fully roasted has a rich and unique aroma with plum and fruit notes.

‌Soup colour‌: The brewed tea soup is goldenyellow in colour, clear and moist. The colour may change with repeated brewing, but it remains clear and bright overall.

Taste:‌ The taste is heavy, sweetandfresh, smoothandrefreshing. Even when drunk strong, it is not bitter but instead has a refreshing sweetness. It has the sweetness of Tieguanyin and the freshness of green tea, with a fresh, sweet, and refreshing taste.

‌Infused leaf:‌ The infused leaf is softandshiny, fat andthick, evenly shaped, with a neat red edge tinged with cinnabar, showing the typical characteristics of ‘green leaves with a red edging’.

Shui Jin Gui Tea Benefits:

‌Boosts immunity‌: Shui Jin Gui Tea can stimulate the proliferation of lymphocytes in the spleen, protect immune surveillance functions, and help improve the body's ability to fight disease.

‌Prevents cardiovascular disease‌: Tea polyphenols help remove biological free radicals in the body, reduce damage, and delay aging. It also lowers blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, reduces lipid deposition, and has a certain effect on reducing blood hypercoagulation and preventing thrombosis.

Protects the gastrointestinal tract‌: Catechins can appropriately inhibit the secretion of gastric juice, have an astringent effect on the gastric mucosa, help treat stomach discomfort, and enhance the health of the digestive organs.

‌Protects the kidneys‌: Flavonol compounds can promote diuresis and inhibit the reabsorption of renal tubules, thereby helping to protect kidney health.

Weight loss and beauty‌: Shui Jin Gui tea can promote the activity of lipase in the pancreas and accelerate the breakdown of body fat, thereby achieving a certain weight loss effect. In addition, it can inhibit the increase of neutral fat and make your skin smoother and more delicate.