Mr. Wu's 60+ year old Shui Xian bushes from high mountain rock oolong hinterland village Wusandi provides a special Shui Xian experience.  As many older trees produce less material, this age range is considered a sweet spot where bright vigorous flavor expression characteristic of younger bush material meets the more-steepable, smooth, mineral-richness of older bush stock.

Lao Cong 老枞 means Old Bush, and is a designation for bushes typically aged above 40-50 years, and are usually grown 生态 shengtai ecologically without chemicals to promote the growth of mosses and lichens that is often associated with this designation.

Mr. Wu's grandfather planted these trees in the early 60s.  It was his grandfather who planted the oldest bushes in their family, the Shui Xian Centenarian bushes, and it was his son that would plant the next generation Shui Xian bushes, the source material for the High Bush Shui Xian.

Alongside three other Shui Xian teas, this particular one is representative of the aspect of 枞味 congwei or "thicket taste" in the tasting set Old Thicket 2.0.  Congwei is present in older bushes that have accumulated more resinous volatile compounds from its expansive root network, as well as from the secondary metabolism of its environment through its thicker bark covered in moss, lichens, and epiphytic plants.

demure, mossy fir flavor

Wusandi, an ideal zhengyan alternative

Wusandi is a village close to the headwaters of the River Huangbai, the watercourse that eventually flows down to the famous Nine Bend River by Wuyishan. Of the hinterlands growing tea alternative to the hyped core scenic park teas closer to the city, along with the villages of Tongmu, Wusandi is ecologically pristine, relatively high in elevation, is water abundant, and has ideal soil for tea growing. With tea gardens growing on the slopes from 600 to over 1000 meter peaks, teas from Wusandi are often touted as the "high mountain rock oolong".

Rewind to the mid-late 1600s during the late Ming / early Qing dynasties, when a general Wu Sangui revolted once he gained enough power in his assigned Yunnan and Guizhou territories and even declared himself emperor in 1678 after defending his revolt against the Manchurians of the Qing Dynasty. After dying of dysentery that same year, his grandson held power for a couple of years before being killed. Descendants of this family scattered, including 3 brothers that fled south to the safety of remote mountains in Northern Fujian. The story goes that on such a journey they were sure to bring along a rooster, as folk in those times believed that wherever a rooster crows must be a suitable place to live. At last, in a lush, bamboo forested valley, their rooster crowed for a long while, convincing the 3 brothers Wu to put down their bags. Wusandi was formed, and though the two oldest brothers eventually moved back to familiar territories as it became safer for their family, the youngest brother stayed in Wusandi and planted tea.

Today, hundreds of years later, Mr. Wu is one of the descendants of the younger brother who can trace his ancestry to the infamous Wu Sangui. Wusandi remains a tucked away mountain hamlet, and is known in connoisseur circles for having on average older Shui Xian bushes than the Wuyi scenic park which are generally about 60 years of age. Wusandi boasts around 2000 old Shui Xian bushes around 100 years old. Since these trees are old, the output is limited: each tree produces a little over 1 pound of finished tea annually.

Many specialty cultivars found in Wuyi in lower elevations are not suitable to grow in Wusandi, as the higher elevation produces late winter cold snaps that sensitive varietals can't withstand.  Qidan Da Hong Pao, Rougui, and Shui Xian are more cold hearty — a major reason why they are the most widely planted cultivars in the Wuyi Mountains — and Mr. Wu only grows and produces these varietals.

Wusandi has around 60 households - about 300 people

visiting Mr. Wu's eldest grove of Shui Xian bushes, some of the oldest in the Wuyi Mountains

a study book handwritten by Mr. Wu's grandfather for his father (there were not schools in Wusandi at the time). Mr. Wu's grandfather planted the 60 year old Shui Xian bushes and Mr. Wu's father planted the 40 year.