Besides Da Hong Pao, even some seasoned tea drinkers find it difficult to clearly distinguish the varieties and classifications of Wuyi Rock Tea. It's important to know that Wuyi Mountain has thirty-six peaks, seventy-two caves, and ninety-nine rocks. Just from the saying "every rock has tea, no tea without rock," you can somewhat imagine the great variety of Wuyi Rock Tea.
After Wuyi Rock Tea applied for "Product of Protected Designation of Origin," the national standard for Wuyi Rock Tea (GB18745-2002) was promulgated and implemented. According to this national standard, Wuyi Rock Tea products are divided into five variety series: Shuixian (Narcissus), Rougui (Cinnamon), Da Hong Pao, Ming Cong (Famous Bushes), and Qi Zhong (Unique Varieties).
Mellowness belongs to Shuixian, Aroma belongs to Rougui
In the Wuyi tea region, people always mention Shuixian and Rougui together, with the common saying "none is mellower than Shuixian, none is more fragrant than Rougui." Nowadays, these two can be considered the leading varieties of Wuyi Rock Tea, with the largest planting area.
The greatest advantage of Wuyi Shuixian is the mellow and full-bodied taste of its tea liquor. It is both smooth and sweet, elegant and ethereal, with each infusion offering a different taste profile. While its taste may not be as rich as Da Hong Pao or as domineering as Rougui, its unique "water charm" (Shui Yun) allows one to savor another kind of flavor.
Wuyi Rougui, also known as Yu Gui (Jade Cinnamon), is customarily called "Rougui" because its aroma and taste resemble cassia bark. It is highly regarded by veteran tea drinkers for its rich, pungent, cinnamon-like aroma and its醇厚甘爽带刺激性 (mellow, sweet, refreshing, and带有刺激性) yet domineering taste. Among the more famous Rougui teas are "Niu Rou" (Beef) and "Ma Rou" (Horse Meat), referring to Niu Lan Keng (Ox Pen Ravine) Rougui and Ma Tou Yan (Horse Head Rock) Rougui, respectively.
Lao Cong Shuixian (Aged Bush Narcissus)
Tea connoisseurs who truly understand Rock Tea must appreciate teas like Shuixian and Rougui, and Lao Cong Shuixian is particularly favored by veteran tea drinkers.
所谓 Lao Cong Shuixian generally refers to Shuixian tea trees that are over fifty or sixty years old. On the foundation of "rock bone and floral fragrance" (Yan Gu Hua Xiang), it emphasizes orchid fragrance and "Cong flavor" (Cong Wei). Cong flavor refers to the distinctive taste characteristic of these old tea trees, mainly comprising three notes: woody flavor, mossy flavor, and rough rice flavor.
When tasting this kind of Lao Cong Shuixian, appropriately discussing the Cong flavor not only appears professional but can also have a remarkable effect.
Ming Cong (Famous Bushes)
In Wuyi Rock Tea, Ming Cong refers to those individual tea bushes with exceptional natural quality and unique style. Throughout history, tea masters in Wuyi Mountain have selectively bred many high-quality "Dan Cong" (single bushes) from the local Cai Cha (collective term for mixed, seed-propagated tea plants). When these Dan Cong perform well and produce high-quality finished tea, they are given a name, called a "Hua Ming" (flowery name). Through evaluation and tea competitions, those with particularly outstanding quality are selected from the numerous Hua Ming and termed "Ming Cong" (Famous Bushes).
The most well-known are undoubtedly the Four Great Famous Bushes: Tie Luo Han (Iron Arhat), Shui Jin Gui (Golden Water Turtle), Bai Ji Guan (White Cockscomb), and Ban Tian Yao (Half-Sky Monster). The renowned Da Hong Pao was originally one of Wuyi's Four Great Famous Bushes. After Da Hong Pao became a separate category, Ban Tian Yao filled the vacancy to join the ranks of the Four Great Famous Bushes. Nowadays, many tea companies have顺势推出 (followed the trend to launch) their own Ming Cong products. For example, Ximing Tea Company promotes series like the Four Great Famous Bushes and the Four Elegant Bushes. The Four Elegant Bushes select distinctive and scarce Ming Cong varieties such as Xiao Hong Mei (Little Red Plum), Jin Liu Tiao (Golden Willow Strip), Bu Zhi Chun (Unknown Spring), and Bai Rui Xiang (White Auspicious Fragrance).
Qi Zhong (Unique Varieties)
Speaking of Qi Zhong, one must mention Wuyi Rock Tea's Cai Cha. Cai Cha refers to the local sexually propagated (seed-propagated) tea plant population. The finished tea made from Cai Cha varieties is called Qi Zhong. Ming Cong developed from Qi Zhong are those tea plant types with relatively large产量 (yield) and high知名度 (fame/recognition).