Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
December 18, 2024

Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club

Home Eco-Cha Tea Club Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea Tasting Notes | Eco-Cha Tea Club
Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea Gong Fu Brewing

Batch 109 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is a Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea from Muzha, Taiwan. Last December we began our ninth year of the tea club with this traditional type of Oolong Tea, and we decided to offer a spring 2024 batch of this tea to kick off year ten. We choose to offer a Muzha Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea at this time of year because it is a rich, bold, heavy roast Oolong that is particularly satisfying in the cold winter months. Its hearty, complex roasted flavor profile has a warming effect that soothes and satisfies.

Muzha Tie Guan Yin Oolong dried tea leaves

The dried leaves exhibit the traditional fashion of loosely rolling the leaves, without compressing them into a tightly rolled semi-spherical shape, like most Taiwanese Oolong Tea is rolled and dried in recent decades. The logic behind this traditional rolling method is to have more exposed surface area of the dried leaves. This allows for a more uniform effect in both the roasting of the leaves, as well as post-production oxidation. Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea making in the Muzha tradition involves extensive processing of the leaves. It entails a medium-heavy degree of oxidation and a heavy roast. During the rolling and drying process, the leaves are put in a warmer to "steep" in their own juices. This results in a subtle tangy flavor note that is signature to Muzha Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea. 

After the leaves are completely rolled and dried, they under repeated roastings in a convection type oven with temperatures ranging from 85-130°C. This batch of tea was roasted 5 times over several weeks. The initial four roasting sessions were about 10 hours each, and the final session was half that. This long slow low temperature baking of the dried tea leaves results in a heavily roasted flavor profile, with charring the leaves. Rather the initial flavor is maintained, but enhanced by a roasted quality. This is why Muzha Tie Guan Yin offers one of the most complex and substantial flavor profiles among the wide range of Oolong Teas.


Tie Guan Yin Oolong brewed tea in a cup
We can see from both the appearance of the dried leaves as well as the brewed tea that both the significant degree of oxidation and extensive roasting process has not resulted in a dark opacity. The leaves still maintain their integrity and composition. The brewed tea is limpid and bright. This is the art of traditional Oolong Tea making: Extensive but skillful processing. The leaves are cured with finesse and patience. Traditionally made Oolongs are the exemplary artisanal teas from Taiwan. They are the gems of Taiwan's tea culture.

Watch the tasting video for the full scoop!

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