Batch 119 of the Eco-Cha Tea Club is an Wuyi Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea from Muzha, Taiwan. It was made in the traditional fashion by our ongoing source of Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea. For the background story of this tea, check our sourcing blogpost.

We can see in the photo above that the leaves were rolled like they were 40-50 years ago in Taiwan, before mass production and more extensive use of machines. This more loosely rolled leaf material is more conducive to roasting as well as post production oxidation.

In addition to extensive oxidation and roasting, the single most distinctive quality of Tie Guan Yin Oolong made in the Muzha tradition is an added step during the rolling and drying process. The leaves are left to rest for several hours in a warmer when they are tightly wrapped into cloth during their rolling process. This results in a tangy quality in the flavor profile that nicely balances out the heavy roast character of this tea.

The Wuyi cultivar is known for its extraordinary fragrant qualities that set it apart from the other small leaf strains that are used to make Oolong Tea in Taiwan. When the leaves are heavily processed as they are with this Tie Guan Yin, these qualities are more subtle but definitely add to the complexity of the brew.