Description
Tasting Notes
Origin
Brewing

Flavor: Hearty, dried fruit/pipe tobacco aroma. Rich, tangy, toasted grains flavor. Smooth, mildly smoky finish.

Garden: This mixed batch of tea comes from Pinglin and Muzha, in Taipei. The Jin Xuan tea leaves were sourced from the producer of our Wenshan Baozhong Tea in Pinglin, in the mountains north of Taipei. The Tie Guan Yin tea leaves were harvested from this farmer's land in Muzha - in the foothills just outside of Taipei. Both of these place names have a long history of tea production. These, along with Sanxia district in the greater Taipei area have been producing tea since the 1800's.

This farmer manages his own small plots of Tie Guan Yin, also known as "Iron Goddess", tea plants and processes the leaves in his home factory. This batch is approximately half Tie Guan Yin tea leaves blended with a batch of Jin Xuan Oolong that he processed in the traditional Tie Guan Yin fashion. It is now common practice to make Tie Guan Yin Oolong with Jin Xuan tea leaves. The majority of entries in the Muzha Farmers' Association Tie Guan Yin Oolong Tea Competition are made with leaves harvested from Jin Xuan tea plants and processed as Tie Guan Yin. Our source has found that blending these two tea strains offers the original Tie Guan Yin character while maximizing his yield.

Harvest: Hand picked in small batches. Spring 2019. Pinglin/Muzha, Taiwan.

Elevation: 600m/300m
Tie Guan Yin Oolong tea is traditionally a heavily oxidized, heavily roasted tea, that in effect puts it in its own flavor profile. It is distinctly different from all other tea types produced in Taiwan, regardless of region or tea strain. This tea is unique due to its curing methods.

One step in particular sets Tie Guan Yin apart from the processing methods of other Oolong types. After the "kill green" or "cease oxidation" step —where the leaves are exposed to high heat, they are partially rolled and dried, and then put in the roasting oven while still in the cloth wrapped balls shown above, and slightly "steamed in their own juices". This results in a subtle, tangy fermented character that makes Tie Guan Yin unique. This anomaly of tea processing methods in Taiwan, combined with heavy oxidation and heavy roasting give Tie Guan Yin Oolong is bold, rich and distinguished character.
Traditional methods of tea making typically involve much more "curing" of the tea leaves — which has the dual purpose of bringing out a distinct character, and stabilizing the tea leaves to maintain flavor — giving it a prolonged shelf life as well as a distinguished profile. In this sense, Tie Guan Yin Oolong is a prime example of a traditional product of regional origin. This tea tree strain was initially brought from mainland China, and took root in Northern Taiwan. It's traditional processing methods have continued to evolve to this day.

These tea leaves were cultivated and cured in perhaps the most traditional fashion that has survived into Taiwan's 21st century tea industry. Not only were they cultivated in the most historical tea growing regions in northern Taiwan, they were cultivated and cured in an overall context that is now very rare. It is rare because it is one of the few remaining resources of heirloom Tie Guan Yin tea trees in Taiwan, and it is naturally cultivated, and it is processed in the most boutique home-style tea factory we've ever seen.

Tie Guan Yin Oolong tea is traditionally a heavily oxidized, heavily roasted tea, that in effect puts it in its own flavor profile. It is distinctly different from all other tea types produced in Taiwan, regardless of region or tea strain. This tea is unique due to its curing methods.

One step in particular sets Tie Guan Yin apart from the processing methods of other Oolong types. After the "kill green" or "cease oxidation" step —where the leaves are exposed to high heat, they are partially rolled and dried, and then put in the roasting oven while still in the cloth wrapped balls shown above, and slightly "steamed in their own juices". This results in a subtle, tangy fermented character that makes Tie Guan Yin unique. This anomaly of tea processing methods in Taiwan, combined with heavy oxidation and heavy roasting give Tie Guan Yin Oolong is bold, rich and distinguished character.
Mug: 9g tea in 350ml 95°C water. Steep for 3 minutes. Re-steep. Adjust to taste.

Cold Brew: Use 8g of tea per liter of water. Brew tea at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and enjoy. Or you can put your cold brew bottle in the fridge to brew overnight and be ready to drink the next day.

Gongfu Brew: Use 10g for a 175 ml pot. Use boiling temperature water and brew for about 50 seconds. Increase brewing time with each successive brew. The leaves can be brewed 5-6 times.

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