Traditional Tie Guan Yin

Tea Type: Oolong Tea

Tea Region: Anxi, Fujian Province, China

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Transluscent, amber, mahogany coloured liquor
• Aroma: Firewood, caramel, dried fruit notes, flint. 
• Flavour: Firewood, honeyed, dried grape (raisin) and prune notes. 
• Mouthfeel: Well-rounded, smooth, mellow liquor with lingering sweetness.

Brewing Guidance

• Measure 1g of tea per 100ml water. Boil water to 90℃. Steep for 4-5 minutes.

Reference:  Op.149

Tips for Tea Connoisseurs

Tie Guan Yin (aka. "Iron Goddess Mercy" or "Iron Buddha") is one of the most famous and beloved Chinese oolong teas from Fujian Province, China. The production of Tie Guan Yin is extremely time and labour-consuming. After harvest, the tea leaves are withered, bruised to stimulate the oxidation, then wrapped in a cotton canvas and delicately hand-rolled into small pellets. This rolling stage is regularly interrupted with heating to control the degree of oxidation of the tea. Such repetitive alternation between rolling and heating greatly contributes to the development of desired aromas and flavours of Iron Goddess Mercy oolong tea. 

Hailing from Anxi, the birthplace of Tie Guan Yin, our Traditional Tie Guan Yin has been carefully crafted, following the traditional charcoal roasting method, which involves numerous stages of rolling and painstaking roasting process that takes several days to complete. The result is a robust, complex liquor that blends sweet, roasted notes (baked bread, brown sugar, coffee beans), mineral, dried fruit notes with a hint of flint. A full-bodied, complex, amber oolong tea that reflects the heritage, unique terroir and craftmanship. Highly recommended to lovers of dark roasted oolong tea. 

According to a legend, a poor, kind-hearted farmer took care of a degenerated temple which held an iron statue of "Guan Yin", the Chinese Buddhist Goddess of Mercy  (i.e. the Bodhisattva of compassion in Buddhism). Touched by his kindness, the goddess visited him in his dream and showed him the spot of a hidden treasure behind her temple. When the farmer followed the instruction to find the treasure, what he found was a tea shoot. He then carefully cultivated, harvested and named the tea as "Tie Guan Yin", literally meaning, Iron Goddess Mercy in Mandarin Chinese. Anxi region then became famous for Iron Goddess Mercy oolong tea, which is now one of the most popular oolong teas in China.   

As with all the teas, oolong tea also offers us health benefits to increase our sense of well-being. Several studies indicate that oolong tea is a rich source of antioxidant polyphenols and it may well be just as beneficial as green tea to promote weight loss and cardiovascular health by reducing high blood pressure and cholesterol. 

If you like this product you may also like Heavy Roasted Dong Ding, 10 Years Aged Cooked Puerh and Tteokcha.