Medium Roast TieGuanYin Oolong - 鐵觀音

2012 NATC - Traditional TieGuanYin Category - 1st Place

TieGuanYin, translated as “Iron Goddess of Mercy,” is a tea with legendary roots.  Tea made from this cultivar’s leaf boasts a flavor that is unique and varied.  Some sommeliers claim to detect a faint pine flavor, while others describe a tingling sensation in the mouthfeel as the defining feature of the cultivar.  In either case, TieGuanYin is fast gaining popularity in the West as a loose-leaf favorite.

Admire the handsome qualities of this tea; the leaf is a deep forest green with red tinges along the edge and on the stem, indicating oxidization beyond green oolong, yet far from dark oolong.  The greenness of the leaf indicates a masterful roast; lower temperature over a longer period of time to prevent leaf burn.  Taste TieGuanYin’s characteristic piney note and tingling mouthfeel accompanying peachy flavors, along with the roast-imparted cinnamon cookie flavor that is sure to please even the most particular tea enthusiast.

Steeping Instructions:

Prepare 3 grams of tea leaf (slightly less than a teaspoon) per 100ml of water(about half a cup).

For the first two steeps, 95°c water for no longer than 60 seconds will provide plenty of flavor.  From the third steep onward it is fine to add up to thirty additional seconds per steep.  This should provide between four and six re-steeps depending on the quality of the tea.  For larger vessels (teapots of over 500ml) re-steep potential is usually lower.