Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark green, tightly curled
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: pale gold
The first infusion of this tea was somewhat more delicate than other Tie Guan Yins that I have tried. However, it wasn’t weak or lacking in flavor. There were floral notes of orchid and a hint citrus. This tea was charcoal roasted and that comes through in a subtle toastiness. The finish was sweet and lingered long after each sip. Those flavors evolved and became more pronounced with each subsequent infusion. The mouthfeel was smooth and the leaves unfurled to be quite large. I brewed this in a gaiwan as well as in a glass teapot. Both methods produced excellent tea but I preferred the gaiwan version. I really enjoyed this tea and finished the whole bag while hunkered down during Hurricane Sandy. Derek, the owner of Peony Tea Shop, was kind enough to write a guest post for this blog a few months ago. He’s very knowledgeable and I definitely suggest checking out his blog.
You can find out more about this tea here.