Country of Origin: China
Leaf Appearance: dark green, tightly rolled
Ingredients: oolong tea
Steep time: 30 seconds
Water Temperature: 195 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan
Liquor: pale greenish gold
A few months ago I reviewed and enjoyed the Iron Goddess Medium Grade from Tea Setter so I was really looking forward to this one. The main difference that I found between the two was that the high grade was not as heavy on aroma. Instead, all of the typical floral and vegetal notes were very present in the taste. The mouth-feel was quite thick and buttery. I did at least six consecutive infusions and they were all equally as delicious. The later infusions had a more prominent sourness in the finish. It was not unpleasant and it’s important to keep in mind that Tie Guan Yin is supposed to have a bit of a sour element to it. The floral notes lingered in my palate for a long time after each sip. Overall it was a very enjoyable tea experience. I’m a sucker for aromas so I may actually prefer the medium grade in this case. Earlier this year I interviewed +Matt Kitchen from Tea Setter for my podcast. Check out the video below in case you missed it the first time.
Iron Goddess High Grade Oolong sample provided by Tea Setter.