Zhen Tea Tie Guan Yin – Classic
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: small, somewhat dark and twisted Ingredients: oolong tea Steep time: 30 seconds Water Temperature: 212 degrees Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan Liquor: brassy gold When I saw +ZhenTea at the New York Coffee and Tea Festival, this tea really caught my eye and they were kind enough to gift me a bit to take home. Prior to the 1990’s Tie Guan Yin was produced as a strip style oolong with heavier roasting. This tea was produced in that older style. The vividly green, tightly rolled oolong that we know today is a result of influences from Taiwanese processing and changes in market demand. The difference was quite remarkable. My tea…
Meet the Tea: Tie Guan Yin
Photo: Wikipedia Tie Guan Yin goes by various spellings but it is probably one of the best known Chinese oolong teas. It is commonly referred to as Iron Goddess of Mercy and there are many legends about how this tea got its name. Traditionally it was a made as a strip style tea with heavier roasting but that changed after the 1990’s due to the influence of Taiwanese manufacturing techniques. The dark green, semi-oxidized leaves are now rolled into tight balls. They will expand quite a bit after steeping and once unfurled, the leaves will have a broken appearance. Making this tea is a complex, multistep process that takes a high degree of…
Teavivre Anxi Superfine Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong Tea
Country of Origin: China Leaf Appearance: deep green, tightly rolled Ingredients: oolong tea Steep time: 30 seconds Water Temperature: 212 degrees Preparation Method: porcelain gaiwan Liquor: bright gold Although I’m usually a fan of darker oolongs, it’s nice to sip something a bit on the greener side from time to time. This hand rolled Tie Guan Yin was exactly what I was looking for. First of all, how amazing is it to be drinking tea that was picked a few months ago (I wrote this review on June 13th and the leaves were harvested on May 2nd). The taste was full of orchid sweetness that lingered in my palate long after each sip.…
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