Tie Guanyin Oolong Review

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I've been on a tea kick of late. It's something I started years ago when I purchased a tea brick that did not end up being very good but did pique my interest. Coffee is my jam. I really should cut back, as that work coffee just seems to treat me differently than what I brew up at home and I end up with some heartburn through the day.

So, anyway, there have been several coupons on eBay for $ off an item recently so I found a really good deal on some Iron Goddess of Mercy Oolong to use the coupon with.

The legend behind the tea is a rather interesting one. The story varies depending on the teller, but it can be summarized in a sentence: a poor, devout Buddhist farmer of Anxi County received special seedlings from Guanyin as a gift for his devotion.

Anyway, on to tasting.
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First infusion, I get some of the charcoal from the roasting, a little bit of the floral notes you would expect from a green tea. No astringency that I can detect.

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The second infusion, the charcoal is all but gone--what little of it there was to begin with-- and you get more floral notes.
Almost wonder if they toss in a few Jasmine flowers to add to it. Probably not. It doesn't hit that hard. The flavor described with a quality Tie Guanyin is a very long lasting floral note. It's present here, though I think it could be more pronounced. Could be due to the fact that this is 2019 Spring harvest and it could use some time for the charcoal to dissipate a bit.

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The third infusion does not have the aroma of the second infusion, but the flavor is quite something. At this point, the leaves themselves still have a bit of the charcoal scent about them, wet hay, and strong vegetal scent, which really contrasts with the tea which is sweet, a bit vegetal at this point, and very smooth.

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The fourth infusion smells of minerals and vegetal initially. Vegetal notes are strong in the tea itself at this point, but the sweetness is still there, and it is still very smooth. I went for a longer steep time on this one. It's getting late, but I think I have time for one more. No pictures due time restrictions, sorry folks. Looking all the same at this point anyway. The leaves have unfurled completely.

The fifth infusion is almost odorless, perhaps a bit vegetal. The flavor is vegetal and smooth, but there is still a hint of the floral notes that are present in abundance in the second infusion. The leaves themselves still have a strong vetetal, wet hay scent.

Very good tea in my opinion. Then again, what do I know? I'm a coffee junkie.

If you're interested in the tea I sampled, it's still on eBay direct from China here. Probably not the best Tie Guanyin available, but you get your money's worth in my opinion. I recommend using a Gaiwan. My setup is suboptimal, but it gets the job done. It's the best tea I've had in quite a while. I like green teas, but the astringency can get to me. With this one, there is almost none even if you over-steep. As far as steep times go, I've been sticking to around 2:00 starting out, moving up to around 3:00 by the fifth infusion. I try to use water that is just below boiling, so ~190°F. I generally don't measure, and I let intuition guide me. For Tie Guanyin, you will want to go light as a little goes a long way. The leaves are densely packed.

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If anyone would like to recommend a tea, I am open to suggestions. There are a number of teas sitting in my collection at the moment that I could review as well, so hit me up in the comments.

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