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End of vintage clearance: 30% off any quantity while supplies last
Each order consists of one 50 gram vacuum-sealed pouch in a resealable high barrier bag
Harvest: Winter, 2010
Growing Area: Jenai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan
Elevation: +/-4,000 ft (1,200 M)
Varietal: Tie Guan Yin
Oxidation: 30%
Roasting: 70%
Overview:
Tie Guan Yin from Taiwan is a very different tea from its Fujian counterpart. While the trend in mainland China is to leave Tie Guan Yin oolongs un-roasted and in their ultra-green and ultra-fragrant state, Tie Guan Yin from Taiwan is usually a more oxidized & roasted tea.
Since the intense floral nature of un-roasted Tie Guan Yin just doesn't fit with regional Taiwan tea tastes & preferences, it makes sense that the traditional methods from Fujian province of tempering the strong floral/sweet aroma and flavor of intensely aromatic teas through a complicated roasting process has continued to be the norm in Taiwanese tea culture.
Processing:
This Tie Guan Yin was produced entirely from hand picked, Winter harvest, 2010 Tie Guan Yin cultivar tea plants grown in Jenai Township of Nantou county, Taiwan. The leaves were allowed to oxidize about 30% of the way before they underwent the "kill green" firing to halt oxidation, followed by the roasting process.
The all-important roasting process for this tea was done by an experienced tea master in the traditional fashion using glowing (not flaming) charcoal that has been covered with ash (usually from burned rice hulls) to prevent flare ups and smokey tastes from penetrating & overpowering the tea flavor. With a traditional roasting process like this one, there is always a danger of burning the tea, so it is roasted & cooled several times over a period of days or weeks to avoid burning and ruining the leaves.
The finished product is what I consider to be close to a dark roast, and I estimate the roasting level to be about 70%, which is a lower than last year's Winter Tie Guan Yin. I had a conversation with the tea master about the reasons for this, and he explained that the weather conditions created a very different raw material than last year. The early onset of cold weather this year led to physically thicker leaves with more "Winter perfume" in them because of increased nutrient content crated by the leaves to defend the plant against the cold. According to the tea master, performing a full, dark roast (like the 2009 crop we carried last year) on this tea could not be accomplished in just a few weeks after harvest because the tea would burn before the roast could penetrate to the center of these thicker leaves. Whether or not the tea master was being overly cautious with the roast for this harvest is a matter of opinion, but, either way, this crop of Tie Guan Yin is unique and quite delicious. Honestly, I hope he is able to duplicate this roasting style and flavor profile with future crops along with another full, dark roast like last year's Winter TGY. These tea leaves create a medium-bodied tea liquor with a very clean finish, and the infused tea is a beautiful and crystal clear honey-amber.
Steeping Guideline:
Because the leaves are relatively thick and have been roasted, they do not unfurl very quickly at all, and, for me at least, it takes longer infusion times than I am used to with most oolong. Gong-Fu style preparation works well with this tea, but I would suggest starting with slightly longer infusions than you would normally use at least to start out. The first infusion is fairly light, but in my experience this tea really starts to open up in the second and subsequent infusions.
I am also enjoying a more "western" approach after many experiments with different preparation methods. I like this roast in a simple 8 oz teapot using using between 0.75 and 1 gram of leaf per ounce of water, 185-190 F water and a 2-3 minute first steep.
Note: Each order consists of one 50 gram vacuum-sealed pouch in a resealable high barrier bag
Weight: 0.1102 lb
49.99 grams
1.76 ounces
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