Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Tea Description:
Tie Guan Yin tea is a type of Oolong tea, and is – deservedly – one of the most revered and sought after type tea in China. Sometimes also written as Ti Kuan Yin or Iron Goddess Oolong Tea. Apart from its amazing taste, this tea also has great health benefits, being high in amino acids, vitamins and antioxidants.
more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Lord this tea smells so very good! That is in the dry leaf state! Don’t even get me started on the steeped leaf! I am weak in the knees at the aroma of this tea.
It has almost a brown sugar, or maple like essence. Oh my!
When steeped however it also develops some more notes such as floral, but not overly so, and vegetal, but again its not so vegetal that those who are not fond of green tea would be turned off.
To me, the predominant notes are of dessert-y, baked good aromas.
This is a tea that not only can be steeped many times, but deserves to be steeped many times! Having a gong fu session is best with this type of tea as each steep releases different notes, different characteristics, different elements trapped within the tea. It is our duty to release each and every one to be enjoyed fully.
Now it is no secret that I adore Teavivre teas but this specific tea is one of my favorites from them.
The first steep provides a light infusion of crisp floral and vegetal notes that are only slightly buttery. There is a slight yet noticeable lime note in this infusion but it is not tart, just juicy and bright. The lingering after taste is that of steamed greens, almost a celery flavor, very fresh from the market tasting.
Now if you are not using a gaiwan or yixing pot be sure you are using a large enough brew basket as these leaves really expand, a lot! Seriously, lol even my Gaiwan was a bit too full with this leaf! This however is not a bad thing.
Steep two is very similar to the first steep, however providing a slightly more buttery and nutty flavor. The mouthfeel is also slightly thicker and heavier. Drinking this tea makes me want to reach for some butter cookies. It just seems to be the perfect pairing! I only wish I had some.
Steeps three and four are where the flavor profile really begins to shift, with new notes emerging. There is a fruity essence coming forth and that all to well known to me flavor that most all oolong have is really forefront. A flavor that is difficult to describe and only those who have sipped a good oolong can understand.
Oolong is my favorite type of tea. I love the earthiness of it similar to puerh, the sweet vegetal notes like that of green tea, the fruity notes that you can find in many teas types, the boldness of a black. With the delicate nature of a yellow or white tea, with distinct flavor notes all of its own. Everything I love about all other teas can be found right here in an oolong, and this oolong is top notch.
Steeps three and four become more buttery with a more rich mouthfeel, savory from herbaceous notes, the floral has relaxed a little but is still an undertone to the cup. The vegetal is not as strong either but is replaced by a nuttier flavor yet in the after taste evolves again! I will get at least two more if not three or four more steeps out of this leaf and I look forward to each one!
Such a delightful, expressive cup.
Hazelnut Vanilla Oolong from Zenjala Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Zenjala Tea Company
Tea Description:
Ti Kuan Yin oolong complimented with vanilla and real hazelnut pieces.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I hadn’t heard of this company before, but when I found this tea, I knew I had to try it. Hazelnut + Vanilla + Tie Kuan Yin sounds like it would = HEAVEN! I had to order some!
These flavors seem so perfect for one another, and it is also a perfect flavor combination for my favorite time year: Now! Autumn.
The Ti Kuan Yin Oolong base appears to be a darker Oolong (not a green Ti Kuan Yin) so I suspect that it was a roasted Oolong – and as I taste it, I think my suspicions were on target. There is a pleasing roasty-toasty flavor that goes melds perfectly with the sweet, nutty flavor of the hazelnut. And the natural creamy notes of the Oolong melds perfectly with the sweet and creamy taste of vanilla, and these three components unify very harmoniously to offer a really delicious cup of tea that is so soothing and comforting. Everything goes together so seamlessly, with each ingredient bringing out the very best of its counterparts.
While I do usually prefer my Oolong teas to be pure and unfettered, I must say that this flavored Oolong is certainly a winner in my book. This is really something special.
Taiwan Muzha Ti Kuan Yin from Nuvola Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Nuvola Tea
Tea Description:
The saffron-coloured Muzha Ti Kuan Yin Tea has a light fruity aroma and a melting creamy mouth-feel. The flavors are strong and long-lasting even after several infusions, which leaves a sweet lingering sensation in the mouth.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
What a lovely Ti Kuan Yin. This Ti Kuan Yin is a bit different than what I typically envision when it comes to Ti Kuan Yin Oolong, usually, I expect a very green tea with more of a floral/vegetative tone. And while I to taste hints of flower and vegetable within this cup, this tea has a stronger toasted nutty kind of taste, which suggests to me that these leaves were roasted.
But my first hint was the dry leaves themselves. Instead of the deep, forest green color that many Ti Kuan Yin teas possess, this one is darker in color, a shade that is more brown than it is green. And then, the aroma also offered a toasty scent, a scent that filled the kitchen as I brewed the tea and enchanted my senses. 
The flavor, as I mentioned, is that of toasty nut. But there are hints of flower in the distance, as well as hints of vegetation. Sweet, caramel-like tones please the palate. A really wonderful flavor. In this first cup, which is the results of my first two infusions, I find the flavor overall to be somewhat delicate, light and uplifting. However, even though there is a softer flavor to this cup, it tells of stronger flavors to come … begging me to infuse these leaves again … and again! So, that is what I shall do.
This second cup (infusions 3 and 4) is indeed more flavorful than the first cup, with notes of charcoal peeking out from the roasty-toasty taste. It has one of those “warm and welcome” kind of tastes to it, evoking thoughts of home and hearth and autumn. (Autumn is my favorite month and always speaks of home and time for family to me.) With these increased toasted flavors emerges a flavor that was very subtle in the first cup – a sweetness that tastes of caramel and honey.
My third and final cup (infusions 5 and 6) was not quite as strongly flavored as the second cup, but, even so, I think that this third cup is my favorite. The roasty-toasty notes seem to have softened somewhat, allowing for some of the floral notes to emerge … these floral tones that seemed somewhat hidden or obscured in the first few infusions. I love how the floral notes meld with the toasted flavor: it is savory and yet sweet. A beautiful contrast.
This tea has taken me on such a fantastic journey – one that is definitely well worth the trip! In other words: YOU should try this tea!
Ti Kuan Yin from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
A legendary oolong tea from the Fujian province of China. Ti Kuan Yin is one of China’s most beloved oolongs and is extremely time-consuming to produce (well over a dozen distinct steps in the processing are observed). The cup is warm, soft and soothingly mineral in texture. Notes of toasted walnut and tender collard greens. Intriguing lingering floral aroma, lightly orchid, and gentle astringency. A meditative cup.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have been drinking tea for a long time, and the one tea type that never ceases to amaze me is Oolong. There are so many different varieties, depending upon where it’s grown and how it’s harvested and how long it’s oxidized. And even when I think I know a certain type of Oolong – like Ti Kuan Yin – I taste a new one and I’m amazed all over again.
This is a truly lovely Ti Kuan Yin. It has a pleasing nutty flavor to it with hints of mild vegetation that weave their way in and out of the sip. A delicious creamy taste that is reminiscent of browned butter. It has a smooth texture that is almost velvet-like, and a light astringency toward the tail of the sip cleanses the palate so that the buttery taste and velvet-y mouthfeel do not overwhelm.
At the start, I did not taste a strong floral quality to this tea, but at the point where I nearly finished my first cup, the floral notes began to come forward. They were still quite delicate at that point, but they offer a lovely contrast to the nutty sweetness, and with the infusions that followed, I found that the orchid notes that Adagio promised emerged.
And like most Oolong teas, this one is indeed good for multiple infusions! I managed four from the same measurement of leaves, however, I probably could have gotten a solid six infusions … unfortunately it was getting quite late in the evening and so it was time to stop.
A must try for those who love a good Oolong!
Organic Ti Kuan Yin Oolong from Arbor Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Arbor Teas
Tea Description:
Ti Kuan Yin is the most famous of all organic Oolong Teas. This Fair Trade Certified organic Chinese tea is grown in the southern reaches of China’s Fujian Province. The tightly-rolled dark green organic loose leaf tea yields a pale golden, smooth-bodied infusion with a complex aroma having accents of sweet flowers, rich greens and forest floor.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
It’s been a while since I’ve last tried the delicious Ti Kuan Yin that Arbor Tea offers, and I’ve missed it! I brewed this Ti Kuan Yin in my gaiwan using short steeps. By brewing it using this method, I managed six very flavorful infusions, each new infusion seemed to taste even lovelier than the one prior!
The body is incredibly smooth and rich, with a thick mouthfeel that is soft and luxurious. The flavor is sweet with a floral overtone and a hint of vegetation in the distance.
There is an undertone of earthiness to this Ti Kuan Yin which evoke thoughts of the mossy earth that carpets the forests of the Pacific Northwest. The sweetness to this cup is reminiscent of honeysuckles.
I love that this tea is organic and Fair Trade Certified, which is true of all the teas sold by Arbor Teas. Overall, I find this to be an excellent Oolong; a lovely, contemplative brew! I highly recommend it!