Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Life in Teacup
Tea Description:
| Production Season | Spring |
| Production Region | Fujian Province, Wuyi Mountain region |
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A black (or red) … Tie Guan Yin? I was a little surprised when I read the label of this sample from Life In Teacup, because when I see the name “Tie Guan Yin” immediately I think of Oolong tea. But this is, indeed, a black tea. The leaves are dark, slender, slightly curly and I see some silvery tips amongst the dark leaves. It looks very much like a typical black tea … certainly not at all like a Tie Guan Yin Oolong.
As I poured the tea, I could smell the amazing aroma that reminded me of freshly baked cake: a sweet, rich, chocolate-y scent that made my mouth water!
And even better than this delicious fragrance is the TASTE! Every sweet, decadent smell that wafts from this cup can be tasted: the chocolate notes are so rich and satisfying, and they meld beautifully with the delicious caramel-y undertones of this tea.
This is a full-bodied tea with a malty tone – vaguely reminsicent of a fine Assam tea but without the bitterness that sometimes is present in an Assam. No bitterness here! Only smooth, rich, delicious flavor.
Definitely one of the best pure black teas that I’ve yet to taste. And I’ve tasted quite a few. If you’ve room for only one black tea in your tea cupboard – this should be the tea that occupies that space. (I do hope you have room for more than one black tea though!)
Seriously, it is that good! Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself!
Xiping Anxi Tie Guan Yin from The Essence of Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: The Essence of Tea
Tea Description:
This Tie Guan Yin comes from an old plantation on Lao Cha Shan, YaoYang village, Xiping, Anxi. We’ve struggled for a while to find a traditional, authentic Xiping, Tie Guan Yin that is grown without chemicals. So many Tie Guan Yin’s are grown intensively and need large quantities of chemical fertilisers. This is grown naturally, without any chemical fertilisers and pesticides and has been processed in a more traditional style than the modern super green oolongs, being very lightly oxidised then rolled and very lightly roasted.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Even though I’ve had a lot of Tie Guan Yin Oolong teas over the years, I’m still amazed at how different they can taste from one Tie Guan Yin to the next. Taste is affected by so many factors, from where it is grown, to how it is grown and harvested, and how is is processed after harvesting. Even with each new harvest, Tie Guan Yin grown on the same estate can taste different.
This particular Tie Guan Yin was harvested in 2011, and even though it’s been almost a year since it was harvested, I am impressed with how delicious it tastes. It is sweet and smooth, with a pleasantly silky – almost broth-like – mouthfeel. The floral notes are crisp and clear, reminiscent of honeysuckle and orchid.
There isn’t a strong vegetal quality to this cup, instead, I taste more of a slight toasty note to the background of this Tie Guan Yin, which highlights a hint of nutty flavor to the cup. This accents the honey-like sweetness of the cup. There is relatively little astringency to this, and no bitterness.
A lovely, spring-like tea to enjoy on this gorgeous spring afternoon.
Tie Guan Yin – Diamond Grade – Fall Harvest from Norbu Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Norbu Tea
Tea Description:
This is our “Diamond Grade” Fall Harvest 2011 Tie Guan Yin from Anxi County’s Gande Town. Upon opening the package, the intense floral aroma of this tea is almost overwhelming. The dry leaves are dark green and are fairly tightly rolled into the characteristic ball shape of Anxi Oolong.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I do love a good Oolong, and while Ali Shan tends to be my favorite, Tie Guan Yin Oolong teas are right up there. I love their floral notes and that sweet, buttery flavor.
And this is one mighty fine Tie Guan Yin!
As the above description suggests, the floral aroma is incredibly powerful. The floral fragrance translates to the brewed tea – and it completes the experience to deeply inhale the scent of the tea prior to taking a sip. It smells so good that I found myself smelling the cup for hints of that beautiful bouquet after the tea had been consumed!
Deliciously floral, I taste the sweet notes of honeysuckle and orchid, but without that sharp tone that sometimes accompanies a floral note. The texture is silky and smooth, reminiscent of melted butter. There is also a buttery flavor to the tea, which further accentuates the texture, giving this an almost buttered-popcorn kind of taste.
There are hints of vegetal tones to this tea as well, they start out very subtle and as I continue to sip I find these flavors develop. With subsequent infusions (I managed six full-flavored infusions from one measurement of leaves, and with the seventh and eighth infusions, the flavor was lighter, but still very delightful) I noticed that the floral tones began to really emerge, and the flavors become even smoother. My favorite infusions were the third and fourth – the combination of these two infusions made for a very rich, flavorful, broth-y kind of tea with gorgeous floral high notes.
Since my first encounters with Norbu Tea several years ago, I have come to associate this company with nothing but the very best in Oolong teas. If you’re an Oolong enthusiast, you really should be shopping with Norbu!
Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong from Teavivre
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.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is an outstanding Tie Guan Yin.
This brews to a beautiful chartreuse color. If I recall correctly, other Tie Guan Yin teas that I’ve experienced were more yellow than green, but this one has a distinct greenish hue to it. It’s really quite lovely. The aroma is floral and sweet, eluding to what the taste has in store.
And yes, it is indeed floral and sweet. It has a delectable buttery overtone to it with hints of vegetation, giving it a taste that is somewhat like lightly buttered, steamed vegetables. The floral notes taste sweet and exotic.
And the more you steep these leaves, the better the tea becomes. While the combination of the first and second infusions were light and refreshing, the flavor intensified significantly with the cup that held my third and fourth infusion. More buttery tones, very rich and even had a slickness to the mouthfeel. Quite delightful. The fifth and sixth infusion proved to be equally as delicious.
I have been extraordinarily impressed with Teavivre’s taste and quality. They are dedicated to providing the very best teas, and this Tie Guan Yin is a perfect example of that excellence. This company is a MUST TRY for all tea lovers!
Organic Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess) with Honey from Teavivre
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Teavivre
Product Description:
Premium quality organic Ti KuanYin tea (Ti KuanYin) flavoured with organic honey
- Grown and produced near Zhangzhou in Fujian province
- Hand made into small, rolled up, jade colored leaves, then soaked in organic honey
- Pale yellow-green colored tea when brewed
- Delightfully sweet honey flavoured and aroma
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The photo above doesn’t really show this, but, the dry leaf is quite unusual – unlike any other Oolong I’ve ever encountered (or any other type of tea, for that matter!) The tea is tightly vacuum-packed in beautiful purple foil pouches, and when I opened the package, there was another small liner protecting the tea … it almost looked like rice paper, but it is plastic. After peeling away the plastic, I realized why it was there, because this tea is STICKY! As in honey sticky! The tightly wound pellets of Ti Guan Yin tea have been soaked in honey, and then processed in these packages to maintain their freshness.
After opening the package, I pondered for a moment about how I should brew the tea … in my Breville? Or in my gaiwan? Usually, when I steep Oolong, I steep it in my gaiwan, but, with flavored Oolongs, I make an exception. But… ultimately, I decided to steep this in my gaiwan, because I figured with all this honey, it would be easier to clean out of my gaiwan than it would my Breville.
I did not rinse (or awaken) the leaves, because I didn’t want to lose any of that honey flavor. The combination of the first two infusions are sweet and very honey-esque. But, I am glad that the honey flavor does not mask the flavor of the Iron Goddess – which is slightly vegetative tasting, with a lovely floral note that seems to have been intensified by the honey soak. This is incredibly smooth and is very easily consumed … not to mention quickly consumed!
The combination of the third and fourth infusion are not as sweet as the first cup, but still quite delicious. There is a bit of astringency to this cup that I didn’t notice with the first, and I am noticing some of the sharper notes from the floral tones that were possibly hiding behind the sweet honey flavor in the first cup. Still very delicious – this cup tastes more like what I would expect from Iron Goddess, and less like honey. But while the honey is lighter, it does linger in the aftertaste – very nice!
My final cup of this tea (the combination of the fifth and sixth infusions) were very much like what I’d expect from a Tie Guan Yin – very flavorful, yes, but, not so much of a honey flavor is present. The floral tones are not quite as sharp but are still quite strong and very lovely – reminding me a bit of orchid and lily. There is a very slight grassy tone.
While I enjoyed my three cups of this tea hot, I find myself wondering how this tea might taste iced; combining all six infusions into one pitcher and then chilling it. I suspect that the strong honey tones of the first two infusions would be softened by the other infusions, giving it just a soft, honey-esque sweetness with a beautiful background of traditional Tie Guan Yin flavors. I may have to try that very soon!
Overall, I found this to be a very tasty and satisfying Oolong – from that very first infusion, until the last.