365 Challenge > Day 186 - Organic Autumn Tie Guan Yin
Tie Guan Yin is the most famous oolong in the Chinese market. I am not sure about where it stands globally, but I truly understand why it is so popular. Your first sip takes you to the orchid garden, and it is so pleasant that you would like to stay there as long as you can. This was my first experience with a fine TGY, and this is the post about it.
When I tried this TGY, I did not expect anything less. It all started well, not as good as the other one but still very pleasant. With the second steeping, the flavour was substantially reduced, and with the third one, it completely disappeared.
This tea’s cultivar is located in an organic garden in Anxi’s mountainous areas which have an altitude over 1000 meters. Perhaps one of the reasons that influenced the taste of this tea is its picking time which was Autumn. In China, Autumn teas are praised but only secondary to Spring teas. Too much sun also influences the taste of the leaves. Nevertheless, for this tea, the seller claims that the leaves were plucked before Cold Dew to enhance the flower fragrance and flavour. Another reason for the taste that vanishes quickly may be the number of stems amongst the leaves. Although for this tea, the stem/leave ratio seemed pretty good.
The TGY I reviewed previously was a premium spring tea from 2019, whereas this one is made from the autumn harvest. I think this explains my dissatisfaction. Do not get me wrong, it was still a delightful tea. Only that the pleasure had a short-life.
Tea Profile:
Type: Oolong
Origin: Anxi, Fujian Province
Harvest time: Autumn 2019
Leave colour: Shades of light green
Liquor colour: Clear light yellow
Tea aroma: Strong orchid notes
Tea taste: Floral with a subtle sweetness
Steeping/brewing: Steep about 5gr of leaves in around 85°C water and brew for up to one minute in gongfu style or up to three minutes in Western-style. You can brew the leaves only a couple of times as the taste disappear.
Shelf life: Up to 1 year (the freshest the better)