I posted about Tie Guan Yin before which were Anxi Tie Guan Yin 2019, and another one was written by my guest blogger Anika. I also tested and posted about a charcoal roasted Tie Guan Yin (2018) which was a different category. I could not taste Annika’s tea either so I can only compare this tea with this one. The comparison is very easy indeed because this tea was far better.
I loved the strong (but not overwhelming) orchid fragrance of this tea. They were pleasantly present throughout the brewing and remained the same after multiple steepings. I then started to think suspiciously what if this was a flavoured tea. I had this experience with an oolong tea from Thailand before and when I learned that the leaves were flavoured with extracts of jasmine and other flowers I was disappointed. So, before giving my verdict about this tea, I again asked the seller who confirmed that this tea is a premium Tie Guan Yin and it comes from a tea garden where wildflowers grow freely amongst the tea hedges.
When spring comes all sorts of insects are attracted to the plantation by the smell of wonderful flowers and then nature plays its magic and the tea bushes end up absorbing the beautiful floral aromas into their leaves and buds. First sips almost took me to a walk in the plantation as if I was inhaling the wonderful scents of wildflowers at the height of 1000 meters.
Overall, this was an outstanding tea which made me fall in love with fine Chinese teas again. And the good news is that now I know where to get it!
Tea Profile:
Type: Oolong
Origin: Anxi, Fujian Province
Harvest time: Spring 2019
Leave colour: Shades of light green
Liquor colour: Clear light yellow
Tea aroma: Strong orchid notes
Tea taste: Floral with some citrus and sweet undernotes
Steeping/brewing: You can use around 85°C water temperature and brew for up to one minute in gongfu style or up to three minutes in Western-style. You can brew the leaves many times (until the taste is lost). To each infusion add additional time. Experiment for a result that suits your taste.
Shelf life: Up to 1 year (the freshest the better)