Tie Guan Yin is one of those teas that are getting increasing popularity in the west, but when it comes to me I drink it seldom. The reason why I ordered this tea is that I wanted to compare it to the Taiwanese version of the same grade, labeled Monkey picked. I heard stories that monkeys were trained in the past to pick the hardly accessible leaves for this tea but more rational approach suggests that it was a metaphor superior leaf material that distinguishes it from an average.
As I’m nearly finishing a pouch of this tea I learned that I like it prepared in a small porcelain teapot the most. I use about 4 grams and 180-200ml and steep it in 2min-1min-2min fashion. The infusion has a bright green tone with slightly warm (close to toasted) aroma at the top with bright flowery notes. First infusion is refreshing, mildly grassy and ends with toasty goodness. As the tea cools down the flowery element gets more prominent and almost to the point of being rough, also I get a long moist sensation in mouth as I finish the cup.
Second cup is more balanced as flowery note loses its domination and for a short period between the sips I could sense a crisp sweetness lingering in the back.
Third cup if more floral than the previous but the sweetness is persistent. I can sense some buttery hints in the background if I focus a little bit.
A very nice tea, refreshing, quenching but a bit too flowery for my taste. I enjoy the Taiwanese version more but I wouldn’t mind having this one every now and then.
Flavors: Butter, Floral, Flowers, Grass, Sweet, Toasty
