Anxi Tie Guan Yin

Thanks again for the samples, Nannuoshan! So many oolongs to choose from at Nannuoshan! As much as I’d love to try them all, I think I know the Tie Guan Yin best… and it might be my favorite type of oolong other than a Wen Shan Bao Zhong (spelling?). The jade green bundles actually have the scent of milk oolong to me, very sweet. After lifting the infuser from the mug, the dark green leaves now have a floral fragrance – my favorite type of oolong (the more floral the better.) The flavor of this pale, mellow tea isn’t as floral as some oolongs I’ve tried, but is very smooth, syrupy, milky, a little buttery, hint of orchids, and some odd flavor I’ve never tasted in an oolong that reminds me of some sort of vegetable I haven’t tasted in ages. It does throw me. As it cools, the flavor is creamier and fruity, possibly pineapple. I love the cooled flavor. I feel like I could drink gallons before I’m tired of the flavor for a while. The second and third steeps are just as delicious: sweet and silky as could be, now the fruit has switched to peach. The odd vegetal flavor that was at the top of the first cup might not have appeared if I had rinsed the leaves first. I’ve tried many oolongs, and this one seems to be at the top of the list for the sweetest and smoothest oolong. There wasn’t any hint of any oversteeped astringency and these leaves could have kept steeping many more times. I feel like I could drink gallons before I’m tired of the flavor for a while. Though it is a great representative of Tie Guan Yin, there is a unique flavor that makes it top quality. Where would I be without oolongs like this one?!
Steep #1 // 1 heaping tsp // 8 minutes after boiling // 12 ounce mug 2/3 full // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 6 minutes after boiling // 2 min steep
Steep #3 // 2 min after boiling // 2 1/2 min
nannuoshan.org

Thank you to Gabriele and nannuoshan for this sample!

I’m excited to try this one since my favorite of nannuoshan’s samples so far has been the roasted Anxi Tie Guan Yin. The color of this version is a strikingly vivid and vibrant green (much like fresh spinach leaves) and the fragrance is just as flowery as I had hoped.

After a quick rinse, the aroma of the leaves is much more vegetal than floral. The first steep brings out a certain freshness, and I can taste both the floral and the vegetable flavors in this infusion. The liquid is a pale yellow and the flavor is very light.

It’s interesting, the taste in this second infusion is more vegetal while the aroma is more floral. It’s also a little bitter. I probably shouldn’t make comparisons here, but I much prefer the roasted variety. I’m just not sure I’m enjoying this one as much as I should be.

The third steep went a little longer because I got distracted after setting my timer, but I don’t think the flavor suffers too much for it. It’s still a touch bitter, but it’s starting to feel a little watered down as well. I have to say that this isn’t my favorite of the nannuoshan teas that I’ve tried, but I would like to come back to this one after trying other varieties to see if my opinion has changed at all.

Infusions
4 ounces water + 195 degrees + 30 sec, 30 sec, 60 sec

Day Two of the Tieguanyin taste tests! once again I used my 150ml gaiwan, 4g of leaf but with cooler water; at 90c.

this is my favorite style of Tiegyuanyin that I have tried. the leaves came alive and filled my gaiwan to bursting at the second steep. it has the texture of cream in my mouth. the liquor color is a bright and happy light straw yellow. the heady floral scent of rose is present at the forefront of the brew in the initial three steeps. After that, the floral note is present, but at the tail notes. just as pungent, but there is a green, rose stem-like quality to the body of each sip. it is like drinking an entire rose, head to toe. i mean this in the greatest way possible. Minus the thorns.