Organic Heritage Tieguanyin

Tieguanyins of old were robust teas, oxidized to 30% and then typically high fired with charcoal. But a decade ago, the character of these teas changed. Tea makers in Anxi began crafting light-oxidized tieguanyins in a newer “qing xiang” or “green fragrance” style. The old ways and techniques quickly disappeared.

Harvested Spring 2013 from Anxi County, Fujian, our Heritage Tieguanyin pays homage to old style tieguanyin crafting – a painstaking process that ensures the flavor producing enzymatic break-down occurs across the entire leaf rather than just at the edges. Once oxidized to 30%, the tea is roasted with a wood-fired drum and rolled. At this point, we sought out one the few remaining renowned old style tea roasters that roasted the tea in intervals of several hours over the course of 2 days using lychee fruit wood charcoal.

The initial aroma of the dry leaves is that of caramel and cane sugar. With a rinse, that aroma intensifies and deepens with notes of burnt caramel, brown sugar and smoked cedar plank. This tea is smooth and delicious and its finish is long, with brighter notes of honey and apricots anchored by an underlying current of roasted nuts and cacao.