Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong Tea

Time for another oolong sample!

Now this is what I think of when I think of oolong – very green, light, slightly buttery and very floral. It’s bright and refreshing. I usually start with a black tea in the morning but this is very good. It’s much like a gentle wake-up, a tingling on my tastebuds, instead of the usual slap-to-my-face from the stronger alternatives. (Bolder Black & Tiger Assam to name a few!)

I think I prefer roastier oolongs over floral ones, but there is a time to appreciate these ones too. And I think the Iron Goddess variety is one of the most popular? I’ve had a few versions of this, and I think I’m happiest with this one from Teavivre!

There’s a slight seaweed aftertaste here – I think I may have oversteeped it just a tad, so next time I’ll try 2, or 2.5 minutes.

Writing a review for this and throughly enjoying the cup. On second steep and just as lovely and can go many many more steeps.
I am not much on floral teas but this one is a spring and summer MUST!
Mmmmmmmmmmm

Tea of the late afternoon……

The last of my samples from TeaVivre. I did end up placing an order, so it will be interesting to try the new samples they send along with my order.

We had an odd break in the cold weather today, so it was a great day for lighter teas than I normally drink. This was my first Tie Guan Yin. I really liked it. It was buttery like the milk oolongs I have tried, and lightly floral. One thing I find very interesting about the greener oolong varieties is how the liquor almost feels heavy in the mouth. I am sure it is part of the magic of tea, and it something that draws me to oolongs, or maybe more vegetal teas in that you feel you are drinking much more than water. The other thing I really like about greener oolongs and the jasmine green I had earlier today is that I really enjoy them without additions. This one was not an exception. The leaves brewed up huge and bright green. The liquor was pale yellow with a hint of green. Really a great tea. It is going on the shopping list!

Another generous sample provided by Teavivre

I like black teas and green teas, so you would think oolongs would be up my alley. I honestly still can’t answer whether they are or not because I have been hesitant to take the plunge and order enough to compare them.

That said, I have had TGY before, though it was a while ago. When I sipped this, I suddenly remembered that other tea and could compare their differences, even with that big gap in time. This one was decidedly more floral in taste (both were equally floral in smell) but the other TGY had more of a slick buttery feel on the tongue. This one was very light, and alternated between being vegetal and floral with small hints of that oily/buttery flavor on the swallow, though it didn’t coat my tongue like the previous TGY.

This was great with no additives; I finished my first cup quickly and am contemplating a second, which is atypcial for me – usually I prefer one large cup and am done.

Steeped 2 of the 4 sample sized packets in 500 ml. water at the below parameters in my Breville.

It’s good but not one I like. It’s too flowery for me, or a taste I associate with flowery teas. As usual good quality and great if you like that kind of thing but for me I’ll pass :D

This is an outstanding Tie Guan Yin. Sweet, floral with hints of vegetation. A beautiful infusion. Incredibly smooth, with a buttery quality that gets better with each subsequent infusion. Remarkably fragrant, it is a pleasure to inhale just before taking a sip.

Truly a delight, this Tie Guan Yin!

Another offering that I received from Teavivre. I have tried a few Ti Kuan Yin Oolongs and they all seem have different characters. Some more green. Others more oxidized. Some having a nutty or honey characteristic. There is a beauty in watching the Iron Goddess unfurl to present her glorious nectar. I do like how this is packaged, I can make a pot with one package. Opening up the dry leaves….whoa! Very floral. Very green. Smells like packaged summer. I know this is not a jasmine scented or flavored Oolong but it smells very similar. The leaves produce a pale yellow liquor. The smell and flavor remind me of that first part of June when you can really start to smell the Jasmine. Another great offering from Teavivre.

First review. Thank you again Teavivre for the beautifully packaged sample. This was the second tea that I shared with my granddaughter Megan today after watching Amadeus. I didn’t let her have a smell of the wet tea leaves…just the pour which was a steep of 3 minutes. She could not believe the flavor! “This is incredible…what is this”! I laughed and explained and asked what she tasted. It’s floral, buttery, popcorn. Then I had her smell the beautiful green wet tea leaves. “Spinach grandma! How could that smell make such a different tasting tea”? And that’s part of the magic isn’t it. The chameleon character of some tea…smells like one thing tastes like something else…huh we all know what that’s like don’t we. And we love that surprise too. This gem of a high quality A+ tea is so smooth a luscous. The flavor so well balanced that no one nuance outshines another. I found myself looking at the bottom of my cup like an addict ready to dip my finger in to grab for the last drop. Fortunately I can resteep many times without denigration. This is a keeper tea!

I’m pretty confused by this tea so far. The first time around, I remember it was sweet, smooth, and a very nice green oolong in general. The second time, there was something damp-tasting about it. I’m getting that weird dampness again this time around. I know that’s not really a taste descriptor, but I really can’t think of how else to say it. I do have an unopened sample, so maybe a fresh start will help? So far, I’m just chasing after that first time, hoping it will come back around again.

Many thanks to Teavivre for this tea!

I decided to brew this one for minute, then increase a minute on each steep.

The leaves are very green, and very pretty. When I removed my brewing basket after my first steep the leaves were practically glowing :)

This is a very, very, very green oolong. It is almost like a green tea to me. A little more vegetal than some others I have tasted on this first steep, although it does retain that…Tie Guan Yin-ness! Interestingly enough, I’m really enjoying it despite the idea I have in my head that “I don’t like green tea.”

(I am now beginning to think it’s not that I don’t like green tea, but that I LIKE CAFFEINE and green tea has less. I don’t get the fiendish jolt from greener teas. Maybe that’s a good thing?!)

The leaves have unfurled even more on the second steep. They’re huge! The taste is a little less green, but more round and buttery and Mmmmmmm! The delicacy remains.

I’m really enjoying this, and am looking forward to at least two more steeps! Maybe I’m ready for a little “bump” in my horizon widening :)