10g Charcoal Roasted Tie Guan Yin 炭焙鐵觀音

Charcoal Roasted Tie Guan Yin (炭焙鐵觀音, Tàn Bèi Tiě Guān Yīn, "Charcoal Roasted Iron Guan Yin") This traditional high-oxidation version of the classic “Iron Goddess” Anxi oolong varietal is roasted by A Long, a 4th-generation Phoenix Mountain tea master based in Chaozhou. Although Tiě Guān Yīn is from Anxi, not the Phoenix Mountains, A Long is renowned for his skill in charcoal roasting. While Tiě Guān Yīn is one of the most famous and celebrated of all Chinese oolongs, the variety most commonly found these days is the low oxidation “jade” version of Tiě Guān Yīn. This is not only due to the trend among young people for the light floral fragrance of jade oolongs, but the fact that the low oxidation version can be successfully accomplished through the use of machine-assisted roasting and drying techniques. The roasting style necessary to make the traditional Tiě Guān Yīn is intensive - it requires the tea to be roasted 5 times in 5 days, a grueling process especially as it must be done in small batches. As a results, this tea, when produced in Anxi, is often roasted electronically using ovens. A Long purchases high quality fresh Tiě Guān Yīn leaves and roasts them himself in the traditional style, recreating the classic coffee, caramel, and toasted nut profile of this famous tea.