Golden Muzha Tieguanyin
Golden Muzha Tieguanyin
From the same garden of our perennial favorite Dragon's Eye Charcoal Muzha Tieguanyin, this tea is a thick and luxurious variation on that theme. Produced agrochemical free on a small garden just outside of downtown Taipei, this Tieguanyin is made from the Jinxuan (Milk Oolong or Golden Lily) cultivar giving it the taste and feel of roast caramel and nuts with a hint of the sweet-sour fruit that makes this tea so famous. The luxurious mouthfeel of this tea sets it apart from more traditionally processed Muzha Tieguanyins.
Being made from a non-traditional cultivar and not going under the laborious charcoal roasting process creates a great deal for this tea as well. At this price point, it hits well above its weight! Certified organic teas of this caliber at this price are few and far between...
Elevation: 300-500m
Status: Certified Organic
Cultivar: Jinxuan, Milk Oolong
Season: April 2019
Method: Hand picked, processed on site, very small batch
Oxidation: 40%, Mid-Heavy Electric Roast
Region: Muzha, New Taipei City
Recommend Brewing Style: 3-5g per 100ml, ~100C water, 30, 40, 50 seconds then add 10-30 seconds to steeps to taste. Lasts 5-6 steeps.
Western Style Brewing: Not Recommended For Western Style Brewing
This tastes like a higher end version of the tea you get in Chinese restaurants. It's the "classic" Oolong tea flavor according to my American pallet--having mostly generic Oolong tea my whole life. This has the same overarching toasty note as those restaurant teas, but maybe with a little chocolate. It also has some green tea fragrance peeking through, which never happens with those restaurant teas.
I thought something was different with this tieguanyin when I first tried it. It had ....more. More mouthfeel, more sourness, more sweetness, more character, more fragrance, and all enveloped in the kind of solid roast that I like.
This is a friendlier alternative to the Dragon’s Eye Muzha tieguanyin, if you’re new to trying darker oolongs or are trying to introduce someone to them, this is a good choice. It gives all the roasty toasty comfort of a hot chocolate but isn’t aggressive on the roast flavors. It’s a great tea to brew grandpa style.
As someone always trying to find the perfect earthy oolong variety, this Tie Guan Yin has me over the moon! Always a top choice when hosting, and a regular companion on my desk at work. If you like earthy, twiggy, complex flavors, give this one a try!
An amazing Tieguanyin style tea! Tasting notes of star fruit and plum, with some vegetal character and a lingering caramel aftertaste. The leaves smell amazing on the gaiwan, like a fruit dessert.