Iron Goddess China

Iron Goddess of Mercy or Tie Guan Yin appeared to an Anxi county (Fujian, China) tea farmer in a dream about a unique tea tree.  Later on, the farmer did uncover a few special tea trees beside Iron Goddess' temple.  He was able to produce a sweet, fragrant tea from the leaves.  This is one of the legends about Tie Guan Yin, which is also the name of the cultivar.

Traditionally, Tie Guan Yin was a darker oolong.  Due to consumers' preference in recent years, Anxi Tie Guan Yin has become a very 'green' oolong.  This particular tea is Tie Guan Yin King, i,e., a higher grade.   As for monkey-picked Tie Guan Yin, it is also a choice grade.  This is another legend: in the 18th century, monkeys were trained by monks to pick the nicest leaves from wild tea trees to make tribute teas.  Nowadays no monkeys are willing to work for bananas.

Tie Guan Yin King

Type:  Oolong     Producing Country: China     Preparation:  95°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:  The olive green chunks are vegetal and like tiny frog legs.
Wet Leaf:  The leaves are very large and emerald green.  They are fresh and floral.
Liquor:      The yellow tea is light, clean and sweet.  It is very floral (orchid) as well as grassy.  The astringency is balanced and the aftertaste is refreshing.

Tee Score: 5 out of 5