Culinary Specialties CooksShopHere- Oolong Tea: Tie Lo Han

Black

Oolong

Tie Lo Han
Iron Arhat
Late Spring 2009

Wu Yi Shan yan cha
Fujian Province, China
80% oxidation
Medium roasting
Open twist style leaf: medium-length leaves
Matte grey/black leaf tinged with red
Full, bracing, mouth-filling flavor
Charcoal fire, austere, mineral aroma
Clear golden-amber liquor

1/4 lb	1/2 lb	lb
32.00 Buy	64.00 Buy	128.00 Buy

Tie Lo Han ( Iron Arhat ) is named in honor of Buddhist men called Arhats who once practiced their spiritual meditations in the caves of the Wu Yi Shan area. This tea is big and powerful in the cup, but creamy and smooth rather than astringent. The flavor over the course of multiple steepings has a long, lingering finish and variously suggests burnt sugar, apple cider, tobacco, kale and peaches amid a backbone of mineral and stone. This is a tea to linger over and ponder; it is big, and it can easily yield upwards of 10 infusions. The first time we tasted Tie Lo Han was during our visit to tea producers in the Wu Yi Shan, and the flavor of this tea knocked us out. We recently received some Tie Lo Han and it took just one sip to remember how impressed we were with it. We are thrilled to have it now for other tea enthusiasts to discover.

Western-style steeping: (Medium to large sized teapot: 20-32 oz)
Use 2-3 heaping teaspoons (2-3 grams) of tea per each 6oz water
Steep 1-3 infusions at 2-3 minutes each.
Water temperature should be 195˚ - 205˚ F

Asian-style steeping: (small teapots under 10 oz or a gaiwan)
Use 2-3 Tablespoons (5-6 grams) of tea per each 6oz water
Steep upwards of 6-8 infusions (or more!) at 10 seconds to 1 minute each
Water temperature should be 195˚ - 205˚ F