Culinary Specialties CooksShopHere- Oolong Tea: Tie Lo Han

Black

Oolong

Tie Lo Han
Iron Arhat
2010 Late Spring

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
Austere, charcoal-fire and mineral-dry aroma
Clear golden-amber liquor
1 year rested

4 oz	8 oz	16 oz
42.00 Buy	84.00 Buy	168.00 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. 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.

This dark oolong 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 amidst a backbone of mineral and stone.

This is a tea to linger over and ponder. Tie Lo Han is big, and it can easily yield upwards of 10 infusions.

When we received our sample of this excellent batch of Tie Lo Han it took just one sip to remember how impressed we were with it when we first tasted this oolong varietal in the shadows of the Wu Yi Shan. We are thrilled to have Tie Lo Han among our offerings now for our tea enthusiast customers to discover and enjoy as well.

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