This clear and fragrant-style Tieguanyin Oolong is a
modern style, lesser-oxidized ball-rolled style Tieguanyin from the area around Anxi in
Min-Nan (southern) Fujian
Province, the core of China’s ball-rolled-style oolong tea production. Lighter in style
than, but similar in complexity to its cousins the traditional and
wild-grown versions, this Tieguanyin is oxidized to only 50-60%, a little
less than traditional Tieguanyins. While still very ‘Chinese’ in
style, the clear and fragrant-style oolongs are a great example of the
newer, so-called ‘Green Oolongs’ or 'Orchid Oolongs'. This
oolong should be steeped
many times, each one for a short time. The infusions will vary, initially
being light and clear, and then becoming very rich and mouth-filling,
finally returning to be an aromatic, clear brew. The leaves will swell and
open until the full leaf is exposed, showing off the lovely crimson-tinged
edges of the leaf. This proves the expertise of the tea manufacture.
An Yixing teapot is the perfect, traditional vessel for
steeping ball-rolled style
oolong
tea, particularly Tieguanyin. This style of teapot allows the leaf to
quickly fill the teapot and limit the amount of water introduced, thus
encouraging the many steepings that will highlight the subtle changes that
occur from infusion to infusion.
The
temperature of the water is critical.
Steepings should
start with reasonably cool water 175° -185° F, so as
to not challenge the leaf; then the temperature
can be increased for subsequent infusions. The length
of time that the leaves are infused can also be
increased for the additional infusions. Many Chinese
begin steeping oolongs for only 30 seconds,
increasing
to 2-3 minutes for the final steepings. |
