Tie Luo Han - 2011 Spring Wu Yi Oolong Tea

Varietal: Tie Luo Han
Harvest: Spring, 2011
Growing Region: Wuyi Shan Scenic Area, Fujian Province
10 gram Sample Available

Overview:
Tie Luo Han is one of the four most famous varietals (四大名樅, Si Da Ming Cong) from the great category of oolong known as “Wu Yi Yan Cha,” or Wu Yi Rock Teas. It was hand harvested and processed in the Spring season of 2011 inside the Wuyi Shan National Scenic area at an altitude of approximately 800 meters above sea level. The roast was performed traditionally over charcoal for a total of approximately 24 hours.

Tie Luo Han (铁罗汉) translates as “Iron Arhat” in English. Luohan/Arhat is a term used in the many schools of Buddhism to denote a saint or a “sage” who has achieved enlightenment and is ready to escape the cycle of Samsara and enter the state of Nirvana. “Tie Luohan” is sometimes translated as “Iron Warrior Monk,” which most likely refers to the monk/spiritual practitioner doing battle with his/her desires to overcome his/her worldly attachments to attain enlightenment, rather than as an actual “war” warrior monk.

Appearance, Flavor & Aroma:
This tea’s dry leaves are the long and twisting shape and dark greenish brown color characteristic of traditionally roasted Wu Yi Yan Cha. The roast is fantastic: not too dark, not too light, which allows the distinctive mineral sweetness of the Tie Luo Han cultivar to shine through beautifully throughout a session with this tea, even in early infusions when the roasted elements are most prominent in the flavor. The crystal clear, thick and satisfying infusion showcases the unique mineral sweetness of the Tie Luo Han cultivar along with hints of dried fruit and subtle florals, which build into an awesome bittersweet aftertaste that lingers wonderfully in the mouth and the back of the throat over a series of infusions.

Steeping Guideline:
We strongly suggest Gong Fu style preparation with this tea. Rather than sticking to a specific weight of tea leaves to water volume measure, we recommend simply filling your gaiwan or Yixing style teapot 1/3 to 1/2 full of dry tea leaves, use water just under a boil and a series of short steepings. If you prefer to use a weight to volume measure, try starting with 8 grams of leaf in a 150 ml gaiwan or teapot.

For Western-style steeping, start with 2-3 grams of leaf (it’s hard to give a volume measure in teaspoons because of the large leaf style) per cup. Use water under a boil (195 degrees F), and steep for 3-5 minutes. Adjust the amount of leaf, steeping time, and water temperature used according to your preference.

I also highly recommend either using aroma cups with this tea or at least remembering to smell the lid of the gaiwan or your empty drinking cup. The aroma that lingers on the surface of the ceramic surface is amazing and well worth savoring.

General steeping guidelines for the different categories of Chinese tea and a short downloadable “how to” video on Gong Fu style tea preparation are available on our Chinese Tea Steeping Guide page.

Volume Discount: 10% off 100g, 15% off 250g or more.
Discount reflected in displayed price