Roasted Tieguanyin

From the darker color and savory aroma of the rolled leaves, one can immediately see that this is a Nong Xiang (traditional scent) style Tieguanyin, well-oxidized before being roasted, but this tea actually retains a little of a green character, with a mild infusion and the just-perceptible florality of orchid. It does its best when infused lightly, too, the ideal Nong Xiang flavors of brown sugar, cream, and a spot of fruit floating in a syrupy, eminently-quaffable soup, with any savory aspect just tickling the nose. While a somewhat different take on the type, it offers something to those looking for that classic Tieguanyin profile as well as those who drink, as it were, through the nose.

This tea was created by Master Chen, a tea master whose goal is to find a balance between mainstream bright green Tieguanyin and traditional deeply oxidized oolongs: a Tieguanyin processed in the Taiwanese way, Master Chen would say. With Anxi moving away from age-old tradition, this style of tea is becoming rarer; let us hope that such tea masters continue to strive to keep the tradition alive.