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Oolong · 2025
2025 Tie Guan Yin
Qualifies for free shipping
A modern light-style Anxi Tie Guan Yin from a family originally from the region. Floral, soft, and unusually mild even with a heavy hand on the leaf.
Estimated delivery Tuesday, 12 May
Why this tea
- 01
Modern light Anxi style
Pale jade cup, floral aroma, no roast. The Tieguanyin most international drinkers picture when they hear the name
- 02
Forgiving with the leaf
Most light Tieguanyin punishes you for using too much leaf. This one stays sweet even when you push it.
- 03
From an Anxi family in Xinhui
The same family makes our Tangerine Pu'er in Xinhui and the Tieguanyin out of their Anxi operation back home.
What is Tie Guan Yin?
Tie Guan Yin is the most famous oolong from Anxi County in Fujian. The name translates to "Iron Goddess of Mercy." Two main styles exist today: the traditional roasted version (deeper, woody, charcoal-fired) and the modern green / light version that became dominant from the 1990s onwards. This is the modern light style.
The thing that separates a good light Tie Guan Yin from a mediocre one is how the cup behaves when you use a lot of leaf. Most go bitter quickly. This one stays sweet underneath, even when there's more leaf in the cup than there should be.
Oxidation
Stimulation
Fermentation
Body
Tasting Notes
Pale jade liquor. Soft floral aroma, gentle sweetness underneath, clean finish that holds.
Brewing Instructions
Amount
5g per 200ml
Temperature
85-99°C / 185-210°F
Infusions
Up to 10
Infusion Time
5 seconds
Needs Rinsing
Yes
Origin
Origin
Anxi, Fujian
Cultivar
Tie Guan Yin
Elevation
1000 meters
We met this family through their daughter, who lives in Xinhui and makes our Tangerine Pu'er. After we'd finished a tangerine session, her mother brought out the Tie Guan Yin. The family is originally from Anxi and still produces Tie Guan Yin there, alongside the tangerine pu'er the daughter makes in Xinhui.
We were given a brew with a generous amount of leaf, more than we'd usually use. The cup that came out wasn't strong or bitter the way that should have produced. Soft and floral, with a length to the finish you don't usually get from light-style Tie Guan Yin. We bought what we tasted at the table.
Aging & Storage
Keep sealed in a cool dark cupboard, away from heat, light, and anything strong-smelling. Light-style oolong shares the green-tea concern about freshness, so a tight seal matters.
Sourced Direct
Direct from the farm
Bought in person from the farmer who made it, on a yearly sourcing trip to China.
Tasted before bought
We taste every lot ourselves before we buy, often against alternates from the same village.
Small lots, single origin
Every tea is named by its village, farmer, and harvest year. Never a warehouse blend.
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The daughter's tea
2024 Tangerine Ripe (Shou) Pu'er
Whole Xinhui tangerines stuffed with ripe pu'er, made by the daughter of the same family. Brewed back to back, the two show what the household range looks like.
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