Aged and Roasted Oolong
Achieving Perfect Balance
The Tieguanyin tea makers achieve the impossible in these roasted oolong teas by balancing the roasted body with an outstanding floral aroma.
When I first researched into Iron Goddess tea, I was surprised to know that it can be either green and floral (as per these Jade Oolongs) or aged and roasted.
Later, I was even more surprised to learn that a roasted Iron Goddess tea can be damned good!
This style is known as Chenxiang, which means "Old Fragrance". "Old" refers to the aging process. For example, the AA grade above has aged for 3 years, and the AAA grade 5 years.
When buying an aged and roasted oolong, there are a couple of things you should be aware of.
Price and Value
As a rule of thumb, you should pay less than a freshly harvested tea for the same grade. This is because aged oolongs are leftover from the first year.
(You have to be careful, some tea merchants charge more money for aged tea)
For Shen's tea garden, aged oolongs offer greater value of money.
He sells out the lower grades in the first year. Only the higher grades are left to mature, so you get higher grade for the same price.
Health Effects
Today, most Anxi veterans prefer to drink roasted Iron Goddess tea gongfu style.
This can seem strange, considering the Traditional Style is green and floral rather than roasted.
I can only speculate this has to do with dietary habits and local customs, rather than for health reasons.
But if you ask a Chinese person, this is what they would say:
According to Chinese Medicine Theory, lightly oxidized tea is "cooling". The roasting process adds "fire", making the tea more balanced.
The aging process tempers the fire, making the tea more rounded and harmonious.
Whatever the Chinese Medicine theory, the warming nature of the tea makes it a perfect winter beverage.
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If you are not sure which one to buy, the best way to sample both grades below is to get the Mixed 5-in-1 Sampler.
Aged and Roasted AA Grade (Chenxiang 3 Years) - 48 grams
This grade is similar to the Amber AA grade, but with a stronger body counterbalanced by a floral aroma.
Highly durable, he lasts more than 5 infusions.
Aged and Roasted AAA Grade (Chenxiang 5 Years) - 48 grams
Although only graded AAA, this strongly roasted tea represents the best of its kind.
He has a complex charcoal body, accompanied by a high and soaring aroma. The quality is so amazing that I think it offers excellent value for money at this price point.
Many of the best teas I have experienced have an "oasis effect". They leave a long aftertaste, turning your mouth from a dry desert into a fountain of spring.
(The Taoists describe mouth secretion as jing, which also means essence. This AAA grade has such a curative effect on the body.)
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| Aged AAA Grade - Distinctly richer |
The 5 years aged Tieguanyin is also distinctly richer in every respect than the one aged 3 years, so your teas really match your descriptions. No nonsense, no hype, just the facts. Keep up the spirit!
| Aged AAA Grade - Simply delicious! |
Just tucking into Shen's 5-year Iron Goddess (Aged AAA grade) by the way... simply delicious! Require a longer brew time than the others as it's aged.
Not having had any better I'll give it a 5 :) and as always you may publish my feedback.
| Aged AAA Grade - Best of this type that I have yet tasted |
I am just now tasting the aged 3-year AA grade: Wonderful balance between fragrance and acidity, and much more ”tea-like” in the western sense; less finesse, more power.
I would rate the 3-year TGY at 4.
The 5-year AAA Roasted TGY is by far the best of this type that I have yet tasted. In particular the fragrance is of an unusual complexity: the prunus family of fruits is there (plum, apricot, peach), but superposed (and best enjoyed when dipping a spoon into the tea, pulling it out again and inhaling the blessed vapours) is a layer of mild spices rounded off by liquorice root.
A full-bodied elegance! Taste follows up, balancing fragrance with a refreshing acidity. Rate: 5 or even 5+!
The two Aged and Roasted grades can be consumed anytime, as they have already been aged for 3 to 5 years.
Brewing oolong tea requires high concentration. A good starting point is to use 3.5 grams of tea leaves (half a bag) with 4 ounces (120 milliliters) of water.
First rinse tea leaves quickly with hot boiling water to remove the fire.
For first brewing, use boiling water. Steep for 1 to 2 minutes.
Infuse 3 to 9 times. Gradually increase steeping time for later infusions.
Which Vessel?
When brewing for the first time, use a white porcelain gaiwan to give you an objective view.
A roasted oolong tea is best enjoyed using a Yixing clay teapot.
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