Ti Kwan Yin is a premium variety of Chinese oolong tea originated in the 19th century in Fujian province. The tea is named after the Chinese Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin. The processing of Ti Kwan Yin oolong is complex and requires expertise. Even if the tea leaf is of high raw quality and is plucked at the ideal time, its true character will not be shown if it is not processed correctly. This is why the method of processing Ti Kwan Yin oolong is kept a secret within families. The top varieties of Ti Kwan Yin rank among the most expensive tea in the world, with one variety reportedly sell around $3,000 US Dollars for one kilogram.
In search of Ti Kwan Yin oolong to put in our store, we tasted many different grades of the tea. Some Ti Kwan Yin that we came across were very light, while some were straightly bold. The price range varied any where between low too high. We understand that everyone has their own preference, but to us we wanted to start off with something that is well- balanced in flavor at affordable price. We narrowed down the best 2 options from uncountable kinds of Ti Kwan Yin that we tried. Again and again,we kept going back and forth between the two. However, we like this particular one better as it brings out more flavors than the other one. This Ti Kwan Yin is quite complex and has a good balance between fruity and nutty flavor. It has a roasty characteristic of traditional Ti Kwan Yin, but the mild floral and fruity aroma brings it to the next level. Below are the flavor notes for the first three steepings that we experienced.
• First Steeping : A complex flavor of nutty, fruity, and floral. Not too light and not too bold. The flavor was somewhere between very light Ti Kwan Yin and the one with strong roasty/nutty flavor.
• Second Steeping : Less nutty flavor and roasty aroma than the first steeping. However, floral aroma and fruity flavor came out stronger.
• Third Steeping : The tea had lighter body than the first two steeping. The overall flavor was mild. We almost felt like it was similar to the first steeping of some light Ti Kwan Yin that we tried.
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Steeping Suggestion : Use 1 tsp/ 8oz cup. Steep 4-5 minutes in 190 °F water. For multiple infusions, increase the steeping time each consecutive steeping.
For iced tea, use double amount of tea and steep normally. Pour over ice to drink immediately or add an equal amount of room temperature water and store in refrigerator. To sweeten, add sugar, honey, or stir in a sugar stick while the tea is still hot.
