Notes of seckel pear, gingerbread, and plátanos fritos.

Red tea from Taiwan・May 2019・鐵觀音紅茶・Unsprayed

This tea was grown in the Lishan mountain range of central Taiwan, 2000m above sea level. Traveling to the garden requires a nail-biting two and a half-hour drive off the main road, with numerous ascents and descents through narrow mountain passes. It hails from the same producer as our Red Water Tieguanyin.

The cultivar that produces Red Guanyin traces back to 19th-century Anxi County, Fujian Province. When settlers from Fujian arrived in Taiwan, they brought tieguanyin with them. The guanyin in the cultivar’s name refers to the bodhisattva associated with mercy and compassion, and tie is the Chinese word for iron.

It’s unusual to see a red tea crafted from the tieguanyin cultivar. Nearly all tieguanyin on the market are oolong teas, whether light or dark oxidized, roasted or unroasted. The cultivar’s unique tang produces intensely aromatic oolongs. Red Guanyin takes those aromatics a step further.

Making this tea takes over thirty hours. During that time, the hand-picked leaves are wilted and gently oxidized, then rolled and roasted. Each step develops the depth and intensity of this tea’s aromatics, creating a unique finished product that combines fruit, floral and spice notes.

Brew: 6 grams・150 ml・208° F・2 min