Muzha Organic Wu Yi Tie Guan Yin Roasted Oolong Tea - Spring 2018

This is the third plantation that grows Wu Yi varietal in our connection, and surprisingly it is owned by Chang family, the Muzha family that is known for its lineage of Tie Guan Yin processing. 

The famous history of Muzha Tie Guan Yin began in 1919, the year that the Chang Family brought the Tie Guan Yin varietal to Taiwan to cultivate.  In other words, Tie Guan Yin has a relatively long history among Taiwanese teas, and today the offspring of the original Chang Family is still making the most authentic and classical Tie Guan Yin for the pickiest tea drinker. 

Classical Tie Guan Yin is made from 100% Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao Varietal (紅心歪尾桃)  and has to be processed in a certain way which involves numerous stages of rolling and delicate roasting that will take approximately 20 hours across 2 days to complete the process. However, this Tie Guan Yin was not processed with Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao, but an even older varietal - Wu Yi (武夷). 

Wu Yi varietal is one of the earliest varietals in Taiwan's tea history, and Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao was way behind its path. Began planted along the Tamsui River in the 19th century, Wu Yi eventually was grown all the way to the upper stream of the river. Muzha is mostly famous for its Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao varietal, but it also has Wu Yi varietal as well. Ironically, the Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao Tie Guan Yin was sent for local competition, and this competition teas are no longer processed in the traditional way anymore, which means we either had to find other material, or we simply gave up.

Fortunately, Mr. Chang decided to use his Wu Yi varietal to process the Tie Guan Yin. At  this point the meaning of "Tie Guan Yin" simply imply the "process" was how Muzha process the Tie Guan Yin tea. During the supervision, Mr. Chang's wife revealed the way we told them was how their grandfather processed their teas back then, which is no longer being used today because the judge of the competition simply don't understand it. 

Once the draft tea was completed, it was sent to our roasting master Mr. Zhuang for charcoal roasting. Mr. Zhuang exclaimed that this is an exceptional Wu Yi according to his experience and was surprised how we obtained the tea. After his careful treatment and our care for each processing stage, we are proud to say that this is the most unique Wu Yi experience you will have in the current market. 

Harvest: Spring 2018 / 春 貳零壹捌

Varietal: Wu Yi / 武夷

Elevation: 550 M / 伍佰伍拾 公尺

Region: Muzha / 木柵

Fermentation Level:  40% / 分之 肆拾

Roast Level:  6 / 陸 分

  Brewing......

  The aroma in the heated gaiwan is evocatively scrumptious and sweet. Baked holy goodness. Then the tea liquor has all sorts of aroma that dazzle the mind. Cannabis, incense woods, roasted but no excessive fire in the nose or on the tongue. The flavor is immediately bright, think WOW. Then it spreads fully on the palate with lasting and complex body. The Wu Yi heritage is present and ancestrally appeased. The trick for this tea would be to use more grams and find its sweet spot that you could ride gongfu style. Really go for it, such a great tea this spring.

 Unlike the Tie Guan Yin from Nanou that could bring tears into an old dog's eyes, this tea warms your soul up like a grandpa. It has a quality of benevolence from the old root and soil. You can easily feel those tender quality in this perfectly processed Muzha Wu Yi, and an old dog believe this character does not only have the attribution of the plantation, but also largely because of how Mr. Chang treated it with his decades old knowledge which was inherited from the legend itself. All these factors (which also included our special requirement) made this Wu Yi tea wonderfully traditionally yet up to date. This is not the Hong Xin Wai Wei Tao varietal of course, but this is also a very authentic Muzha Tie Guan Yin because only Chang's craftsmanship is able to produce a tea like this which you can find nowhere else.