As for many tea enthusiasts, this style of tea – Tie Guanyin aka “Iron Goddess”- was one of the first that introduced me to what true tea can be. It is a hugely famous type which originated in Anxi county in Fujian Province, China.  There are two origin stories; one is of a farmer who passed by a dilapidated temple of Guan Yin and took it upon himself to repair and tidy the temple. He was then rewarded by Guan Yin visiting him in a dream and showing him the location of a fine tea plant growing nearby. The second version tells of a scholar who found the tea plant nearby Guanyin rock and presented the tea to the then Emperor Qian Long. The Emperor was impressed with it and declared it had the weight of iron and appearance of the goddess Guan Yin.

This particular version follows a modern style of processing of cool-condition withering and lower oxidation, which accentuates it’s bright, rich floral notes.