Iron Goddess Tea
Shen's Tieguanyin Oolong
Discovered In 3 Years

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• Introduction

• Reviews and Feedback

• Grades Available

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• How To Brew And Store

During 1996 to 1999, a Japanese team traveled to China to select an oolong tea farm for import into Japan's health conscious society.

The scientists took specimens of soils and leaves in various tea gardens and sent them back to Japan for chemical testing.

The end result?

After 3 long year, they finally concluded that Shen's oolong teas offer the highest nutritional value out of the entire Anxi county, home of China's most famous oolong tea.

Today, most of Shen's teas are exported into Japan's highly regulated market and sold in more than 300 shops. It also won him a gold medal along the way.

Every Chinese tea shop sells Iron Goddess oolong tea, but few sells the very high grade.

Shen's tea garden is located in the mountainous region of Inner Anxi County. High grade Iron Goddess tea is known as the Iron Goddess Tea King or Tieguanyin Wang.

What's so special about this tea?

To give you an idea of its rarity, Shen's tea garden produces 500 kilograms of Iron Goddess tea each year, of which, only 20% is Iron Goddess King Tea, and only 5% is high grade Iron Goddess King Tea.

Shen's tea garden caught the eyes of Japanese scientists for 4 main reasons:

• High altitude. His Iron Goddess King grows at an altitude of 1,500 metres and above.

• Rare harvests.

While oolong tea is usually harvested 4 to 5 times yearly, his King tea is only available twice a year in spring and autumn, when the most aromatic and flavourful oolongs are grown and produced.

• Optimum plant age.

Older tea plants produce less flavourful brews. Iron goddess tea quality deteriates rapidly after tea plants reach age 8.

Unlike teas grown else in the Anxi county, his tea plants are aged 4 to 6 years, the optimum age for producing nutrition rich leaves.

• Traditional Handicraft. These high grade oolongs are hand harvested and handcrafted the time honoured way.

While Iron Goddess tea is famous for its orchid fragrance, the highest quality tea is prized also for its mouth flavours which is usually described as perpetrating (rui) and robust (zhuang).

Penetration is a distinctive floral notes at the root of your tongue and up your nose.

Robustness means the tea should be flavourful even after 5 to 9 infusions. It is not weak or limpy.

Why is robustness important?

Aromatic substances do not come out of a vacuum. They are the by-products of clear mountain air and nutrients-rich soil and water.

A flavourful cup of oolong tea contains the full range of nutrients found in green tea and black tea: catechins, theanine, thearubigins, theaflavins and aromatic oils.

In stark contrast, cheap oolong teas normally last 3 infusions, despite being spiked with oil extract to enhance its aroma.

Robustness is important because it is a reliable quality indicator. Not to say it saves you money too!

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I received my Iron Goddess tea and I am just blown away by this tea. This is the first oolong I have tried and it is now a favourite. The smell is just so pure and fresh, the leaves bright and colourful and the taste!

Well, you are right, it is almost intoxicating.

I just tend to get full after drinking that much in a row but the way I feel afterwards is just undescribable. Just as if my life force was intensified; so much stamina and energy yet I still slept peacefully at night.

Simply amazing.

What a scent!!! Ah, just marvelous. Never ever smelled something like it!

Even the first infusion is mild. Not bitter like one of my best oolong teas. Even the 7th infusion has this wonderful smell :-)

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The teas are picked in October 2007. Autumnal harvests are regarded locally to be the most aromatic. For 2008, I am skipping the spring season because the high rainfall has had an adverse effects on quality.

Note: All of Shen's Iron Goddess teas are vacuum-packed into 7-gram little nuggets and keep fresh for up to 2 years. I strong recommend the 2007 autumnal harvest over the more recent 2008 spring harvest.

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Yun Xiang means medium oxidised. Make no mistake, Tea Queen is the queen of kings, the highest grade of Iron Goddess King tea, for the first time made available to the Western world.

First released in June 2008, I invite you to cast your verdict on this rarest of tea.

Yun Xiang means medium oxidised. Golden Wizard hides many tricks up his sleeve. He can be as sure-footed as a leopard, but can also be as tender as a butterfly.

He is strong and robust, yet sweet and fruity. Feel the basal notes at the bottom of your tongue, and the higher octaves traveling upwards your nose, opening up like an Iron Goddess flower.

He is smooth and pleasant with an exceptionally long aftertaste. Last 6 infusions easily.

Qing Xiang means lightly oxidised. Orchid Aroma has a lovely orchid aroma that can be described as high, sharp and lasting.

She is an enigma. Feminine on the outside, she has a strong centre that can be described as "iron". Last 5 infusions easily.

This green oolong is mildly acidic, which is currently very popular in China. One word of warning: If you have a weak stomach, you may want to avoid drinking large amount of this tea.

Nong Xiang means heavily oxidised. Competition Traditional feels like a sprightly young man in full gallop. If you like your cup of tea strong and fragrant, then you have found your man.

First two infusions have a lovely cup aroma but taste somewhat bitter. Latter infusions are full-mouthed, sweeter with a lingering long aftertaste. Last 4 infusions easily.

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Wang Grade	30 grams Sampler
Tea Queen	Friendly Price: $28.95
(Medium Oxidised)
	50 grams Regular
	Friendly Price: $43.95

Jipin Grade	30 grams Sampler
Champagne Goddess	Friendly Price: $19.95
(Medium Oxidised)
	50 grams Regular
	Friendly Price: $29.95

AAA Grade	50 grams Regular
Orchid Aroma	Friendly Price: $19.95
(Lightly Oxidised)
AA Grade	50 grams Regular
Competition Traditional	Friendly Price: $9.95
(Heavily Oxidised)
Four-In-One Combo	30 grams Sampler
7 grams of 4 grades:	Friendly Price: $17.95
Wang, Jipin, AAA, AA

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This oolong tea should be brewed close to boiling point using a hard vessel. Hard vessels such as glass and porcelain distribute heat faster. They accentuate its natural aroma.

Experienced drinkers may use white porcelain gaiwan or a hard-roasted Zhuni claypot to bring out the high frequency aroma.

An effective method is to brew 3.5 grams (half a pack) in a 6 ounce cup (150 millimetres). Pour water, steep for 1 minute then decant.

Higher grades can last 5 to 9 infusions using ordinary brewing method (i.e. not kungfu style). The higher the grade, the longer it lasts.

Steep longer (up to 5 minutes) for later infusions.

First infusion is slightly more bitter due to the presence of caffeine. Soak your tea in hot water for a short time, then throw away. The Chinese people call this "tea washing".

First infusion water should be as hot as possible (near boiling point). This helps the leaves to open up and "wake up"! Allow room for leaves to open up considerably after a hot soak.

If using a teapot, I recommend a horizontal to a narrow vertical one.

Storage is easy. Your tea comes in 7-gram vacuum packets. Store them away from light, moisture, smell and heat.

If buying in large quantity, it is advisable to keep long term supply in a freezer to keep fresh up to 2 years.

Cover with a box to insulate from temperature change.

Leave to warm to room temperature before opening. This prevents condensation.

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