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

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• Introduction

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• How To Brew And Store

Between 1996 to 1999, a Japanese scientists 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 years, they finally concluded that Shen's oolong teas offer the highest nutritional value in the entire Anxi county, home of China's most famous oolong tea.

Today, most of his tea is exported into Japan's highly regulated market and sold in more than 300 shops. It also won him a few gold medals 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 metes 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 flavorful oolongs are grown and produced.

• Optimum plant age. Older tea plants produce less flavorful brews. Iron goddess tea quality deteriorates 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 honored way.

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

Penetration describes a distinctive floral note at the root of your tongue that moves up your nose.

Robustness means the tea should be flavorful 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 nutrient-rich soil and water.

A flavorful cup of oolong tea contains the full range of nutrients found in green and black teas: 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 their aromas.

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 favorite. The smell is just so pure and fresh, the leaves bright and colorful 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 indescribable. 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 2008. Compared to the spring harvested tea, autumnal harvests are regarded locally to be the most aromatic.

For 2009, we have tested the 2009 spring crop, and decided to stick with the 2008 autumn crop as we have found them to be higher quality.

Note: All of Shen's Iron Goddess teas are vacuum-packed into 7-gram little nuggets that keep fresh for up to 2 years. You only open each packet when you are about to steep the tea. They are very convenient to store and brew. You can even bring a few packets with you are when traveling.

This 28-gram package is strictly for the sophisticated drinkers who want to experience the best, and are not afraid of the subtleties.

They are four King Grades:

• King Grade 1 is called Zhengwei, which means Middle Taste. Gold medallist winner in the Shenyang Tea Exposition Fair of October 2008, she can be hard to get. The mouth-feeling is rather subtle. But when it comes to the aftertaste and after-feeling, she is glorious as the sun..

• King Grade 2 is a Qingsuan, which means Acidic. A recent Silver Medallist, her fragrance is high and piercing, and the mouth-feeling slightly acidic and penetrating. A mesmerizing Iron Lady.

• King Grade 3 is a Qingsiang, which means Lightly Oxidized. Compared to her Qingsuan sister, she is less high pitched, but smoother to drink.

• King Grade 4 is a Yunxiang, which means Medium Oxidized. Her fragrance is the strongest, and the after-taste and after-feeling superb.

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This 21-gram package contains three Jade Oolongs of varying degree of oxidation They are perfect if you like your oolongs green and aromatic.

• Jade Jipin grade is medium oxidized. She is strong and robust, yet sweet and fruity. Feel the basal notes at the bottom of your tongue, and the higher octaves traveling upwards through your nose, opening up like an Iron Goddess flower.

• Jade AAA Grade is lightly oxidized. She has a lovely orchid aroma that can be described as high, sharp and lasting. An enigma, she is feminine on the outside with a strong center.

• Amber AA Grade is heavily oxidized. He is 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.

The roasted oolongs are heavily oxidized, then left to mature for 2 to 5 years.

What can I say about this 14-gram package? You will love it if you like strong and fragrant teas!

• Roasted AAA Grade has been aged for 5 years, and is heavily roasted. I really have to salute Shen for this one. It rivals the best of Wuyi Rock teas. Simply breathtaking.

• Roasted AA Grade has been aged for 2 years. He is more lightly roasted.

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King Grade	28 grams
4-in-1 Combo	Price: $34.95 Offer: $29.70 (Save 15%) Pre-Launch Offer To End 30 June 2009

Jade Oolong	21 grams
3-in-1 Combo	Price: $9.95 Offer: $8.45 (Save 15%) Pre-Launch Offer To End 30 June 2009

Roasted Oolong	14 grams
2-in-1 Combo	Price: $4.95 Offer: $4.25 (Save 15%) Pre-Launch Offer To End 30 June 2009

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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. This accentuates 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 millimeters). 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.

The first infusion is slightly more bitter due to the presence of caffeine. Soak your tea in hot water for a short time, then throw it 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 your long term supply in a freezer to keep it fresh for 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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