FRENCH NAME  déesse en fer de clémence
BLEND NO.  3074
Ti Kuan Yin or Guanyin or Iron Goddess of Mercy is one of the most prized oolong teas.  Unlike Tung Ting or High Mountain Oolong blends, Ti Kuan Yin is a dark, fermented oolong.  Grown in southern Fujian Province in the high elevation Inner Anxi County, this oolong is wrapped in cloth and rolled into tight, compact balls (that are often seen as 'iron-like').  We typically select harvests from spring (Chun Cha), which is prized for complex flavor but will, in select seasons and gardens, blend out with autumn tea (Qui Cha) due to the high level of fragrance oils.

Guanyin is the Goddess of Mercy, the equivalent of Buddhist deity Avalokitesvara, Lord of compassion and love. 

Ti Kuan Yin is often made, in the traditional style, as Gong Fu cha using a small yixing purple terracotta teapot.  Oolongs, in general, are best infused in a specific yixing (traditionalists use a unique oolong for each oolong so as not to season the teapot with an overly wide range of oolong flavor and to perpetuate a specific distinct profile within each yixing).

LOOSE TEALEAVES
AROMA: golden orchid aroma, slightly woody
PALATE: medium smooth floral taste, with malty finish
LEAF DESCRIPTION: tightly curled, dark fermentation