Tieluohan

高山铁罗汉

Harvest
April 2018

Origin
Wuyishan, Fujian

This Half-Cliff Tieluohan comes from Xingcun, or “Star Village,” an ancient village located in the Wuyi City area, about a 20 minute drive southwest from the Wuyi Mountain Nature Reserve.  

Xingcun has a long history; it has been a center for the distribution of teas from the Wuyi region since ancient times. In the 1700’s it was a bustling tea hub where Dutch and English tea drinkers came to purchase the area’s much sought after Lapsang Souchong. Xingcun is nestled between Wuyi Mountain and Tongmuguan Village, (the origin place of this famed Lapsang Souchong, and, as far as we know, the world’s first ever black tea). 

Tieluohan is one of the four most prestigious varietals of Wuyi rock tea. Amongst the Wuyi Cliff oolong varietals, it is famous for its rich and smooth mouthfeel. This Tieluohan comes from an area within Xingcun called Caodun, an area that known for its ecological tea farms and regenerative farming practices. The tea farm is located at 1600 ft elevation, and due to its relatively high location, experiences more clouds, mist and also sunshine than most of the Wuyi area, (it averages around 7-8 hours of sunshine per day, which is almost double the amount of most Wuyi rock teas!). 

The tea is crafted by a younger tea artisan, Fan Zhiqiang. Fan is a generational resident of Xingcun village. As a child, he watched his parents and grandparents trade and sell Wuyi Mountain teas. With this connection, he expresses a great love and passion for the landscape and the traditional teas that his hometown offers. 

This rich and satisfying tea from Fan is exemplary Tieluohan. It has dense, chocolate-like qualities, sitting heavy and round in the palate at first. As infusions progress, its incredible mineral structure begins to lift it up into mid-palate, making it very recognizable as a Wuyi oolong. Throughout its evolution in the gaiwan, it remains smooth, sweet, and saliva-producing.

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Brewing guide