I decided to try out this sample tea this morning. I am a fan of Tie Lou Hans, I’ve had a few and they usually do not disappoint.
I did a quick rinse of the leaves in my yixing and used around 180F water.
Steep #1: The tea liquor is an amber color and leaves smell very roasted after steeping. I found this cup to contain notes of plum, caramel and mineral with a sweet aftertaste. yummy! I gave this cup to the BF, who wanted one.
Steep #2 – Tea liquor has a delightful aroma of stone fruit. Second cup is similar to the first but I am getting a slight charcoal flavor in the mix. It is very pleasant with a lingering sweetness. Tastes very clean and soft, somehow.
Steep #3 – Similar to #2, sweetness is retreating a slight and mineral is coming forward more. Still quite delicious and going strong. I am noticing a toasted bread quality as well as a few raisin notes. Unlike the other tie lou han I have, this seems to be quite good in terms of resteep ability (note: I ended up steeping it 7 times).
Interesting for those of interested in Buddhism:
“Tie Luo Han (铁罗汉) translates as “Iron Arhat” in English. Luohan/Arhat is a term used in the many schools of Buddhism to denote a saint or a “sage” who has achieved enlightenment and is ready to escape the cycle of Samsara and enter the state of Nirvana. “Tie Luohan” is sometimes translated as “Iron Warrior Monk,” which most likely refers to the monk/spiritual practitioner doing battle with his/her desires to overcome his/her worldly attachments to attain enlightenment, rather than as an actual “war” warrior monk".
Anyway, this is a great example of a wuyi tea. If I was to have one everyday wuyi around, I don’t know if it would be this or a Shui Xian but maybe I can have them all. :-P
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The nice thing about Wuyi teas is that they are quite durable. You don’t have to worry about finishing them all off before the next season.
As long as tea is viewed as a worldly attachment I don’t think I will be reaching Iron Warrior phase!
@teaddict, yes that is very true. I have one on the way that has a shelf life of 5 years!
@Azzrain – me either!
Thanks for the info on Buddhism. I am always interested in leaning about different religions, spirituality, history and cultures. I love a good resteeper too, so I’ll have to keep this one in mind.
The nice thing about Wuyi teas is that they are quite durable. You don’t have to worry about finishing them all off before the next season.
As long as tea is viewed as a worldly attachment I don’t think I will be reaching Iron Warrior phase!
@teaddict, yes that is very true. I have one on the way that has a shelf life of 5 years!
@Azzrain – me either!
Thanks for the info on Buddhism. I am always interested in leaning about different religions, spirituality, history and cultures. I love a good resteeper too, so I’ll have to keep this one in mind.