Organic Nonpareil Heavily Roasted Tie Guan Yin “Iron Goddess” Oolong Tea

I am a roasty kind of girl. So I was excited to receive a sample from Teavivre of the heavily roasted Iron Goddess. I also have the “regular” Iron Goddess, so I decided to compare the two. I have previously tried the regular version.

The dry tea of both varieties look very similar to each other. The heavily roasted is a bit darker green colour. They both smell very similar with the roasted being a slightly stronger smell.

After brewing, the regular version is a light greenish yellow colour, the roasted is more of a brown green colour. They both smell the same with the roasted being a stronger smell. Both very floral.

But that’s where the similarities end. While I find the regular version to be quite floral, light, slightly sweet grass type flavour. The roasted is a stronger, woody type flavour. Only slightly floral. Less sweet. Reminds me more of butter. There is definitely a roasty flavour, like roasted nuts.

Both varieties are good, but I think I would always go for the roasted version if available.

oolongs are harder to steep, i think! i like that it doesnt get bitter so easily and i can steep it over a minute no problem. but maybe not for 3 coz it does get every slightly bitter along the way. i got more of the tgy taste in this one but like the sweetness of the lightly roasted oolong more :)

on the other hand…the flavor of this remains for more steeps. i think i will enjoy this more gongfu style or shorter more frequent steeps

I recommend mixing these two organic nonpareil oolongs (heavily and moderately roasted) together in later steeps to mix the deep and sweet flavors if you are steeping them side by side just for fun :)

edit: i have just tried a reserve oolong and wondered how such an expensive tea can taste so meh. but i had no other teas on me the whole day i was out and thank God, it started to turn sweeter! ah, tea discoveries! so…im gonna try to steep these two lovely iron goddesses again and see how far i can go with them!

This tea is described as ‘heavily roasted’ and I expected it to be akin to a ‘dark’ or ‘moderate’ roasted oolong, with notes of charcoal or a baked flavour. I steeped the pouch of tea provided at 90ºC in a 150ml porcelain gaiwan for multiple infusions but wasn’t ever able to detect anything like that at all. Nor could I sense the coffee taste their website describes.
In my view, the tea I was sent is of high quality, light body, predominantly herbaceous flavours and floral scents. I say ‘sent’ simply because I now question whether I was sent the tea that I ordered or another Tie Guan Yin. Adding to my doubt is the picture on Steepster: the tea I received looked nothing like this; it was a green colour.
Having said this, the packaging of the tea in individual vacuum sealed pouches is outstanding.