Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy)

Tie Guan Yin, or Iron Goddess of Mercy, is one of China's most famous oolongs, and one with a lovely story behind the name. As the legend goes, a poor farmer in Anxi passed a neglected shrine to Guan Yin, the goddess of mercy, on his way to work each day, and took it upon himself to tend and clean it. One night the goddess came to him in a dream and told him to look for treasure behind the shrine. There he found a single tea shoot, which he planted and nurtured; it grew into a tea so fine it brought prosperity to him and his whole village. 

An oolong sits between green and black tea, partially oxidised, and this loose-leaf one sits right at the green, floral end of that spectrum. In fact I often describe it as a green tea for people who think they do not like green tea: it has the same fresh, fragrant character, but it is gentler and far more forgiving to brew, so you never get that bitter bite on the finish. This is the modern, lightly baked style, all fragrance and finesse: refreshing, with orchid-like floral notes, a gentle sweetness and a smooth, rounded finish.

It is a proper tea, so there is caffeine in it, and it is best without milk. Being so forgiving, it is a lovely one to linger over and re-brew: the same leaves will give you several infusions, each a little different. It is also one of the teas in my Ashmolean Way of Tea collection, paired there with the museum's own figure of the bodhisattva Guan Yin.

"A beautiful quality of leaf... a pleasing jade tone, has been aptly infused to deliver a marked marine character, but with some delicacy... An unusual rendition we felt, and really well managed." - Great Taste Awards 2025 (1 Star)

Ingredients || Premium Oolong Tea

Warning, packed in an environment that contains nuts

Caffeine || Yes

Tasting Notes || Refreshing and fragrant, with orchid-like floral notes and a gentle sweetness

Brewing Notes || 1 scant teaspoon per cup, 90ºC, brew for 3 minutes.