Review: Canton Tea Co. Tie Guan Ying

Nov 24

Review: Canton Tea Co. Tie Guan Ying

Laura’s Teaview Snapshot

"he first thing that I noticed when I began to sip this cup is that the oolong tastes very green and has lots of floral notes. The other thing that I found noteworthy about this first infusion is that it offered up some nice buttery notes and left behind a creamy mouthfeel."

Laura’s Teaview:	7.8/10
Other Teaviews:	Vanessa gave it 8/10
Your Reviews:	Add your review »

"This classic Tie Guan Yin produces a delicious, light-coloured, medium-bodied liquor. The first infusion combines toasty, floral notes with a touch of honey and becomes more fruity with successive infusions." ---Canton Tea Co. website.

While my preferences are toward the greener oolongs, I have yet to meet an oolong that I didn't like. However, as of late, I have been finding that some of the greenest oolongs are just a little too soft and flowery to me. Mind you, I sort of like soft and flowery, but if it has little else to offer, then I guess I would rather spend my time drinking something a bit more complex. More specifically, creamy and buttery. Tie Guan Yin (and all of its many aliases) is one of those oolongs that I tend to enjoy because not only is it soft and floral, but it is usually a bit fruity, honeyed and even sometimes creamy. My sample package contains the small, tight, green oolong fists expected. They seem a little bit hard and brittle, which prompts me to search the website to look for the harvest year. These are indeed from the Autumn '08 harvest.

I prepared this with water brought to steaming and infused the little fists for close to 3 min. The oolong brews to a pale green/gold infusion. The first thing that I noticed when I began to sip this cup is that the oolong tastes very green and has lots of floral notes. The other thing that I found noteworthy about this first infusion is that it offered up some nice buttery notes and left behind a creamy mouthfeel. It is no secret that my favorite oolongs tend to have those characteristics.

I prepared a second infusion of this in the same way that I prepared the first infusion. the leaves really began to open up in this infusion. An inspection of those leaves was slightly disappointing as they were small and broken. I personally am not one that deducts points when scoring a review for such things as I don't really care too much as long as the output is a delicious cup of tea. The second infusion was less floral and more fruity (peachy maybe). The buttery taste is barely noticeable, but it still leaves behind a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Because of my love for that buttery taste and creamy mouthfeel, my favorite infusion was the first infusion. However, I doubt the second infusion will disappoint Iron Buddha lovers.

Overall, I wouldn't say that this is the best Ti Guan Yin that I've had, but it was still an enjoyable cup. If you are like me and enjoy that buttery characteristic in an oolong, then this one is worth consideration. As a side note, I have had the opportunity to try a number of offerings from Canton Tea Co outside of Teaviews, and have found a number of them to be solid offerings. I hope to try even more.

— To purchase Canton Tea Co. Tie Guan Ying, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.