Huang Guanyin (Yellow Goddess) Wuyi Rock Oolong Tea

Huang Guanyin “Yellow Goddess” rock oolong tea, also known as “105” tea, is a relatively small minority when it comes to rock teas. It possess traits of both “Iron Goddess” Tie Guan Yin as well as the aroma of Golden Osmanthus oolong, giving it a very rich and long-lasting fragrance. As a result, this tea is an excellent introduction to rock oolongs.

After being lightly roasted on a charcoal fire five times over, this Huang Guanyin takes on a rich, fragrant aroma and gives a bright amber liquid, mellow and floral in taste. There is just a hint of bitterness within the first few steeps, but this quickly gives way to a sweet aftertaste that lingers in later steeps even with the dying taste of the tea.

This tea’s magic lies in its unique aroma, different every time you brew it: sometimes it takes on floral notes, sometimes it becomes sweeter like milk, and sometimes it is even reminiscent of wine. For Huang Guanyin, tasting the fragrance is just as important as tasting the liquid itself.

	Cup Method		Chinese Gongfu Method
	Teacup: 12oz / 355ml		Gaiwan: 3.8oz / 110ml
	212℉ / 100℃		212℉ / 100℃
	4 Teaspoons / 5g Tea		7g Tea
	Brewing time: 3 - 5 mins		8 steeps: rinse,10s,15s,20s,30s,50s,70s,90s,120s
			Rinse time is around 5 seconds

The Lan Gang Yan tea garden sits atop high mountains blanketed in mist throughout all four seasons, at an average elevation of 1000 meters above sea level. This area has three predominant characteristics lending to its tea quality:

1. no chemical pesticides or fertilizers are used in the garden;

2. the natural aroma from surrounding pine forests give a pleasant fruity aroma to the tea leaves grown here;

3. the high elevation and perfect environment here mean older tree branches come to be covered with moss.

In the southeastern region of Wuyi Mountain, Jianou City is one of the most important producers of oolong tea in Fujian, with an average annual temperature of 18.5 C, rainfall of 2000 mm, and relative humidity of 80%. The mist-covered mountaintops and thick forests in this region form a natural barrier that protects the tea plants from the hot sun during the summer and cold winds in winter.

Huang Guanyin is a new clonal species of oolong tea selected by the tea research institute of Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, bred from Tie Guan Yin and Huang Dan, which is the original tea bush for Golden Osmanthus tea. Huang Guanyin is a relatively large tree, with yellowish-green oval leaves. Its spring tea (one bud with two leaves) is roughly contains 2.3% amino acid, 27.3% tea polyphenols, 12.6% catechins and 3.5% caffeine.