
Shimen TieguanyinShimen Tieguanyin
Flavour
Deep charcoal-roast aroma, full and mellow
Fair priceverified
One jin is 600 g. Below NT$900, be sceptical.
A reasonable range is NT$2,000–4,000 per 600 g. Below NT$900, ask more questions. Competition-grade lots command a large premium. Ask which association ran the competition, which year, and for the seal.
What to ask when buying this
Grading standards differ between associations, so awards are not comparable across competitions. Genuine lots come with a seal and certificate.
Freshly roasted tea carries harsh fire; two weeks of rest makes it rounder. You can also ask whether it has been re-roasted.
Zhengcong means the Hongxin Waiweitao cultivar, of which very little is grown. Most "Tieguanyin" on the market refers to the heavy-roast method, not the cultivar.
Spring and winter lots fetch the highest prices and the best aroma; summer and autumn are a step down in both.
Specifications
Brewing
Temperatures follow the official category guidance. Source: TRES — Effects of water quality and temperature on tea liquor
Common mistakes with this tea
95°C or above. Too cool and the roast aroma never opens, leaving it flat.
Rolled-ball leaf needs the first infusion to open up; the second is then shorter.
A freshly bought heavy roast rounds out after a rest.
The most common beginner regret is buying 600 g on the first try. Buy a jin only after you know you like it.
What to eat with it
This is what the old saying “nuts with oolong” means. The roast in the nut and the roast in the tea are the same note, and they reinforce each other.
Location accuracy: township level (25.2900, 121.5680). This marks the growing area, not one specific garden.