Brewing a 2022 charcoal roasted 炭焙鐵觀音烏龍茶 Tàn Bèi Tiěguānyīn (lit. “Charcoal Baked Iron Guanyin/Avalokiteśvara/Bodhisattva of Mercy”) wūlóngchá from 安溪 Ānxī county, southern 福建 Fújiàn province, China.

The tea is brewed in a somewhat larger 思亭壺 Sītíng hú teapot made of aged 梨皮大紅袍泥 Lí Pí Dà Hóng Páo Ní (lit. “pear skin Big Red Robe clay”). The rolled tea leaves are kept in a Japanese celadon 振り出し furidashi, a small jar used in 茶の湯 chanoyu to contain 金平糖 konpeitō candy. The scoop is an antique Japanese bamboo 茶合 sagō, inscribed with a poem. The three cups are 분청사기 buncheong-jagi, made by famed contemporary Korean potter 신용균 (申容均) Shin Yong-Gyun. The boiling water is heated inside of a vintage Japanese 鉄瓶 tetsubin.

The video shows the warming of the teapot and tea cups followed by the first steeping of the tea. The style of brewing the tea is a more relaxed variation on the traditional 潮州工夫茶 Cháozhōu gōngfū chá brewing method, a practice of brewing tea that originated in Cháozhōu county, a region south of Ānxī. Being more “relaxed”, I’ve omitted some of the additional wares and “steps” in the process that one might use in a more traditional approach to this style (if you want to see this approach, I have and will have this featured in other videos).

Brewing a dark, charcoal roasted Tiěguānyīn requires a slightly different approach than its lighter roasted counterpart. The higher firing and additional, longer roasting periods during its production effectively “locks” the leaves in their final rolled form, reducing their ability to fully unfurl during the brewing process. Knowing that they will only open up so much, one’s approach to brewing must change slightly. The objective with this tea is not to necessarily fully open the leaves but, rather, penetrate the leaves with hot water, typically for a longer period of time. When this is done, one can strike a balance between strength, depth, and complexity in the final tea liqueur. To do this, one must consider how to leverage what they can observe (in the tea, the water, the wares, and the surroundings), and use what they have at their disposal to the best of their abilities. This is the challenge of gōngfū chá.

This particular pear shaped Sītíng teapot (after the Qīng period (1636/1644-1911/1912) potter of the same name) is particularly well-suited for rolled oolongs like this. Its thick, dense, aged 宜興 Yíxìng clay walls are ideal for maintaining the high heat needed to brew a dark, charcoal roasted Tiěguānyīn. Being high fired, the clay is less porous, allowing for the complexity of the tea to be retained in the liqueur, rather than absorbed into the walls of the teapot.

Decanting the first steeping without a 茶盤 chápán presents another challenge, as I want to avoid making a mess on the tea table. To mitigate this, I am left to go from cup-to-cup in a series of shorter pours. However, I use this to my advantage as the intervals between each of the teapot’s pour are enough to further steep the tea, resulting in a stronger and more even brew.

The “final product” of the first steeping is a liqueur that is dark in color and deep in flavor and complexity. The scent of the tea is highly aromatic, filling my tea studio with notes of toasted biscuit, incense wood, and even hints of coffee! Once sipped, flavors abound, ranging from cacao nibs, black caramelized sugar, smoked plum (烏梅 wūméi), and lingering spices. The tea is not bitter but, instead, is velvety on the palate and throat, with a slight mineral finish.

As I write this, I am still brewing this tea, already on what I believe must be the twentieth steeping. Perhaps, one of these days, I will produce a longer, uncut video of every steeping I do so you can see how tea is brewed from first infusion to the final, followed by the cleansing and drying of the wares. Alas, for another day.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little video, that maybe you learned a little bit about how to approach a tea like this, and that you have the opportunity to brew high-quality tea for yourself and others. Regardless of what wares you have at your disposal, so long as you make the time to focus and practice, you can bring out the best flavors in any well-crafted tea. In the meantime, share with me any thoughts, feedback or questions you might have.

Thank you.

🍃 🍵 ♥️

#tea
#gongfucha
#oolong
#tieguanyin
#meditation
#chinesetea
#teapot
#teatime
#ceramics
#intention
#practice
#mindfulness
#asmr
#工夫茶
#烏龍茶
#鐵觀音
#鐵觀音烏龍茶
#茶壺
#品茗杯
#茶船
#泡茶
#潮州工夫茶
#炭焙鐵觀音烏龍茶