Tie Luohan (Iron Arhat), 1990's Wuyi cliff tea • 1990 年代鐵羅漢岩茶

Tie Luohan (Iron Arhat), 1990's Wuyi cliff tea • 1990 年代鐵羅漢岩茶
1990 niándài Tiě Luóhàn Yán cháyè

Deciding that since Da Hong Pao was about the greatest thing since loose leaf tea, I really ought to try some other of Wuyi Mountain's famous "yan cha" (cliff/rock teas, 武夷山岩茶). I came cross this tea from The Chinese Tea Shop and was drawn not only to its name but also its description.

Tie Luohan is one of the four most famous yan cha. It's name literally means "Iron Arhat" (an Arhat is an "enlightened monk", for lack of a better simple explanation), or "Iron Warrior Monk". According to legend (and Wiki...), "this tea was created by a powerful warrior monk with golden-bronze skin, hence the name Tie Luohan."

It's been aged at least twenty years, though likely much longer. Daniel received it from an old man who ran a small grocery store. He added that many experienced tea drinkers have said that its character seems much older, reminiscent of even a 1960's oolong. Having not tasted this tea before, I have no personal reference point, but the aging process is said to have mellowed out its usually bitter nature and contributed a "medicinal" flavour.

The packaging for this tea is nice. A protective tin case with a print of Wuyi Mountain with the tea individually wrapped in twelve 5g paper squares, also with an Wuyi print. The colour scheme, design, and quality of the print look very 70's, another hint at a possibly older tea, but it could just mean they didn't update their design, too. My daughter liked the packaging so much that she immediately claimed the tea as hers.

Unwrapping one of the packs revealed a nice bundle of twisted, dark, reddish-brown leaves. Tie Luohan is usual described as having deep green leaves, so I take this as another sign of it's age. A rich, sweet aroma rose from the paper. The first steep produced a rich, dark, but clear orange liqueur. The taste was much like the smell; rich and sweet with a soft herbal aftertaste. In traditional Chinese medicine, herbal and medicinal are basically synonymous, so its "medicinal" description made sense. After my daughter slowly gulped her full cup, her eyes opened wide and she exclaimed, "Mmm, tastes like chocolate." It does have a similar quality to the richness of cocoa, but much sweeter.

The first few steeps were consistent, building a strong, sweet, herbal aftertaste. After the fifth steep, the flavour, as well as the deep orange colour lightened. Where the initial colour reminded me of the color of roast-squash, I found the final few steeps had a faint taste of squash, though I wonder if this could be the power of suggestion.

All in all, this is one of the most interesting teas I've had. It's "cha-qi" imparted a pleasant, mellow glow through my body, true to the replenishing "yan yun" (energy-giving) reputation of Wuyi yancha. The only thing that left me wondering about this tea was whether or not I should spread the word in case there won't be any left when I'm ready to order more!

The Chinese Tea Shop: 1990's Tie Luohan Wuyi Cliff Tea























Given the name and character of this tea, I thought my bronze Medicine Buddha would be a good companion!