Teas / oolong / Aged Tieguanyin (Lao Tie)

Aged Tieguanyin (Lao Tie)
🇨🇳 China

Aged Tieguanyin (Lao Tie)

Lǎo Tiě Guān Yīn · 老铁观音 (老鐵觀音)

anxi

Lao Tieguanyin ("Aged Tieguanyin") is the traditional Anxi long-aged style: medium-oxidation Tieguanyin from the Anxi cultivar, slow-baked over charcoal fire (rather than electric roasting), then sealed and stored for 10+ years in a stone-and- wool storehouse — the traditional Anxi structure that stays cool in summer and not too cold in winter, allowing slow controlled development. The cup picks up aged wood, dried longan, and a herbal-medicinal sweetness on top of the charcoal base; an oily warming texture distinguishes it from any fresh-style Tieguanyin. Unlike fresh "jade" Tieguanyin, aged lots do not need refrigeration, only sealed dry storage.

Quick facts

Region
Anxi
Harvest year
2010
Harvest season
spring
Oxidation
50%
Roast
heavy
Cultivars
Tieguanyin

Brewing

Leaf
5.0 g / 100 ml
Water
100°C
Rinse
yes
Gongfu steeps (s)
10, 15, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120

Boiling water; aged Tieguanyin needs heat to wake the herbal-medicinal sweetness from the deep charcoal. Holds 8–10 infusions; later steeps often the most contemplative.

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Tasting notes

Aroma
aged wood, dried longan, herbal medicine, charcoal
Flavor
thick, mellow, herbal sweet, deep mineral
Mouthfeel
oily, smooth, warming
Finish
very long, warming

Aging potential

Properly stored aged Tieguanyin continues to develop indefinitely; 20–30 year lots are highly prized for the deepest integration of charcoal, herbal sweetness, and dried-longan aromatics.

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