Tieguanyin, also known as Iron Goddess of Mercy (direct translation), is a classic way to prepare oolong tea born from China. Some call it China's first oolong, as they learned the traditions from Taiwan and altered them in subtle ways to make them their own. It's inarguable that Tieguanyin is absolutely China's Oolong. It's complex, going through sun-withering, a cooling process, tossing in a hot wok for a short time, open-air withering and oxidizing, hand-rolling, oven-roasting, and drying. This ancient tradition, dating back centuries, has been retained through the years with tiny modifications over time and across numerous regions. But across all of them, it's known for its consistently vegetal flavors with roasty undertones and elements of fruity berry-like notes. Ours comes from an Anxi estate which roasts them in classic Anxi style.

The 2019 batch from this particular Anxi estate is beautifully full without being overwhelming at all. It's smooth as silk, has no astringency at all, and carries with it the rich flavors you would expect. The primary body is reminiscent of a strong green tea, heavy vegetation in the flavor, but it's all layered with a roasty overtone with light smoky notes carried from its time in the oven. The moderate baking process done at the end gives it a soft brown color, a smooth roasty flavor, and brings out the earthy straw notes and nutty tones within without dampening the floral notes that make tieguanyin so tasty.
 
The Legend
In the myth of Tieguanyin, a tea farmer felt that a temple he passed on his way to the market every day was in sad shape, and the goddess deserved better. So every day, he would go to the temple and clean it up somehow; sweep an area of floor, dust some cobwebs, clear some rubble, remove the stray snake. After a couple months, the temple looked beautiful, so he left an offering in the bowl and went on his way.

That night, in his sleep, the Guanyin, the goddess of mercy, came to him. He was on an ocean rock, and she came on a water dragon, thanking him for his efforts and promising him a gift behind the temple. The next morning, he ran behind it and found a tea plant growing. He potted it, ran back home, and tended to it, taking care until it was ready to harvest. He prepared it as a traditional oolong tea, (which was his trade, after all), and quickly found it was well beyond any tea he had ever made. He took it to market, and sold more than he ever had. This is the modern tea we call "Iron Goddess of Mercy," or "Tieguanyin."
 
Gwen's Suggestion
This is honestly a tea best served straight, hot, perfect green tea temp water, for 3:00. It's also good at 3:30 for a little more flavor, but much more risks bringing out astringency. However, make sure to steep this one over and over! It goes several rounds and stays tasty through every one.
 
The Name
Sea Dragon comes directly from the myth. In the vision the man received, the goddess Guanyin came to him riding a great sea serpent, a classic serpentine dragon. Its name came from there, in honor of the vision from the age-old myth.