Tie Luo Han铁罗汉

Tie Luo Han is a Yan Cha oolong from Wuyishan, Fujian, China. Brew it at 100°C with 6g of leaf per 100ml of water; expect up to 9 short infusions in a small gaiwan or teapot. A quick rinse is recommended.

Tasting notes

Tie Luo Han is the oldest of the Four Famous Wuyi cultivars and the tea carries that weight literally — it's the heaviest-bodied yancha I know. Leaves thick enough to survive four rounds of charcoal firing over three months, and the cup arrives resinous, almost chewy. Toasted bread and caramelized sugar on the nose, then a deep prune-and-pear sweetness around steep three once the roast has burned off. A clove spice runs through the middle, and underneath sits a gravel minerality — less sharp than Rou Gui's pepper, more like wet stone after rain. Full boiling water, and don't rush the session. The first two steeps are all roast power; the real tea starts at three. New-crop Tie Luo Han needs six months to a year of rest before it stops tasting harsh. The one yancha I'd tell someone to drink slowly over two hours, not blast through in thirty minutes.

Flavor profile

The oldest and most powerful of the Si Da Ming Cong. Exceptionally thick and smooth in the mouth with a resinous, woody depth. Toasted bread and caramelized sugar on the nose give way to sweet prune and pear in the cup, with clove-like spice and a striking gravel minerality underneath. The aftertaste is long and sweet with rocky undertones — the kind of tea that demands attention and rewards slow drinking.

Terroir

Zhengyan; considered the oldest of the Four Famous Wuyi cultivars (Si Da Ming Cong). Original bushes in Hui Yuan Yan (Wisdom Garden Rock)

Cultivar: Tie Luo Han (ancient cultivar; large, thick leaves that withstand heavy roasting)

Brewing

Rinse: Rinse firmly with boiling water — the heavy multi-fire roast needs a strong wake-up.

1. Quick rinse — pour off immediately.
2. Steep 1: 8 seconds
3. Steep 2: 8 seconds
4. Steep 3: 10 seconds
5. Steep 4: 15 seconds
6. Steep 5: 20 seconds
7. Steep 6: 25 seconds
8. Steep 7: 30 seconds
9. Steep 8: 40 seconds
10. Steep 9: 55 seconds

Full boiling water. The multi-roast processing means this tea is built for longevity — don't rush the session. Early steeps show roast power; the real character (fruit, spice, mineral depth) emerges from steep 3 onward.

Aroma & taste

Processing

• withered
• oxidized
• twisted
• charcoal roasted up to 4 times over 3+ months with rest periods between firings

Sources

• https://yunnansourcing.com/products/traditional-tie-luo-han-iron-arhat-wu-yi-shan-rock-oolong-tea
• https://verdanttea.com/2018-tie-luohan
• https://meileaf.com/tea/iron-monk/
• https://sevencups.com/shop/tie-luo-han-iron-monk/
• https://teadb.org/wuyi-oolong-compendium/
• https://www.nannuoshan.org/products/tieluohan