Product Overview
The Muzha Tieguanyin Tea Competition in Taiwan is an annual prestigious event organized by the Taipei Muzha Farmers' Association, held twice a year during the spring and autumn seasons. The competition enforces strict participation criteria, which are exclusively open to local tea farmers from Muzha who must provide plantation certification to ensure the tea originates from designated areas such as Zhinan and Maokong. While multiple tea varieties, including Jinxuan, Qingxin, and traditional "Zhengcong Tieguanyin" (Hongxin Wai Wei Tao), are accepted, judges exhibit a distinct preference for the latter. Hongxin Wai Wei Tao, or "Red-Hearted Crooked-Tail Peach," is from Nanyan Village in the Tie Guan Yin tea's origin, Xiping Town, Anxi, Fujian province. Using traditional techniques, the leaves are fermented until they exhibit green leaves with red edges. All submitted teas must adhere to Muzha Tieguanyin's traditional processing standards, featuring moderate fermentation and heavy roasting.
The competition employs a rigorous and scientific scoring system divided into five key dimensions: aroma (30%), flavor (40%), appearance (10%), wet leaf quality (10%), and roasting technique (10%). The emphasis on flavor reflects the competition's focus on the tea's taste profile and lingering aftertaste. Aroma evaluation encompasses natural floral and fruity notes as well as roasting characteristics in both dry and infused leaves. Flavor assessment prioritizes the liquor's richness, sweetness, and distinctive Tieguanyin "yun". Appearance judges the tightness and color consistency of the dried leaves, while wet leaf examination verifies fermentation uniformity and vitality. Roasting technique evaluates the precision and balance of the firing process.
The competition unfolds in three stages: registration, preliminary judging, and final judging. During registration, each farmer submits a 14-kilogram sample, from which 100 grams are extracted for evaluation while the remainder is sealed and stored. All samples are assigned anonymous codes to guarantee impartiality. A strict blind-tasting mechanism is implemented throughout, with an independent panel of several professional tea tasters from Taiwan's Tea Research and Extension Station (TRES). Brewing parameters are standardized: 100°C boiling water with precise five-minute steeping times, using "clear liquor with pronounced Tieguanyin yun" as the benchmark for comparison.
The preliminary stage employs an elimination system, selecting only the top 20% from hundreds of entries to advance. This phase primarily screens out teas with obvious processing flaws (e.g., off-flavors, stale notes) or subpar basic quality. Final judging involves meticulous reevaluation of shortlisted samples, where judges conduct multiple infusions (typically 3-4) to verify consistency and endurance, while closely assessing roasting precision and the persistence of Tieguanyin characteristics. The competition ultimately awards one Grand Prize, one First Runner-up, 16 First Prizes, 35 Gold Awards, 44 Silver Awards, and 150 Excellence Awards.
Winning teas receive official packaging from the Farmers' Association—150g boxes for top awards and 300g for others, each featuring unique identification numbers and QR codes for traceability.
Please note that the full packaging of this product is a 300g can. Purchases of 25g, 50g, and 100g are repackaged from opened cans into bags and do not include the original packaging. If you require the intact original can, please purchase the 300g size.
Brewing Guide:
As a medium-fermented, heavily roasted oolong tea, Muzha Tieguanyin is best brewed in a purple clay teapot or white porcelain gaiwan. The ideal tea-to-water ratio is 7-8 grams of tea leaves per 150- 200 ml of water. Always use boiling water at 100°C. The first infusion should be a quick rinse for 10-15 seconds and then discarded. Start drinking from the second infusion, beginning with a 20-second steep and increasing by 5 seconds for each subsequent brew.
Key techniques include pouring water from a height to release the tea's aroma and leaving the lid open for 5 seconds between infusions to prevent a "stewed" taste. High-quality Tieguanyin can yield 7-8 infusions, with the liquor transitioning from an initial roasted aroma to a sweet, fruity aftertaste.