2023 Jiu Long Chi Tian Jian, loose leaf, with Qi Xing Zao (Kowloon Chi Tian Jian:

Tian Jian is composed of the characters for “Heaven” (天) and “Tip” (尖). It is commonly translated as “Heavenly tips”.

The two critical production steps for making Tian Jian Tea are pile-fermenting and drying of the leaves over pine wood. The tea leaves are roasted over a pine fire to dry. This step gives Tian Jian its signature pine and smokey taste. Tian Jian is the most loosely compressed of the compressed teas. The leaves are steamed and pressed into woven bamboo baskets. Light compression allows for good aging by promoting an environment conducive to the development of microorganisms which will add their own contribution to the tea during the fermentation process.