						A Blockbuster of Everest ProportionsPrimrose meets peppercorn in a nostril-flaring, mood-lifting adventure.  Two thumbs up and a standing ovation from the taste buds!		
Karen Ager		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/741-Silver-Moon-Himalayas-2016-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Silver Moon Himalayas 2016" alt="Silver Moon Himalayas 2016 Image">
Silver Moon Himalayas 2016

						What a magnificent example of Xing Ren. I compared this directly against six other Xing Ren, all from different vendors – two of which... read moreWhat a magnificent example of Xing Ren. I compared this directly against six other Xing Ren, all from different vendors – two of which were competition grade, one of them allegedly won second place in 2022 at the Chaozhou Tea King Competition, or something like that. Living in the United States makes it difficult to confirm such things, I suppose it comes down to trusting your vendors…

Anyways, Tea Hong’s Orchid Gratus stands out as being right up there with the competition-grade and old-bush Xing Ren that I sampled, both of which are literally two and a half times more expensive per gram. This one has all of the right overlap in all of the correct places, but also carries with it some unique attributes that make this feel like an elevated expression of Xing Ren.

Honestly, I’d rather have Orchid Gratus over the two competition-grade Xing Ren. It’s clear that the active phases of the processing; such as the baking, were executed perfectly, and also the resting phase, where patience is required for the maocha to catch up to the masterful techniques applied to it. This is the real deal, whoever made this tea is exceptionally skilled.

As a result of the expert-level crafting, the flavor profile is exquisite. To me, it tastes like vanilla-bean infused plums and seared pineapple flesh, soaked in apple juice and then caramelized in a pan with herbaceous spices like star anise or fennel seed. As the flavor profile melts away, I’m left with distinct overtones of honey drenched florals that linger in the aftertaste for a long time, along with a pleasant minerality that is characteristic of high-end dancong.

There’s a lot going on, and the soft edges this tea has make for a very pleasant overlap in the flavors that accentuates the whole experience as they mingle with one another. The texture is buttery-smooth and the mouthfeel is exceptionally rich; it brings with it a kind of pungency that creates a very expansive and long-lasting aftertaste with undertones of stewed and spiced apples. The aftertaste has its own complex and unique set of characteristics which sink very deeply into the palate, and make for an unforgettable experience. read less		
NN		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/orchid-gratus-re-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Orchid Gratus, Phoenix dancong oolong" alt="Orchid Gratus, Phoenix dancong oolong Image">
Orchid Gratus, Phoenix dancong oolong

						In short: One of the best, if not the best, Pu'er teas I've tasted. 

In some way this is the Pu'er version of Honey... read moreIn short: One of the best, if not the best, Pu'er teas I've tasted. 

In some way this is the Pu'er version of Honey Orchid Supreme, so I think most people who love that tea will also like this one. It has strong notes of honey and some fruity undertones of peaches, orange, and apricots. The first infusions have some woody / mossy notes that remind me of an old forest. In the later infusions this gets replaces by a very pleasant and soft sweetness that gives the tea a very optimistic energy. The Cha Qi of this tea increases concentration while still calming the body. 

The aftertaste that remains in the mouth after drinking the tea is probably the best I've had from Pu'er teas. It's sweet and fruity without any dryness or bitterness. It stays in the moth for quite long.

I usually brew this tea in a Sheng-Pu'er-seasoned Zini Yixing clay pot, because the clay thickens and softens the tea even more to enhance the mouth feel. But it also brews very well in porcelain or silver. It has become one of my favorite teas. read less		
Tobias D		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/pasha-infusion-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha" alt="Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha Image">
Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha

						A very special experience for a seasoned tea drinker who has been around the block with both Fenghuang and Taiwanese oolong.

The experience this dancong... read moreA very special experience for a seasoned tea drinker who has been around the block with both Fenghuang and Taiwanese oolong.

The experience this dancong offers is one that extends far beyond just what is possible to perceive in the cup. You may smell and taste one thing, but if you understand what this is, it will open your mind up to a completely unchartered territory that no other dancong can access, and no other vendor can offer. I have yet to find Wulong genetics elsewhere in a Western-facing market; and even if I could, I sincerely doubt the quality would be the same as what Tea Hong offers.

In other words, this dancong is ridiculously good. What we have here is a genetic fork-in-the-road which represents a thousand-ish year old evolution of genetics that are separate from what normally defines Fenghuang oolong. This is not a Shui Xian hybrid... this is entirely different, and it shows across the full session.

Creamy, buttery, exceptionally round and smooth with tons and tons of exquisite nuances, this harmonizes the subtleties that only the highest caliber dancong and Taiwanese high-mountain oolongs can bring into existence.

It has the powerful minerality and complex mouthfeel that defines premium dancong, coupled with the graceful elegance that make Taiwanese high-mountain oolongs so desirable and expensive, in perfect equilibrium that both balances each other out and accentuates the differences in such a profound way that it becomes impossible to describe, and only possible to experience.

You simply must try this. read less		
NN		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/695-Shiguping-Wulong-2015-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Shiguping Wulong, rare Phoenix oolong" alt="Shiguping Wulong, rare Phoenix oolong Image">
Shiguping Wulong, rare Phoenix oolong

						This is the best Oolong I've ever had.

The vanilla and mandarin orange flavour honestly blows me away.

It's such a rich-tasting tea, I would even... read moreThis is the best Oolong I've ever had.

The vanilla and mandarin orange flavour honestly blows me away.

It's such a rich-tasting tea, I would even say that the price is too low for what you are getting.

If you consider this tea but you are unsure because of the price, I can guarantee you that you won't regret buying it. A must-have tea.

I used 6g for 200ml water and my infusion times were:

1. 1 minute

2. 45 seconds

3. 45 seconds

4. 45 seconds

5. 1 minute

6. 1 minute

7. 1 minute and 30 seconds

8. 2 minutes

9. 3 minutes

10. 5 minutes

You can even try more infusions. read less		
Maximilian Vorhoff		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/714-Danhu-Old-Bush-Song-Cultivar-2014-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar 2018" alt="Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar 2018 Image">
Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar 2018

						This tea is like medicine for the soul. It’s a very complex and intriguing experience, worthy of having a focused session where you can... read moreThis tea is like medicine for the soul. It’s a very complex and intriguing experience, worthy of having a focused session where you can really pay attention to the intricacies that would otherwise get lost in the midst of a busy mind.

This is a very powerful dancong, with an incredibly thick and sappy flavor profile that is reminiscent of blooming jasmine and fresh-cut chrysanthemum flowers, drenched in eucalyptus, Chinese liquorice, and wintergreen oils, then rolled in pine needles and left on top of a wet rock to bake in the heat of a hot summer day before being soaked in mint-infused pear blossom honey.

That may sound like a strange description, but this is such a complex tea. It marries powerful, resinous, and sappy textures together with bright, lively, and crisp florals into a harmonized experience that perfectly balances the yin and yang found only within the top tiers of dancong.

Tea Hong’s Ye Lai has a powerful mouthfeel with a graceful presence, and a strong minerality with a lingering sweetness that is persistent, seemingly emanating from the gums and coating the entire throat.

Everything about this tea is superb and should not be missed. I am careful to not even drink plain water for at least an hour after my session; the sensation on the palate is divine. read less		
NN		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Aura-of-the-Night-re-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix oolong" alt="Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix oolong Image">
Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix oolong

						With this tea, I got other people into tea 🙂This tea is delicious. It's fruity, peach-y, floral, complex, interesting, and has a great mouth... read moreWith this tea, I got other people into tea 🙂This tea is delicious. It's fruity, peach-y, floral, complex, interesting, and has a great mouth feel. The color of the liquor...just wow. It's like peach juice, or plum juice, or something like that. It's perhaps the most attractive looking liquor of any tea I have had yet. This is a tea that I would consistently keep in my personal stash at home. 

I actually have a fun story about this tea! So, here in the United States, especially where I am from (Ohio), there are not a lot of people who drink tea (let alone good quality loose leaf). I am always trying to get new people into tea when I have the opportunity. Recently, an opportunity came for me to do so - I made and served tea gongfu style at a Chinese New Year event at my university's medical center that my school's Confucius Institute held. The event included several different tables set up to show off different aspects of Chinese culture. At my table, I had my gongfu setup and brewed tea for the medical students walking through the lobby. I had a sample of the Honey Orchid Supreme that I brought with me, and I pulled it out when I started to get a lot of people around my table. I brewed it up in front of everyone, showing off the beautiful color of this tea in my glass cha hai. I only had around 3g or so left from the sample, and I was worried that it would be too light. However I adjusted the timing, and when I poured some tea into my cup and tasted it, I experienced a wonderfully fruity, aromatic, and interesting flavor, very smooth. I quickly poured out some cups for others to try. The people that first tried it told me that they were amazed that tea could taste like that, and that they had no idea tea could be so naturally fruity and delicious! These people had most likely only ever had tea bags before, so this tea really amazed them. Some people that I handed the tea to stood by the table and talked with me for more than an hour, asking me about the tea and about how they could do this at home. I was able to introduce several people to the work of good quality tea this way, and I made sure to let them know where I got the tea - Tea Hong. I hope these people got inspired to go home and start exploring the world of tea and gongfu brewing, and perhaps they will order some tea from Tea Hong and be wowed some more 😉

Anyway that's my story, I hope it wasn't too boring 😉 I was able to share the experience of tasting great quality tea with these medical students who had likely never had such tea before. I hope I can inspire more people to get into gongfu brewing like this. Great teas like this one have the ability to change people's opinions about tea in general, and inspire others to start exploring the world of tea!

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Tanner Schmucker		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/689-Honey-Orchid-Supreme-2014-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Honey Orchid Supreme 2018" alt="Honey Orchid Supreme 2018 Image">
Honey Orchid Supreme 2018

						Ask YourselfWhen seeking evenness of mind and a better disposition, ask yourself which tea might help you face the day with strength and calm.... read moreAsk YourselfWhen seeking evenness of mind and a better disposition, ask yourself which tea might help you face the day with strength and calm.  No tea may be more suited to the task than Alishan Guanyin.  

Nine grams of this beaded beauty produce a liquor the color of an orange-amber sunrise.  The vessel lid offers the smell of warm vanilla and a refined perfume of iris, oak moss and cedar wood – a scent worthy of dabbing onto the skin.  

This tea whispers balance; its gentle steam patiently waiting to be inhaled.  Ask, and Alishan will deliver perfectly even doses of quiet insight to both nostrils.  A fresh morning breeze wafts over with subtle, smoldering hints of a distant bonfire.  

Next is a fleeting mouthful of sweet summer peaches dissolving into a slightly smoky, spicy-clean aftertaste balanced on the tip of the tongue, mid-palate and throat. 

Notice the transformation of the tiny, toasty tadpoles as they make a magical metamorphosis in your mug.  They swell into wild, squiggly creatures of dark slate green.  Balance gives way to spontaneity as these friendly, appealing leaf-beings inspire your free spirit.  If you don’t believe me, ask them yourself.

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Karen Ager		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/884-Alishan-Guanyin-2016-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Alishan Guanyin 2018" alt="Alishan Guanyin 2018 Image">
Alishan Guanyin 2018

						Smooth and mintyThis is a wonderful Ruby 18. It is very smooth, with a strong minty taste. Just what I was hoping for. High... read moreSmooth and mintyThis is a wonderful Ruby 18. It is very smooth, with a strong minty taste. Just what I was hoping for. High quality stuff.  read less		
Richard Deitz		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/990-Red-Jade-2016-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Red Jade 2020" alt="Red Jade 2020 Image">
Red Jade 2020

						This quickly became my favorite Gaiwan. 

The design is wonderful and reminds us to connect with nature. It is easy to decant due to... read moreThis quickly became my favorite Gaiwan. 

The design is wonderful and reminds us to connect with nature. It is easy to decant due to the perfect shape of the lid. 

The only wish I would have is for a slightly smaller version of the same design, maybe around 100ml for smaller gongfu sessions. read less		
Tobias D		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Celeste-Green-Gaiwan-open-lid-xx-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Celeste Green Gaiwan" alt="Celeste Green Gaiwan Image">
Celeste Green Gaiwan

						Excellent tea果如所言，2014的宋種，確較往上幾年好飲、且更耐沖泡，沖至六七泡，後勁淩厲，餘香猶在。		
LO Wai Man		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/750-Song-Cultivar-2015-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Song Cultivar 2018" alt="Song Cultivar 2018 Image">
Song Cultivar 2018

						Elegant, complex fragranceThe first time I had this tea I used the standard infusion parameters. It came across like the Snow Orchid, unsurprising as... read moreElegant, complex fragranceThe first time I had this tea I used the standard infusion parameters. It came across like the Snow Orchid, unsurprising as they are both categorized as bouquet Phoenix oolongs. But from smelling the infused leaves, I can tell that this Orchid Gratus is gravitating towards the traditional Phoenix style. The infused leaves also shows more oxidation than Snow Orchid. 

Then I tried it with 4g/100ml in 40 seconds. Wow, it reminds me of the Big White but without the faint sweet potato/peach aroma, yet somehow more complex. Smelling the tea is like smelling a good perfume, it is almost like there are many different fragrance combined together in a cup of tea. I'd say the aftertaste is not long, therefore I would twirl the tea in my mouth a little bit longer before swallowing it to enjoy the beautiful fragrance.  read less		
Teddy Lionel		<img src="https://www.teahong.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/orchid-gratus-re-150x150.jpg" class="miscpic-listing-image rounded" width="75" height="auto" title="Orchid Gratus 2017" alt="Orchid Gratus 2017 Image">
Orchid Gratus 2017

About us…

Really hard to get better teas than this Teahong has been the major source of my own tea consumption. It's really hard to get better teas than this ones. My favourites: dancong oolongs.

Patricio Hurtado Escobar

3/06/2018

Really high quality tea at competitive price I really enjoy their teas, but I have to remember not to wait as they sell out quickly 🙂 for me, oolong is their best (and my favorite) category but their long jing is phenomenal. If you want... read more

Joshua Taylor

4/24/2016

Leo is the TEA Man Leo is the TEA Man. His Knowledge is beyond compare and he is dedicated to his cause of helping us all understand and appreciate the many nuances and attributes of tea.. He is the creator and founder of... read more

Deborah Biber

5/22/2016

Absolute pinnacle of quality teas Tea Hong offers the absolute pinnacle of quality teas. Certainly nothing else I'd previously experienced compares to Tea Hong. "Expert" tea shops in the U.S. pale in comparison. Tea Hong's proprietor and tea evangelist Leo Kwan ensures that... read more

Karen Elias Ager

5/10/2016

Consistently impress every time Tea Hong is one of my favorite tea vendors for several reasons. First, and most importantly, their tea is wonderful. I truly have not had a single tea from Tea Hong that I didn't enjoy, and every tea... read more

Tanner Schmucker

4/23/2016

I've always had top-notch tea from Tea Hong, and after trying so many tea shops around the world (including very expensive ones like Jing Tea in the UK), Tea Hong is one of the few that I keep... read more

Lai Hung En

10/05/2020

the very best, without a doubt I've consumed more than 1,000 different teas from over 100 vendors during the past 20+ years, and in my opinion it doesn't get much better than Tea Hong. Not only is this entire catalog curated and selected to... read moreI've consumed more than 1,000 different teas from over 100 vendors during the past 20+ years, and in my opinion it doesn't get much better than Tea Hong. Not only is this entire catalog curated and selected to be among the finest teas available anywhere in the world, but the level of detail that goes into both this website and Leo's other website (Tea Guardian) is a reflection of how passionate Leo is about educating tea drinkers around the world.
This entire catalog is curated and selected to be among the finest teas available anywhere in the world - and if you're looking for Phoenix Mountain oolongs, look no further, Leo has put together the absolute best that any connoisseur could ever wish for. The price to quality ratio is unbeatable and the flavor profiles are exquisite beyond belief. I never knew such gastronomic qualities could be achieved at such reasonable price points... Tea Hong truly is the mecca for Fenghuang oolong.
Across the full range of offerings, the attention to subtle nuances is unparalleled. Every tea I have tried is worth every penny, and the information about each tea is worth every second of your time. I am glad to have explored the world of tea through the lens of many different vendors, and found some great ones along the way, but after having discovered Tea Hong, I feel completely and entirely satisfied in my life. I no longer seek out new vendors, and I find myself only buying tea from Leo. I know that, whatever I buy from Tea Hong, it's going to be mind-numbingly impressive, and I can always count on Leo to offer the very best tea at prices that other vendors could never match.
I am happy to be able to support Tea Hong and I think everybody should as well. Even the most discerning and demanding aficionados will find something that will blow their minds no matter what their favorite teas are. For me, personally, that is Fenghuang dancong, and I can say without a doubt there is no better vendor out there. Save your money and do yourself a favor - come and explore the very best collection that anybody could ever dream of and wish for.

5/23/2023

The only online tea shop that I will ever buy from Since reading Leo Kwan's tea blog (Tea Guardian), I had been longing to try for myself true quality teas, especially Phoenix Oolongs which I had never heard before. Well, thank God that he set up Tea Hong, I... read more

Teddy Lionel

4/25/2016

Just like high end Japanese sake A company that has the highest quality product control and information available of product Origen and rating. just like high end Japan sake and high end food and beverage. tea Hong and its owner Leo Kwan is head... read more

Carlos Jorge Higuchi

4/20/2016

沒有更好的岩茶、單欉、普洱、龍井：我經常要買給自己和家人用，在其他地方，只有更貴的，沒有更好的。而且在Tea Hong買，我安心。

Sofina Chan

4/25/2016

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Testimonials

A Blockbuster of Everest Proportions

With this tea, I got other people into tea 🙂

With this tea, I got other people into tea 🙂

Ask Yourself

Ask Yourself

Smooth and minty

Smooth and minty

Excellent tea

Elegant, complex fragrance

Elegant, complex fragrance

About us…

Would you like to share what you think about us too?