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New
Nishio Matcha Setsubai, Ōn Koicha Supreme, 30 g
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, TeaUS$39.5西尾 極上御濃茶 雪梅
Plum blossoms in the snow
In the southern tip of Aichi prefecture before reaching the Mikawa Bay connecting to the Pacific Ocean, there is a small region that is known as the matcha capital amongst Japanese tea professionals — Nishio. A family farm which began tea production here since the end of 19th century is still thriving here. Two young cousins now run the setup: one oversees the tea farm, the other in the grinding facility. We were not convinced until we were each served with a small chawan of their koicha — the strong serving style as in Omotesenke おもてせんけ tea ceremony — so there was no hiding behind the foamy texture as in usucha, nor the dairy distractions as in matcha latte. When a tea is delivered in such a dense package, every bit of it is clearly revealed. We were struck immediately by its distinctive character: a refreshing “sea character” with a complex, engaging taste profile that is profoundly different from all the other matcha we have had from other regions. To us, it is this uncompromising insistence on its own strong character, rather than following trends toward softer, milder tastes, that deeply resonates. Introducing the best product from the Matcha Capital of Japan, Nishio Matcha Setsubai. Like the plum tree that blossoms even in the snow, a tea with a steadfast spirit that has won our respect.
Net weight: 30g (1.06oz) in pull-lid tincan -
Old Bush Zhilan, bouquet dancong, 40 g
Cool Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, TeaUS$42.3鳳凰烏崠、丹湖老欉芝蘭香
From the same small farm that produces our beloved Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, old Master Lin tends three venerable bushes that his father planted in his youth, now about 80 years old, crafting from them a seductively fragrant Zhilan Xiang. As a dancong bush gains age in its natural environment, the tea from its leaves has the potential for greater complexity taste and aroma. This is a distinctive trait of this oldest form of oolong. That is one reason harvests from older bushes are keenly sought after by connoisseurs. For a bouquet dancong, however, achieving perfection depends not only on the terroir and the mastery of processing but also on the precise weather and leaf condition at harvest. Unlike classic dancong, where there are a few more steps in which the tea master has some room to compensate for less-than-ideal circumstances, the fewer steps and shorter time in bouquet-style processing has less margin for error note. That means some years are distinctively better than others. That is why for a harvest as nearly perfect as this one, it is a blessing.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, Phoenix dancong oolong, 40 g
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, TeaUS$44.8丹湖老樅 宋種黃橘香
A very special Huangzhi Xiang
Cutting away from the main trail towards the more visited Zhongxin Yin and Lizai Ping, hidden away behind a spur, there is this tiny secluded enclave in Wudong by the name of Danhu. As the mecca of Fenghuang Dancong, where the oldest form of oolong is the de facto tea to produce, Wudong is one of the major mounts of the Phoenix Mountains. Outside of the 7 major villages listed administratively, there are actually many other small areas where a few or even a couple of households make up a small tea haven of their own. Shaded on the north of the dark rock mountain, it is cool here even at 4 pm on a summer day. The tea forests here are mostly bushes 2 to 3 meters tall. Occasional 3 to 5 meter ones, each occupying a circular clearing around them, growing gloriously with their wide-spread crowns. Tiny patches of vegetables grown here and there under tea trees. The few families here have been tea farmers since their grandfathers remembered. As to when the old bush for our Song Cultivar have been here, no one can really tell.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack
