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Moon Drops Himalayas, deep oxidation Nepali white tea
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Organic teas, Tea, White teas$ 29.30चाँदीको चाँदी हिमालय
When a Taiwanese marries a Japanese in Nepal
The tougher terroir of the Himalayas usually gives a more rugged characteristic to the yield. Yet the ingenious farmer of Tea Hong's Moon Drop Himalayas has employed the creamy Jinxuan ( 金萱 ) cultivar from Taiwan and the umami Yabukita ( やぶきた ) from Japan to produce this tea. Their softer nature most definitely tones down the harsher growing environment to give this tea an extraordinarily round body, accompanied with a sweetness and bouquet that one can hardly find in any other South Asian productions. An extra step of rolling is added to the end of the white tea withering process to develop more depth in the taste profile. This is indeed an unusual gem of white tea. However, maintaining the East Asian tea plants in the Himalayas is not an easy job and getting a good yield from them is even more demanding. We have been following this tea for almost a decade before deciding to carry it. A fine batch as this one on offer is rare.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Mo Gan Yellow Snails, yellow tea
Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, Yellow teas, Zhejiang$ 29.90明前熟香 莫干黃芽螺
Revitalising an old yellow tea
Tea Hong’s Mo Gan Yellow Snails is a break away from the old Mo Gan Yellow Tip. We have greatly modified traditional yellowing to give the tea a distinctive yellow look and a taste that is different from both green tea and old style yellow tea. A neo-yellow. Unlike other tea categories, old style yellow tea has not prospered in all these decades since tea’s revival after the destructive Mao era. Its taste needs a lot more to create followers. Similarly from the mountain of Mo Gan in the region of Zhejiang, Tea Hong’s Mo Gan Yellow Snails has departed from the dull colours of the old to maintain a brisk freshness in the look and taste, while achieving a characteristic “cooked” warmth and sweetness that is the real spirit of yellow tea. Now that is a good individualistic character to have a place in any tea repertoire.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Winter Alishan Jinxuan, bouquet style Taiwan oolong
Cold Energy, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 22.10阿里山冬茶 金萱烏龍
the oolong with an accent of milk
In the early 80’s when the tea was first available to the market, tea tasters described Jinxuan oolong as having an accent of milk. The simple remark has sparked waves of imitation products, all involving adding flavouring. This continues until today. Jinxuan maybe one of the more popular cultivars in Taiwan, but it takes mastery to harvest and process it properly for that natural and slight “milk” accents, and all the other finer tea qualities. Tea Hong’s Alishan Jinxuan is just that. Non-blended first flush superbly produced to the same balance as Prof Wu Zhenduo* had originally intended it to be. As the same cleansing, soft taste profile that made it famous in the beginning. Nothing added, purely as we have always like our tea to be.
Net weight: 70 g (2.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Blue Shiiba, Nepali semi-oolong
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Organic teas, Tea$ 29.90जापानी जंगली चिया रूख शि इबा
Kyushu wild tea reincarnates as an oolong in the Himalayas
Our Nepali farmer has taken a native wild tea plant from the island of Kyushu, Japan, to try propagating it in the Himalayas. The distinctly different terroir has not been kind to the small leaves so not every harvest gives you a satisfying result. The processing technique has been continuously evolving in the past decade to arrive at what we think is a wonderful manifestation of this unique tea cultivar. A batch as this on offer is rare. To us, it embraces the tea’s heritage as a wok roasted green tea, yet attaining a bouquet found only in fine Taiwan oolongs like that of Wenshan Paochong, while unmistakably carrying the complex tones and finishes afforded by the unique environment on this altitude on the roof of the Earth.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Oriental Beauty, deep oxidation Taiwan oolong
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 29.90正宗深造青白毫烏龍 珍品東方美人
Dongfang Meiren
To experience why this unique Taiwan white tip oolong was nicknamed Oriental Beauty by Queen Elizabeth II, you have to taste the real thing. It is perhaps the most demanding tea to process well. Harvested only once a year in summer and after the young leaves of the Qingxin Damao cultivar are bitten by a kind of tiny leafhopper«read more here», genuine Dongfang Meiren can attain its special taste profile only after following the oolong processing routine modified especially for this tea. Tea Hong’s Phong-hong tè — the original name of Oriental Beauty — is a prime selection from the origin in Hsinchu, Taiwan. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 50 g ( 1.8 oz ) in Kraft-alu pack -
Dianhong Classic, traditional black tea
Black teas, Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Warm Energy, Tea, Yunnan$ 17.70鳳慶金毫 滇紅經典
Feng Qing Golden Tip:
Some people think that the more the golden tip, the better the quality of a black tea. For a real connoisseur, however, it is the taste profile made possible by properly managing all the variables throughout production that matters. Don’t be convinced by the rich dark chocolate aroma of the dry leaves either. What matters is the round and complex body in the clear deep golden red liquor possible only with the first flush leaves from the deep mountains in Fengqing, the origin of Dianhong.
Net weight: 50 g ( 1.8 oz ) in Kraft-alu pack
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Luan Guapian Traditional, handcrafted green tea
Cold Energy, Green teas, Huangshan & Anhui, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Tea$ 23.70珍品、六安瓜片
The sweetness in a unique bitter green
Unlike other green teas that are prized for plucking early in Spring, leaves of Da Guazi need to be quite grown and spread in order to make a fine Luan Guapian. This gives the proper biochemistry that yields enough pectin for the tea's signature velvety texture and unique bitter character. This is possible only with a special local cultivar — Da Guazi — Big Melon Seed, hence the funny name. Some say it takes enough experience in life for a person to appreciate the bitterness in a food or drink. We think maybe it only takes a person with a truly sensitive taste faculty to understand and prize such a wonderful tea.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Honey Pearl Pekoe, fresh jasmine scented green tea
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Green teas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Tea$ 23.10六窨一提、福鼎頭採純毫小蜜珠
Jasmine Seven Scentings Fuding Tips
Mastery of the technique of scenting and management of fresh jasmine flowers can greatly enhance the aroma profile of a final tea. It is not only how many times the leaves are scented but also about the tea to flower ratio, and the finesse of timing and other nuances in the scenting process. Honey Pearl Pekoe begins as a pure fine tippy first flush of loyal pedigree and then scented to perfection by our jasmine master. The most beautiful and purest of all jasmine green teas. Read more: What makes our Honey Pearl Pekoe special?
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow
