Distinction in True Quality — Distinction comes with the ability to recognise, understand and master. In the realm of fine tea, gems await to be discovered and to shine with pride. Welcome to Tea Hong. Welcome to the world of true quality tea. Make our tea shine.
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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$ 29.30When 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 -
Bamboo Leaf, traditional green tea
Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Tea, Zhejiang$ 32.70Zhuye Qingding — a rare shoot leaf green tea
Some people like their green tea soft and sweet, others may prefer a good umami. Yet this leaf shoot tea is neither. Its brisk, lively full body is accentuated with a refreshing aroma and a distinct note of bitterness. After Longjing, of all the other green teas from the Zhejiang region, my personal strongest preference goes to this traditional green tea form of Bamboo Leaf produced in Kaihua. To me it is an alternative to a shot of single malt in the evening, or an afternoon kick of espresso. Maybe more pleasant and invigorating. This style form is produced in a few other tea regions in China. The taste profile does vary from region to region, and even from farm to farm, tea master to tea master. In Emei Shan in Szechuan, the traditional form style name, Zhu Ye Qing, which transliterates as Bamboo Leaf Green, is registered as a brand name by a powerful local tea company. Other farmers and tea companies who have been producing in this same style form are then required by law to sell their products in different names. One of them is Mingshan Shihua. Tea Hong's Bamboo Leaf is a rare quality representing not only the broader taste profile of this style form, but also the intriguing intricacy that gives true quality tea its elevating magic.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 280.00 – $ 1,813.00Zou Bing Liang’s master piece
In the first decade of my tea career I used to neglect shengcha puer as an over-hyped lot. Poor products flooded so much of the market that the category alienated itself from me as a tea lover. Pasha changed all that. Its beautiful complexity converted me. From there on I have made a conscious effort in screening true gems amidst crowds of trite. ( Isn’t that true in all other tea varieties as well?) Shengcha from various subregions now has earned a place in my own repertoire. That from Pasha, however, is still my most preferred. Master Zou’s ( Lao Tong Zhi ) team has certainly done a very good job in making this cha bing. This batch was exactly the same one that I tasted in his workshop in Yunnan and when I was converted and decided that I would carry the tea. These years of maturing have most wonderfully brought more depth and body to both the aroma and taste. We have set it at the lower market price available anywhere in the hope that more can experience this amazing tea. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings. If you are interested, a loose leaf Pu'er shengcha also from Pasha is available in the shop: Pasha Old Tree
Net weight per discus: 500 g (17.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Shenshan Laoshu 2012, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 59.00 – $ 374.00Deep Mountain Old Trees
There are harvests from less than famous areas that can be taste worthy. That is why each producer has their own products carrying more generic names as “Deep Mountain Old Trees”, and sell them at much lower price than those with names from more sought after mountains. Some are better value than others. To me, I think this Shenshan Laoshu from Huimin Tea Factory is worth at least three times its ticket value for a body and aroma worthy of a place in the famous mountain rank. It is actually one the best generic name discus we have ever tasted, regardless of the price. One reason they can do that is their collection points spreading deep in Lincang, an area famous for its many famous tea mountains. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Bing Dao 2014, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 81.00 – $ 515.00Stone-pressed first flush from old trees
Old native tea trees populate the rich forests in Lincang, a revered sub-region in Yunnan. Productions from the most famous mountains here almost always come from inside an area called Mengku. One mountain is Bing Dao, which is in fact the name of a lake 1400 meter above sea level. Mountains surrounding this long stretch of water, enriched by the ecology, yield tea leaves rich in minerals and amino acids. Bing Dao is not famous for floral nor fruitiness, but for the power and length of its “cha qi” — tea energy. Tea Hong’s house matured Bing Dao is a top quality representation of the name at an exceptionally friendly price. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster's Box: Shengcha Pu'er Cha Bings.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Jade Orchid, bouquet Phoenix oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 21.40Xue Pian Yu Lan Xiang
One of the most common practices in tea naming in the Fenghuang region is giving a tea the name of the flower which the farmer associates the aroma with. Some of such flowers are fictitious, yet some are real. Like this one, Yu-lan, after the flower tree Magnolia denudata, a.k.a. Yulan magnolia. Jade orchid — as the name "Yulan" is translated — is a tree native to the region where Phoenix is. The tea cultivar itself is relatively new, having been developed locally by a farmer Wei Li Man in the 1980’s. That is why the more popular name for the plant itself amongst local farmers is Li Man zhong, or Li Man’s cultivar. To me, the winter harvest resembles the flower’s aroma more closely so we select only this for Tea Hong’s Jade Orchid. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 32.20Yelai Xiang Dancong
The complex, yet bright and lively floral aroma of this tea is associated with a native flower, yelai xiang, aka Chinese violet. It is a vine yielding light yellow small flowers that are especially fragrant at night, hence the name, yelai xiang — the fragrance that comes in the night, from which we have derived our product name. The plant is native in Guangdong province and neighbouring areas. It is the province where the Phoenix region situates. It has taken us some work to get to Lion Head Peak ( see below for more about the origin ) to acquire this best quality representation of the variety. Please enjoy.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Honey Concubine, deep baked Taiwan oolong
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 23.90Guifei Oolong from Cold Peak
Guifei Oolong ( or Honey Concubine Tea, literally translated ) is a deep-baked, medium oxidation ( 25 ~ 30% ) oolong produced from the Ruan Zhi cultivar in the Dong Ding ( Cold Peak ) area. It is different from the traditional Cold Peak oolong. The leaves of Guifei are bitten by green leafhoppers before plucking. The bug attack triggers a chain of biochemical reactions in the leaves that result in the complex honey notes that typify this tea. It was inspired by the way Oriental Beauty acquires its unique taste profile. However the two teas taste very differently through each’s own unique oolong processing approaches and pluck timing. The tea was invented after the devastation of an earthquake in September 1999, when the farmers had to create more revenue to rebuild their lost homes. «Read more» Fired to perfection by our producer the multiple award-winning tea master Chen Yu Wen, the tea has been aged to perfection at our own den in Hong Kong. Net weight: 70g (2.5oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack -
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Bulang Old Tree 2011, Pu’er shu cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Neutral-Warm Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 40.40 – $ 252.00Stone Mortar Pressed Shu Cha Bing
Post-fermentation in pu’er production is like black tea processing in that it gives sweetness, roundness and body to a tea, although it is a far more specialised, time-consuming and difficult method to master. The result, however, is a shu cha possible of a far more complex and intriguing taste profile. To achieve that, we need to begin with a good raw material. That’s where the old tea tree forests in Bulang Mountain comes in. The diversity in these wild growing trees and the deep rich soils they grow in offer leaves that are not only rich in polyphenols, but also minerals and amino acids that are the prerequisites for an outstanding tea. That is why the subregion is one of the most renowned in Yunnan. Tea Hong has selected a very small workshop who respects the process so much that they even manually compress the post-fermented tealeaves using traditional style stone mortars rather than a pneumatic press. Their mastery results in a very firmly formed cha bing with a deep full body. Presenting Tea Hong’s Bulang Old Tree 2011. Handpicked first flush painstakingly post-fermented for 75 days before compression. Den matured at Tea Hong for those who want a lot from their shu cha pu’er.
There are two product variants to choose from:
A single discus of 357g net weight in the original paper wrap, or a traditional vending form of 7 cha bings bundled in a bamboo sleeve, net weight totalling 2.5 kg.
Please click below to see either options. -
Hong Yu Deep White, deep oxidation Taiwan white tea
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Taiwan, Tea, White teas$ 23.50White tea with a twist
The very same cultivar which leaves that make the black tea, Fragrance of Taiwan — Red Jade — is employed to make this unique white tea. Where the black tea has an upfront distinctive character which tea novices may need time to grow into, the white tea version is a lot friendlier for understanding this wonderful camellia formosenisis species with. Hong Yu Deep White has the light and easy first impression like other white teas, but that will grow in your palate to the roundness of an aged black tea and the floral character of an oolong. An unmistakable gastronomical signature uniquely its own seamlessly holds all elements together as a continuum of olfactory-palatial sensation experience.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Shan Lin Xi, light style Taiwan oolong
Cool Energy, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 21.10From the Stream of Cypress Woods
To most people, teas from Taiwan are synonymous with high mountain oolongs. Officially, these are the four top subregions for the tea: Alishan, Shan Lin Xi, Li Shan, and Yu Shan. We already carry quite a few Alishan’s, to find one from the others, we have been relentlessly searching. It has to be one comparable to those from Alishan but individualistic enough. Shan Lin Xi — literally Stream of Cypress Woods — is an area deep in a national reserve in the mountainous central area of the island country. Two hour driving from the station in the small city of Chia Yi, you will have climbed 1000m on the curvy roads deep in the sparse village areas with dense tall trees and quite many degrees lower than down there. Tea patches are hidden here and there amongst forests, occasional clusters of bamboos and a great diversity of wild plants. The same Chin Hsin Gan Chi cultivar grown here yields leaves that seem to have acquired a different character, a somehow lighter yet more complex, more stimulating tinkle. Previously when I was still operating a teahouse, some customers came to do Zen with tea as the medium. I guess this Shan Lin Xi Oolong can be one for it too.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Shèmen Dancong Double Baked, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 34.00Rock tea of Phoenix
Deep in Wudong, the most revered area for Fenhuang Dancong production, the village of Shèmen ( sheh-mehn ) is home to one of the most elusive traditional style oolongs. Here the Shè ( 畬 ) tribe settled a thousand years ago and began producing oolong to bake it in a way that was copied in Wuyishan a few hundred years later to produce Wuyi oolongs. Tea Hong’s double baked and matured Shèmen Dancong is our best attempt to reconstruct the same tea of the peace-loving and hard-working Shè people 10 centuries ago. This old style oolong gives a clear and most eloquent definition of the tea term yan-yun — music from the rock. The term has been mostly employed to describe better Wuyi oolongs yet it has never been more beautifully defined by this Phoenix tea. If you ever wonder about the relationship of the oolongs between the two regions, this may well be the link you are looking for.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Tongmuguan One, traditional black tea
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Warm Energy, Tea, Wuyi-shan$ 26.90Rare Quality Meizhan Hong Cha
Not many black teas can achieve a smooth and full body. To have a floral, yet warm aroma with spicy sweetness and complexity of dried fruit would be a luxury. Tongmuguan One makes it even better by delivering the whole package with a sophisticated balance and yet subtle uniqueness unfound in its peers. A very limited batch produced in the mecca of xiao zhong gungfu black tea, Tongmuguan, this finely processed leaves of Meizhan is precious not because it is rare, but because it is so demanding to produce to this quality. It is not every year that we can achieve a gem like this.
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$ 21.10the 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: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
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Biluochun Supreme, traditional green tea
Other tea regions, Tea, Green teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Cool Energy$ 34.10The Aromatic Green Snail
These fragrant little leaves are so fluffy that one may want to make a down pillow out of them for sweet dreams every night. However, they are certainly not the softest tasting green tea. A fine Biluochun like Tea Hong’s does have a smooth body but enough character for optimal stimulation. Yet gentle enough to be one’s company throughout the day, even when you are searching deep inside for that piece of critical article you have to write, as those royals or literati did in old Qing China.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Tieguanyin Traditional, bouquet oolong
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Oolongs, Tea$ 26.90Original Tieguanyin Cultivar
To old time aficionados, tieguanyin is not just about floral aroma. They seek yun-wei, which can be roughly translated as “lingering taste of various tones and accents”. For the right yun-wei, we went to the origin of tieguanyin for a fourth generation farm high in altitude. Tea Hong’s Tieguanyin Traditional is produced from a particular patch where only matured shrubs of the thorough-breed cultivar grow and are harvested only once year. This is to ensure maximum amount of taste and salutary substances are stored in the young leaves for subsequent mastery processing for the wonderful lingering taste of various tones and accents. Like a fine old style tieguanyin should be.
Net weight: 100 g (3.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
White Tea of Anji, traditional green tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Tea, Zhejiang$ 24.40The Green Tea that is called White
If a green tea is judged only by how umami it is, a lower grade than Tea Hong’s Anji Baipian* may already top the chart. The grace of this top quality of one of the most sought after name in green teas is not measured only by its savouriness, but its silky smooth and soft body and elegance in its taste character. Perhaps that is why the small county of Anji is never producing enough to satisfy the demand from the growing affluent class in China. That said, it is good to see a small counter trend against the taste of expensive vulgarity in that vast population.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide kraft-alu pack -
Lily Eccentric, Wuyi yancha oolong
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea, Wuyi-shan$ 27.80Wuyi Qi Lan Premium
Originated in the south, Qi Lan cultivars attain new characters growing in the more rugged landscape of Wuyi. Since late last century, traders have taken advantage of its distinctive and pleasing aroma to mislabel it as the much demanded, but hugely misrepresented Red Cloak, Iron Buddha, or other famous Wuyi oolongs. Some blend it in other varieties for the same disguise purpose. Tea Hong’s Qi Lan is a premium single batch production that is optimally fermented and baked to allow the full, glorious taste profile of the tea. Some say if one has not experienced Qi Lan, one will never know what Wuyi teas really are. We’d say this eccentric lily has its unique place in the great family of oolongs. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Huangzhi Xiang Classic, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 27.10Fragrance of Kumquat Fenghuang Dancong
Produced with the leaves from the cousin of our Song Cultivar, Tea Hong’s Huangzhi Xiang Classic is baked with more depth and thus a classic Phoenix oolong finish. Like all other tea of this family, patience and expertise in proper finish-processing and maturing is critical in delivering quality. It is a traditional art that has been largely forgotten. We are bringing it back at Tea Hong. The taste quality of this very Fenghuang Dancong tells you why this heritage matters. It is also the reason one may pay more elsewhere for a tea of the same name, but not quite getting the same level of enjoyment.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Cold Dew Alishan, bouquet Taiwan oolong
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 27.00Winter Chin-shin Oolong
In subtropical Taiwan, the intense humidity that creates the misty atmosphere of Alishan — the tallest mountain in the island nation — dissipates partially when the chill of late Autumn sets in. In October, the sky stays clearer for longer. Little leaves that spout during this time have amply stored up for the few drier months ahead. These are great conditions for oolong harvest and processing. Presenting Cold Dew1 Alishan, masterfully rebaked from the premium Autumn harvest of Chin-shin tea trees. Oolongs made from this quintessential Taiwan wulong cultivar have a few times more teaghrelin2 than any others3, though we hope you buy it more for the great taste of this archetypical Taiwan premium oolong.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow
