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.
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Hong Yu Deep White 2020
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Cool Energy, Taiwan, Tea, White teasWhite 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 (1.3 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
USD 21.40USD 19.20 -
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Shan Lin Xi 2020
Cool Energy, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaFrom 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 packUSD 20.30USD 18.30 -
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Snowy Egret
Cool Energy, Green teas, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Taiwan, TeaBai Lu Green Tea
Most green tea varieties made in Taiwan are processed with an approach so minimalist that the quality of the harvest and the characteristics of the cultivar almost entirely dictate the resultant taste profile. Processing skills are needed there to optimise it but when the weather or harvesting condition are not good, there is not a lot one can do during processing to salvage the quality. In order to deliver the very best representation of what a premium Taiwan green tea can be, we have chosen a flavourful cultivar that many have used to produce black teas and Oriental Beauty with for our green tea: TTES#17*. Tea Hong’s Snowy Egret is made in a specially designated farm from only the first flush of Bai Lu and masterfully handmade by the farm’s owner. Still, a fine harvest like this one in offer cannot be taken for granted every year.
Net weight: 40 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 17.00USD 14.45 -
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Mo Gan Yellow Snails 2020
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Neutral-Cool Energy, ZhejiangRevitalising 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 packUSD 25.00USD 21.25 -
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Dragon Tip 2020
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Green teas, Stronger Tastes, ZhejiangKaihua Longding — 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 bitterness is accented by its sharpness on a bold, full body. After Longjing, of all the other green teas from the Zhejiang region, my personal strongest preference goes to Kaihua Longding. To me it is an alternative to a shot of single malt in a heavy evening, or an afternoon kick of espresso. Its pleasant aftertaste is paralleled by neither. Since encountering the true quality of this tea, I have always wanted to put it in my collection, only to be refrained from extraordinary high asking prices. Genuine ones are rare after all. It has been extremely fortunate, after 13 years, to have located our current farmer willing to sell at this affordable price so we can offer it here to you. Tea Hong’s Dragon Tip is Kaihua Longding at its very best.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 29.70USD 25.25 -
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Shèmen Dancong Double Baked 2016
Fenghuang ( Phoenix ), Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, TeaRock 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 USD 32.30USD 25.84 -
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Longjing in Old Fashioned Wrap 2020
Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Home, Lighter Aromas, Tea, ZhejiangVery limited time preorder only:
We have reserved a small amount of Longjing Spring Equinox to have our old tea master friend to wrap the tea in kraft paper, the old fashioned way. Although the paper material is modernised with lamination for better protection, the look is still what it used to look like when I bought my first authentic Longjing on the shore of West Lake ( Xihu ) in 1980. And the great smell of the dry leaves too. This nostalgic, unique, freshly roasted Longjing olfactory delight. That is why we have not put the batch into cold storage yet. This particular fragrance will be subdued after we do*. So if you’d like to experience that same sensation I had 40 years ago that opened my senses for tea, you have until April 17 to preorder it. This year, our Longjing Spring Equinox was harvested and roasted on March 28. First flush for this authentic original cultivar, unlike all those other early harvest versions.
Net weight: 250 g (8.82 oz) in old-style double kraft wrap USD 138.00USD 110.40 -
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Tongmuguan One
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Warm Energy, Tea, Wuyi-shanRare 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: 80 g (2.8 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 38.80USD 31.04 -
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Alishan Jinxuan Winter 2019
Cold Energy, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, Teathe 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 (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 18.00USD 15.90 -
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King Silver 2010
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, White teasBaihao Yinzhen at its best
If you like Silver Needle for its health benefits, but wish for more taste, King Silver is perhaps the choice. There are a few reasons why this pure leaf shoot white tea has better epicurean appeal:- Traditional processing — it takes more time, more mastery
- Mastery in maturing — not most people in the tea trade know how to mature a white tea like we do
- Special cultivar — we have employed a special cultivar that combines the complexity of a Yunnan Daye and the sweetness of Fuding Dabai to have it grown in Zhenghe, the mecca for old style white tea
- Top quality pluck — only top quality first flush from our specially appointed garden, no blending. Not only does that give a uniform, pleasing visual appeal, but also the fantastic taste that is possible only with such care and dedication.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 21.00USD 16.80 -
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Biluochun Regal 2019
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Green teasGreen Snail Spring Aromatic
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: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 22.10USD 17.68 -
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Tieguanyin Traditional
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, OolongsOriginal 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 packUSD 27.00USD 21.60 -
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White Tea of Anji 2019
Cool Energy, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, ZhejiangThe 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 Kraft-alu packUSD 23.90USD 19.12 -
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Lily Eccentric 2017
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Wuyi-shanWuyi 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.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 23.20USD 18.56 -
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Huangzhi Xiang Classic 2017
Fenghuang ( Phoenix ), Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, OolongsFragrance 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 packUSD 24.80USD 19.84 -
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Meishan Paochong
Cool Energy, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaWinter 2017 Batch
Originally labelled as “Floral Aroma Tea”, Paochong is nowadays produced in many parts of Taiwan and China. However, not all to the subtle, sweet and smooth quality that the original is meant to be. We have combed different regions to find one that is almost comparable to prize winning ones at the origin but at less than one-third the price. Meishan is a region in itself that has all fine oolong production conditions as the origin Wenshan, only not as famous. This tea is for those who appreciate the genuine taste of Paochong but prefer to put off the budget for the subtle finesse of the first prize tea till later.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack USD 10.40USD 8.32 -
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Cold Dew Alishan 2019
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaWinter 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 pillowUSD 25.30USD 20.24 -
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White Shiiba 2017
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Organic teas, Tea, White teasUnique Old Style White Tea from the Himalayas
One does not come upon a tea rare as White Shiiba that often. Intended originally for producing green tea, the small row of Japanese Shiiba tea plants that our producer has successfully planted in his farm in Nepal have acquired a different character from their Kyushu ancestors. Processing the leaves in the traditional white tea fashion is not common in itself in Nepal either. The old way of long wither style is rare, if heard of at all, outside of China. Somehow, through a string of coincidences, this old fashion Fujian processing done on an entirely different cultivar grown 1800 m above and 4000 km west of its origin has resulted in a tea that is simply one of the best tasting, and definitely the most likeable in the entire white tea category.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
USD 29.40USD 23.52
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack 
