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.
- Sale
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 packUSD 32.30USD 25.84 - Sold out
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 wrapUSD 138.00USD 110.40 - Sale
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 - Sold out
Alishan Jinxuan 2018
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: 130 g (4.6 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
USD 25.90USD 20.72 - Sale
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 - Sale
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 - Sale
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 - Sale
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 - Sale
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 - Sold out
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 - Sold out
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 packUSD 10.40USD 8.32 - Sale
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 - Sale
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 packUSD 29.40USD 23.52 - Sale
Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus 2017
Fenghuang ( Phoenix ), Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Warm Energy, Oolongs, TeaTraditional basket oven scented
For those who prefer finer tea tastes on top of real flower fragrance in their scented teas, Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus is an ultimate choice. Freshly picked osmanthus flower buds are sprinkled onto a thin layer of fine Phoenix oolong in a bamboo basket over low charcoal ash fire. The same way as this has been done for centuries. The result is a natural, sweet, sensually aromatic epicurean experience few other scented teas can compare. Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 20.10USD 16.08 - Sold out
Serene Water Pearl Tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Tea, ZhejiangPing Shui Zhu Cha:
Back-track 3 centuries to when Qing China was still grand and tea was a respectable drink, zhu cha ( pearl tea ) from Ping Shui — the town of Serene Water — approached the price of gold when auctioned in London. As popularity grew, compromised products took over the market and resulted in those greyish bad taste that is known as “gunpowder” today. Tea Hong revives the original sweet tasting jewel of green teas in the same revered and enjoyable quality in the cups of the gentiles in both East and West in the good old days, but at a far more democratically accessible price. Net weight: 60 g (2.1 oz) in Kraft-alu pillowUSD 9.30USD 7.44 - Sale
Iron Buddha Supreme 2018
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, Tea, Warm Energy, Wuyi-shanBamboo Forest Tiě Luohan:
Overshadowed by the more promoted Red Cloak, Iron Buddha ( Tiě Luohan ) is actually as taste-worthy, if not more, than any of the so-called “famous” Wuyi oolongs. It is not proven that whether it is the oldest oolong cultivar in Wuyi as they say, but it is certainly one that is not the easiest to cultivate and to produce from. Finding a farmer to process it to the taste profile that befits its legend and our quality demand has been a challenge. It took us 15 years. Presenting Tea Hong’s Iron Buddha Supreme, with that complex charcoal finish yet sweet floral aroma, stout yet lingering “rock tea” taste, delivered gently in a well-balanced infusion in a civilised way. This could very well be the only traditional style Wuyi that any connoisseur would fall in love with. Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 25.20USD 20.16 - Sale
Red Jade 2016
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Taiwan, TeaFragrance of Taiwan:
Deep in the mountains away from the tourist infested Sun Moon Lake, small tea bushes tidily populate small patches of rectangles between wild forrest and various orchards. A cross between Burma and a native wild tea, this Hong Yu cultivar, born right here in 1999, shines with a vibrant young green. It dominates the ambience with a smell that is both fresh and spicy. Farmers here still process black tea in small batches in the old fashioned way, though with the aid of a few new technologies for monitoring. Red Jade — the Fragrance of Taiwan — has to be so processed to that distinctive floral yet spicy aroma, minty and complex taste on a smooth body to be worthy of name. Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 22.80USD 18.24 - Sale
Imperial Topaz 2016
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Home, Milder Tastes, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral Energy, Organic teas, TeaHand-rolled Himalayan Tips:
Although tea from this part of the world has not been best known for smoothness, there can be exceptions provided that there is the proper knowledge and experience. Together with the work of Nature. Imperial Topaz is such a tea. Hand-rolled and masterfully processed for a soft and round profile yet rich with the distinctive mineral accents representative of the region, the bright orange infusion delivers what is best from the Himalayas coupled with the modesty and gentleness of a Chinese black. Imperial Topaz is not only a gem of Nepali tea, but also an example of what can be achieved when we tea people share and work together across boundaries. Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu packUSD 19.90USD 15.92
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
