Neutral energy teas are more suitable for very general use and for the broadest range of physical conditions.
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FIR Boucha, far-infrared roasted petiole houjicha
Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral Energy, Tea$ 16.80遠赤外線焙煎 深煎り棒茶
An old style petiole tea much elevated using modern technology
Much like roasting green coffee beans to give a warm, brown liquor, a houjicha is a green tea that is deep roasted. Unlike in China or Taiwan, where a large variety of oolongs and black teas are there readily to choose from for deep baking or roasting, producers in Japan mostly have only green tea to work with. While it sounds straight forward, to find one which taste is respectable is not easy. The very brittle nature of Japanese green tea leaves will become ash when deep roasted. Often larger, older and underprocessed leaves are used and the final quality reflects that. There is one kind of houjicha, however, that caught our attention: that from purely tea petioles — Boucha. Much like in our Karigane where the relative higher cellulose and carbohydrate contents in the petioles gives a sweeter and a relatively more complex dimension, this far infrared deep roasted version of purely small leaf stalks does have a pleasantly warm and tidily intact taste profile. My first encounter with something similar was a small cup served after a luxurious crab kaiseki meal in a pristinely beautiful traditional formal style restaurant. It was quite an impressive surprise. To me, this easy going tea doesn’t have to be enjoyed only after an expensive meal. It can be easily infused using a hot or cold infusion method and it is quite forgiving of irregularities. It suits a lot of occasions where tea is a complement. And it is a nice one.
Net weight: 40g (1.4oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Phoenix Petioles 1988, matured leaf stalk oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 20.10私藏 陳年鳳凰莖茶
Phoenix tea farmers’ tea
In Phoenix, before a tea goes through the last round of baking to be ready for consumption, it is sorted manually to get rid of the leaf stalks (i.e. petioles), broken leaves, and other leaves that are not as nicely rolled or processed as the others (aka Yu Ye). The producer retains such “refuse”, rebakes it and keep it for personal use or give it out to their neighbours and relatives. They call it cha tou or thê-tao in the local language, as in “Tea Head”*. Provided the right quality, the taste of thê-tao, despite their irregularity in appearance, is actually sweeter and softer than the leaf tea from the same plant and a lot more flexible and tolerant with brewing mistakes. Presenting Tea Hong’s Phoenix Petioles 1988, a thê-tao collected between 1985 to 1988 by our top Phoenix producer. Because of the decades long maturity given onto the tea, it exhibits a post-fermentation characteristics somewhat alike those of finer shu cha Pu’ers — earthy, woodsy, herbal and pacifyingly herbal sweet, combined with an underlying and unmistakable matured Phoenix undertone. A unique taste experience unlike anything else.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Honey Orchid XO 1992, matured Phoenix Dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 27.80特醇鳳凰單樅 陳年蜜蘭香
A local tea master's special reserve
In the Phoenix Mountain area, where some superrich and those in powerful positions would send their chauffeurs to collect teas from certain tea farms at hundreds of thousands per kilo even when the tea is barely baked after processing, there are certain farmers whose own personal tea is never this “fresh”. They actually store their tea in tight tins for many years before opening it again for their own private enjoyment. This practice is more common amongst older farmers, and in other oolong regions as well. It is believed that Phoenix oolongs having been matured for decades are friendlier to the stomach. Although they would not be as as bright, floral or vibrant as younger ones, they are overall a lot more soothing, calming and indeed, comforting. Tea Hong’s Honey Orchid XO (Extra Old) 1992 delivers a much softer, smoother body with that signature honey sweetness but in the warm humbleness akin to a very fine shu cha Pu’er. If the other fresher Honey Orchid we offer is a Van Gogh, this XO version is a Rothko, metamorphically speaking*.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Mini Tuo 2018, shu cha pu’er
Compressed tea, Denser Aromas, Neutral Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 10.30老同志 棗香迷你小沱茶（熟茶）
A single dose, easy tasting post-fermented tea
Take these little studs to the dimsum restaurant for a real cup of tea to go with those savoury morsels. Or on a trip, or any place where you may make tea only in a mug, or even in a thermo flask. Because of its convenient form of package, there are countless makes of mini tuo in the market. Of all those we have screened, Haiwan’s Old Comrade has always come out as the best in taste. This compact 5 gram single dose yields a sweet, round body with surprisingly fullness. More so considering the very friendly price.
Net weight: approx 120 g (4.2 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Ying Hong Nine, traditional black tea
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Other tea regions, Tea$ 20.80廣東英德春茶 英紅九號
Prodigy Black Tea of Yingde
Although the ancestry of cultivar Ying Hong #9 was taken from the rugged mountains of Yunnan 60 years ago, the tea tree has acquired a very different characteristics in the much milder climate on the rolling hills of middle Guangdong. However, not all farms are able to produce a warm sweet black tea with a rich and smooth body as Tea Hong’s Ying Hong Nine. This patiently withered and oxidised selection is processed in the Guangdong style and optimally baked for its creamy characteristics and fruity accents. A prize-winning quality at great value.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Honey Concubine, medium deep baked Taiwan oolong
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 26.90私藏 文火深焙 蜜香貴妃
Guifei Oolong from Cold Peak
Guifei Oolong ( or Honey Concubine Tea, literally translated ) is a medium 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» Baked to perfection by our producer the multiple award-winning tea master Chen Yu Wen, the current batch is certainly one of the best we have ever had from her. Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack
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Shèmen Dancong Double Baked, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 34.00文火深焙 老樹輋門單欉
Rock 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 -
Lily Eccentric, Wuyi yancha oolong
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea, Wuyi-shan$ 27.80珍藏 慧苑奇蘭
Wuyi 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 -
Red Jade, Taiwan TTES#18 black tea
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Taiwan, Tea$ 25.80特級臺灣香 魚池紅玉
Fragrance of Taiwan:
Deep in the mountains away from the tourist infested Sun Moon Lake, small tea bushes tidily populate small patches of land between tall pines, wild trees and steep slopes. A cross between Burma and a native wild tea, this Hong Yu cultivar, born right here in Yu Chi in 1999, shines with a vibrant deep 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: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Imperial Topaz, matured Nepal hand-rolled black tea
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Milder Tastes, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral Energy, Organic teas, Tea$ 25.80टपबोग रातो
Hand-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 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 -
Premodern Peony, deep oxidation white tea
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Neutral Energy, Tea, White teas$ 16.70政和原生菜茶、古方貢眉
Zhenghe Old Style White Tea:
Before there were the Dai Bai cultivars for the modern White Peony, it had first been indigenous Cai Cha for producing white teas in Fujian. A lesser looking tea plant but capable of a deeper and rounder taste profile, such sexually propagated tea bushes still exist today. Presenting Tea Hong’s very own Premodern Peony — patiently processed like it used to be a century ago, and matured to our tea master’s personal liking. All the wholesomeness of white tea with a fine taste that you can keep drinking throughout the day.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide kraft-alu pack -
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Alishan Guanyin, deep baked Taiwan oolong
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 28.80阿里山 細火慢焙 正欉觀音
Slow Baked Tieguanyin:
Over a century of development since transplanting to Taiwan, tieguanyin produced in the emerald island is quite different from its cousin in Mainland China. Not only has the cultivar evolved differently, but also the more authentic technique with which it is produced. Tea Hong’s Alishan Guanyin has a fuller and smoother taste profile. Its distinction is possible through the finesse in its slow baking. Master Chen, who bakes also our Cold Peak, has elevated the processing into an art of leaves and fire.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Keemun Snails, traditional black tea
Black teas, Huangshan & Anhui, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral Energy, Tea$ 26.10祁門珍品紅香螺
Fragrant Curls:
If you prefer a simpler taste profile than our Keemun Traditional Supreme, but want to enjoy the character of a Keemun black tea, Keemun Snails maybe the one tea for you. Slightly sweeter and lighter than the former, these tightly rolled tiny little swirls releases a gently warm and yet floral and sweet aroma to help you slowly start off your day, or move it along. Deliciously different from the bitterness of many other blacks, the fine taste from these wriggles maybe a pleasant twist from your previous perceptions of this beverage category.
Net weight: 80 g (2.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
GABA Orange Extra, de-oxygenised oxidation Taiwan oolong
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 28.80精選南投 橙韻伽瑪烏龍
Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Enriched
There maybe a few other options of GABA tea out there, but to produce one that is fine tasting as well as organic requires real experience, dedication and stringent process management. Presenting GABA Orange from Nantou, Taiwan. Our answer to those of you wanting naturally formed GABA from a nice tasting oolong, with that touch of orange wonderfully developed in the tealeaves themselves. Nature always has surprises for us. We just have to work with it to make it happen. ( What is GABA? )
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Bada 2011, Pu’er shu cha
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral Energy, Pu'er teas, Tea, Yunnan$ 26.70巴達深山、賀松圓熟
Traditional Premium Shu Cha :
At 1800 m elevation, the temperature difference between day and night can easily be over 15°C even on a hot summer day. That is deep in the mountains in He Song of the Bada region in Xishuangbanna. Leaves grow much slower here, accumulated in them a little bit more plant protein, and the rich minerals from the pristine mountain soils. We pick whole sun-withered leaves from these native tea trees to process and mature into our premium grade shu cha pu’er. Presenting Bada, possibly the richest, deepest, and yet roundest post-fermented tea there is.
Net weight: 120 g (4.2 oz) in Kraft-alu pack