It would be difficult to name a flower, a fruit or an herb with that seductive fragrance, because this naturally developed aroma from within the tea leaves is unique to each tea as a result of the particular processing style and biochemistry of its cultivar. The only exceptions in this group are the scented teas. Their scents come from fresh flowers.
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Moon Drops Himalayas, deep oxidation Nepali white tea
Tea, White teas, Nepal, the Himalayas, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Organic 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 -
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: -
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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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 -
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 -
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Biluochun Supreme, traditional green tea
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Other tea regions, Tea$ 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 -
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 -
Blue Shiiba, Nepali semi-oolong
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Organic teas, Tea$ 29.90Kyushu 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 -
Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus, traditional flower scented oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Warm Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 23.40Traditional 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 Honey Orchid 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. Extended reading: Scenting of Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus
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$ 25.80Fragrance 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 -
Wudong Cassia, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 30.30Rougui Xiang Dancong
Although the name rougui is the same as that variety from Wuyi, this tea is from a pure breed Fenghuang Dancong Shuixian cultivar. Sexual propagation of tea trees does give happy surprises and this is an example of it. Discovered and isolated in 1970 by a horticulturalist Mr Wei and has maintained a low profile to avoid unneeded trouble during the height of Cultural Revolution, the cultivar Fenghuang Rougui Xiang Dancong is only gradually picking up attention recently. Not all farmers are doing it right. It is a slow growing tea and only one harvest per year. We think every leaf is worth the search.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 52.90A very special Huangzhi Xiang
Cutting away from the main trail towards the more visited Zhongxin Yin and Lizai Ping, hidden away behind a spur, there is this tiny secluded enclave in Wudong by the name of Danhu. As the mecca of Fenghuang Dancong, where the oldest form of oolong is the de facto tea to produce, Wudong is one of the major mounts of the Phoenix Mountains. Outside of the 7 major villages listed administratively, there are actually many other small areas where a few or even a couple of households make up a small tea haven of their own. Shaded on the north of the dark rock mountain, it is cool here even at 4 pm on a summer day. The tea forests here are mostly bushes 2 to 3 meters tall. Occasional 3 to 5 meter ones, each occupying a circular clearing around them, growing gloriously with their wide-spread crowns. Tiny patches of vegetables grown here and there under tea trees. The few families here have been tea farmers since their grandfathers remembered. As to when the old bush for our Song Cultivar have been here, no one can really tell.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Big White, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 17.50Fenghuang Da Baiye:
Produced using a Phoenix native cultivar Da Baiye ( i.e. Big White Leaf ), and has certain taste similarity as the rarer Song Cultivar Huangzhi Xiang, this tea is popular amongst traders for use as a substitute for the pricier label. Tea Hong’s top quality selection, Big White is certainly a good demonstration of how this tea can fool the lesser experienced connoisseurs. That said, however, the trained tongue can certainly tell it is a fine tea on its own for the uniqueness in its floral aroma, silky texture and soft, smooth body.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Honey Orchid Supreme, classic Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 35.80Old Bush Milan Xiang:
For real aficionados who would not be satisfied until they have discovered a deeper depth, a rounder fullness and a more lingering sweetness, we’d go overboard to offer the extreme. Rarest small batches of leaves from special bushes individually processed only by top masters. Such as this supreme quality Milan Xiang Dancong. For those who demand more potential from the leaves for fulfilling their infusion skills. For thirsty souls seeking a moment of tranquility in the depth of the tinkling after-sweetness of Honey Orchid Supreme.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
