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Floral Pomelo, bouquet style Fenghuang dancong oolong
Cool Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, Tea$ 30.00鳳凰單欉 鳳西柚花香
Genuine Yòu Huāxiāng — Fragrance of Pomelo Blooms — is not an easy to offer variety of dancong simply because it takes not only skills and experience to produce well, but also another key factor that is impossible to control — the weather. Ample sunshine before and after the harvest for proper sun-withering is critical for forming its unique, and mesmerising, aroma and palatial accents that echo the tea’s legendary pomelo and honey floral characters. (more similar details in Old Bush Zhilan) Tea Hong’s bouquet style Phoenix oolong Floral Pomelo has been given a further round of light baking and resting for a deeper, more engaging taste, like it used to be.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Old Bush Zhilan, bouquet dancong
Cool Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, Tea$ 42.30鳳凰烏崠、丹湖老欉芝蘭香
From the same small farm that produces our beloved Danhu Old Bush Song Cultivar, old Master Lin tends three venerable bushes that his father planted in his youth, now about 80 years old, crafting from them a seductively fragrant Zhilan Xiang. As a dancong bush gains age in its natural environment, the tea from its leaves has the potential for greater complexity taste and aroma. This is a distinctive trait of this oldest form of oolong. That is one reason harvests from older bushes are keenly sought after by connoisseurs. For a bouquet dancong, however, achieving perfection depends not only on the terroir and the mastery of processing but also on the precise weather and leaf condition at harvest. Unlike classic dancong, where there are a few more steps in which the tea master has some room to compensate for less-than-ideal circumstances, the fewer steps and shorter time in bouquet-style processing has less margin for error note. That means some years are distinctively better than others. That is why for a harvest as nearly perfect as this one, it is a blessing.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Fengxi Old Ginger, classic Fenghuang dancong oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 32.80鳳西 老欉薑母香
Tea Hong's Fengxi Old Ginger offers a floral, fruity profile with a ginger tone, and even a tiny hint of that spicy bite. Its elegant bouquet is luxuriously rich and complex, yet intricate and delicate. This distinctive olfactory presence and its intriguing gingery zest make the tea a unique choice in the classic style Phoenix oolong line up. Jiangmu Xiang, as the tea is called in the romanisation of the original name, has a slightly different origin too: about 10min on the motorbike to the east of Wudong — the Mecca of Fenghuang dancong — in the area of Fengxi, where the original 200+year-old tree has been propagated to the hundreds of production ones. Newer ones are now found elsewhere but we stay with the older clones which yields can give deeper and fuller characteristics of the tea. Like all our classic style Phoenixes, the tea has been rested a few months after harvest before the finishing rebake, and then matured amply before release, as in the proper old tradition.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
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Uji Gyokuro Yayoinoin, national competition production
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, TeaPrice range: $ 33.20 through $ 57.90品評会出品 宇治玉露 弥生の韻
In their small but well organised production workshop in Uji, Master Yoshida and his team carefully sample taste each batch of tea throughout its production process. It is his own reputation that is at stake. As a multiple award winning 16th generation gyokuro master, pursuit for quality is the only way to maintain this honour, and that of his family name. Only the best first flush leaves are selected for processing in this highly specialised workshop. Each step of the processing is monitored and adjusted on the spot for maximising the taste quality. Differences in the weather throughout the growth of the harvest and even the picking time and conditions affect the biochemistry of the leaves. For a green tea, this directly affects the final taste. Adding one degree in heating or a few minutes of baking to optimise the potential of each batch of leaves can therefore mean whether the tea will be good or distinctively superb. Tea Hong’s Uji Gyokuro Yayoinoin is one of these ultimate quality, limited quantity batches hand-rolled by the Master himself, and that we have secured before the annual tea competition. (We wouldn’t be able to offer it if we buy it afterward when it wins. Domestic demand for an award tea is huge even when the price skyrockets upon winner declaration.)
Available in 25g (0.88oz) in a double lidded tin, or in 60g (2.1oz) in a kraft-alu pillow pack. Please click below to choose. -
GABA Bouquet, a special white tea
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Organic teas, Taiwan, Tea, White teas$ 20.40天然培育 伽瑪芳香白茶
A very rare white tea
Mr Yu rarely wears shoes and walks in his little tea fields barefooted. He loves the contact with the soil that he keeps so naturally fertile, and uncontaminated. So much so that we smell the sweetness walking into his garden. He brews his own fertilisers and devises various ways of natural pest control. He is so into natural farming that a national university has setup quite a few joint projects with him. He totally worships Nature but his hobby is mechanical engineering. He proudly showed me the GABA deoxygenation tank that he modified and explained to me how it is better in processing the tea. Tea Hong’s GABA Bouquet is an invention by him. I have yet to find another tea with this kind of fruity bouquet, smoothness and even a good umami tone. He tried quite a few times before arriving at this distinctive taste quality. This is a rare batch and we can only restock when everything will work the same in the next production. It’s all dependent on Nature after all.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Wide kraft-alu pack -
North Peak, deep baked Taiwan oolong
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Warm Energy, Oolongs, Organic teas, Taiwan, Tea$ 25.10天然培育 深焙北山武夷烏龍
A Wuyi reborn in Taiwan
In Taiwan, besides the famous tea mountain of Dong Ding (Cold Peak), there are actually many other areas where the horticultural conditions are good for finer tea production. Such as the Bei Shan (i.e. North Peak) area that is has an 1,100m altitude and near the centre of the whole Taiwan Island, in Nantou County. The Tsai family does not have the resources to get an international organic certification, but they run the farm according to organic practices with the help of the local university, much like Master Yu who makes our GABA teas. Tea Hong’s North Peak is an oolong optimally deep baked for aroma and caramelisation. It is produced by the Tsai family using a Wuyi Shuixian cultivar that is localised and quite different from any Wuyi oolongs from Wuyi. You will find it softer and slightly sweeter. Interestingly, that is very much a Taiwan style, gentler in every way.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow 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 -
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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$ 29.30चाँदीको चाँदी हिमालय
When 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$ 32.70明前極品 竹葉青頂
Zhuye 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
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Bai Hua Shu 2012, shengcha Pu’er maocha
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 33.80一年一採 百花樹
One Hundred Flower Trees
Going pass the famous Jingmai tea region and deep into the rocky mountains of Lancang Lahu, 1800m above sea level into the turf of the Haqniq ( aka Hani ) tribes, enter the ancient hermit village of One Hundred Flower Trees ( hence the name Bai Hua Shu ). The tougher climate here maybe a little too rough for domesticated tea cultivars, so only indigenous tea trees grow here, and they are really old. The locals say all are at least 200 hundred years. They are harvested only once a year for their first flush. The fresh tea is always very potent. We have matured it for over 10 years to make sure their beautifully tamed characters can be well manifested in your cup.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide 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, YunnanPrice range: $ 280.00 through $ 1,813.00老同志 名山系列 2013 帕沙古樹
Zou 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, YunnanPrice range: $ 81.00 through $ 515.002014 冰島古樹
Stone-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 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: -
Aura of the Night, bouquet Phoenix oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Tea$ 33.20鳳凰單欉 獅頭 夜來香
Yelai 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 -
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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Bang Xie Maocha 2007, Pu’er shengcha
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Tea, Yunnan$ 24.30珍藏明前 邦協藤條茶
Whipping Rattan Tea
In historical herbal literature, tea is referred to as bitter, “extremely cold” to the body constituents, but effectively detoxicating. That basically is what is the raw tea leaf. While green tea is cooked, and most white tea is from plants that are severely tamed through breeding, Pu’er maocha maybe the closest thing one can get commercially nowadays for what the ancients had referred to. Yet in order to offer a tea that is taste worthy, we have to find plants that are strong and soil that is rich to provide that potential. And dry those leaves from the first flush and age them well to round off all the edges and deepen the tastes. A Whipping Rattan Tea bush is such pruned that buds just flush in the tips of its few branches. All the plant’s nutrients are thus focused in these few young leaves. We think that would be good raw material for us to process and age. Presenting the very special Whipping Rattan Bang Xie Maocha, aged since 2007. A unique Pu’er tea in every way.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack -
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Old Comrade “7548” 2007, matured Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanPrice range: $ 52.10 through $ 347.002007 老同志 7548 陳年普洱生茶餅
45 years of refined tea mastery
When I first entered Zao Bing Liang’s tasting room, the air is filled with the freshness of the aroma of maocha. Bags of samples from newly collected loose leaves lined up in rows, each marked with a numeric code. The teas were trucked in from the various mountains in the region. Some maybe less than 30 minutes away, others can be a full day. Yunnan is over 10% larger even than the whole of Germany and tea trees exist in almost all of its mountains. Some of these maochas are from highly sought after famous villages or mountains, which will be individually made into products carrying their origin names to demand very high market prices. A new discus from Ban Zhang, for example, can easily be fetching thousands of dollars. Aged ones are even much pricier. Yet there are more others from not as highly demanded origins, but also taste worthy. That’s where Zao’s “formulae” come in. Since the 1970’s, the old master has developed a number of recipes for ganging up harvests from origins of lesser known names for more affordable delicious teas. 7548 is the code name for his most prized and classic shengcha formula. These bags of samples in lines were there for the old master to finalise which batches and what proportion for the mix. He does that every harvest, for every product. Presenting the 7548 cha bing from Lao Tong Zhi ( ie Old Comrade ), Master Zao’s very own tea brand. Batch 701 is the first batch of year 2007. That means the best of the year and matured till now. It is a prime product of old Master Zao’s passion for bringing quality to more people without the price tag of premium origin labels.
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.
