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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 -
Ise Gyokuro Chikusen
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Tea$ 37.30伊勢 逸品玉露 竹仙
Compared to Uji or even Kyushu, the region of Mie is much less talked about as one of the first major tea production areas in Japan. Yet it is still as important a source for high end classical Japanese green tea. Many big brands come here to OEM their products, some even claiming them as from some other more popularly known origins*. That is why we buy directly from the producers here. It is quality that matters to us after all. We have screened the best tasting teas for our offers and Tsutsumi sensei's teas most often come up on top. I guess he was not buffing when he said, “the demand is getting crazy…” Tea Hong’s Ise Gyokuro Chikusen is Tsutsumi sensei's top quality green tea from this most sought after production farm in Mie. In Japan, teas from Mie and neighbouring areas are generally referred to as Ise teas. We follow that local practice. The soft, supple, umami and slightly floral characteristics of a good value gyokuro like this is an optimum choice for receiving guests of all levels of tea appreciation skills, or for that special tranquil moment that you can retreat your overloaded mind to.
Net weight: 60g (2.1oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
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 -
Kabusecha Gyousei, shade grown green tea
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Japan, Lighter Aromas, Tea$ 18.80伊勢かぶせ茶 暁星
If a traditional style sencha is a little too brisk for you but you feel needing a bit more zest than a gentle gyokuro, try a kabusecha — a tea made from shaded grown bushes much like a gyokuro, although shaded only for half the time. That gives you less of that extra umami, and relatively more of those tea polyphenols for that slight bite and a little more refreshing sensation that you maybe after. Tea Hong’s Kabusecha Gyousei is a top quality selection of this variety. It is produced by Yoshie san’s farm, the same that gives us Ise Gyokuro Mugetsu. Their farm is one of the best in that region, which is popular in the tea trade for shaded grown tea for the production of gyokuro, kabusecha and tencha for producing matcha.
Net weight: 60g (2.1oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Moss Island 2018, shengcha Pu’er maocha, pu-erh
Cold Energy, Fuller Bodies, Home, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 21.30明前冰島 正宗勐庫大葉生茶
Bing Dao Maocha
Leaves from Bing Dao look definitively different as from, say, those of Pasha. It is a different variety of Yunnan Da Ye tea tree1 — Mengku Da Ye (Mengku Big Leaf), that differentiates itself not only with the larger leaf size, but also an accent of crispy sweetness. It is believed that Bing Dao — Island of Moss2 — is the birthplace of the tea tree variety. Variants and cultivars of Mengku Da Ye are used popularly in the county of Mengku3 for both black and pu'er tea production. Some say it began in late 15th century when a governor asked locals to plant 200 seeds here to start tea production. That would become the tens of thousand in this area where the Mengku variety is found to be genetically the most pure. Less than 20% of variation in their DNA, quite impressive for over 500 years of unmanaged sexual propagation in the wild. I think this batch is exceptional in manifesting the characteristics of this unique tea tree. It is a premium harvest. If you are interested, compare this loose leaf form with the compressed form » Bing Dao 2014 that is also available at Tea Hong.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack
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Lao Ban Zhang 2016, aged Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanPrice range: $ 64.40 through $ 408.002016 老班章 頭春青餅
Renowned origin harvest by a small producer
Lao Ban Zhang is one of the, if not the most sought after origin for premium pu’er. Rather like pursuing a rare wine, people don’t expect a sweet or easy palatial experience but one with character and strength. The tea is known for its long lasting linger. Some refer to it as “cha qi”. A really good one from the “old estate” costs a crazy fortune nowadays. Yet one from a good fringe area by a small workshop can be a lot more accessible. Let us know how you like this compared with other pu’ers.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
Bulang Peacock 2018, aged Pu’er shengcha cha bing
Compressed tea, Cool Energy, Fuller Bodies, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanPrice range: $ 39.00 through $ 238.00永明 2018 布朗孔雀
A Xishuangbanna classic
Some believe that tea originated in an area bordering Yunnan, Laos and Myanmar. Bulang Mountain lies in the middle of that within the province of Yunnan on the southern tip of an area called Xishuangbanna. Shengcha from this area is rich with flavours and not overtly strong. We have picked a good value production as an optional entry point for exploring this category of tea. Southern Yunnan is also home to the peacock, the beautiful bird that the indigenous tribes love as a symbol of grace and peace. A good tea is exactly that.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz)
Please choose if you'd like a single discus or the whole stack: -
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 -
Huo Shan Yellow Tips, traditional yellow tea
Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Huangshan & Anhui, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, Yellow teas$ 24.80明前正品 霍山黃芽
Renaissance of a millennium old tribunal yellow tea
For the same refreshing, cleansing sensation as the finest Huangshan Maofeng, ample green tea’s health constituents, yet with the absence of astringency, a yellow tea like Huo Shan Huang Ya ( i.e. Yellow Tips ) is a best choice. This superb first flush selection is produced almost like a Maofeng green tea but lightly oxidised by covering the tea when it is still very warm during processing. The heat converted some of the leaf constituents into simpler sugars. This particular step gives a softer, sweeter and much easier taste but as delightfully quenching and more body. The concept of this technique has been millennium old, yet it is only in recent years that really fine tasting products become available and accessible. Distinctive as Tea Hong’s Huo Shan Yellow Tips is still rare.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Yiwu Maocha 2017, Pu’er shengcha
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, Yunnan$ 13.90雨前 易武毛茶
Famous Origin
It is said that the indigenous people in Yiwu Mountain began using tea for its medicinal purposes in the third century. The cure would soon became a beverage habit and later a trading commodity. Regardless of history, Yiwu is indeed one of the most renowned region in Yunnan for the tea’s fragrance. We have discovered a great value batch to share with you for a taste of this character without the usual unreal price tag. By design, there are three relatively younger teas in this Puer Maocha series and this is one of them. Some people like their maocha fresher, while others prefer it aged. Compare and see which kind you prefer!
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, YunnanPrice range: $ 40.40 through $ 252.00茶香行私藏 2011 布朗古樹茶
Stone 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. -
Sold out
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. -
Hong Yu Deep White, deep oxidation Taiwan white tea
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Cool Energy, Taiwan, Tea, White teas$ 23.50臺灣本土育種 深造青白茶紅玉
White 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 -
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Snowy Egret, Taiwan green tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Home, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Taiwan, Tea$ 17.90鳳凰春茶 鴨屎香單欉
Bai 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 (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Winter Alishan Jinxuan, bouquet style Taiwan oolong
Cold Energy, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, Tea$ 22.10阿里山冬茶 金萱烏龍
the 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 (2.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow -
Biluochun Supreme, traditional green tea
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Other tea regions, Tea$ 35.90明前上品 碧螺春
The Aromatic Green Snail
These fresh smelling 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 pillow
