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Blue Shiiba, Nepali semi-oolong
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, Organic teas, TeaUSD 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 pillow
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Yiwu Large Leaf 2013, partially post-fermented Pu’er shengcha
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Tea, YunnanUSD 23.00Natural partially post-fermented Pu'er:
Produced using raw material from Yunnan indigenous trunk tea tree and darkened through optimum maturity, Tea Hong’s Yiwu Large Leaf is not only a fine representation of ancient style dark tea, but also a unique gastronomic experience and a great digestive. Because of our proprietary maturing process, its quality compares superlatively against other shengcha well matured for many longer years. A rare quality to impress without depressing the wallet.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Moon Drops Himalayas, deep oxidation Nepali white tea
Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Organic teas, Tea, White teasUSD 28.30When 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 pillow -
White Peony Classic Long, traditional white tea
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, White teasUSD 23.10Zhenghe Mudan Wang
While White Peony from Fuding tastes more floral, that from the other earliest region, Zhenghe, tastes longer and deeper. The more tedious curing process is marked by the darker colors on the leaves. While many prize Silver Needle Supreme for its delicate taste and furry appearance, a superb traditional white tea as White Peony Classic Long delivers a more impressive taste experience. That may explain why this Mudan Wang, aka King of White Peony, is considered the best and most classical representation from the origin, and a favourite by many tea connoisseurs. As most aficionados prefer it, we have always matured this tea adequately before releasing it in the shop. The current stock is a single batch first flush ( i.e. pre-Qing-ming ) harvest from 2019.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Imperial Topaz, matured Nepal hand-rolled black tea
Black teas, Floral Aromas, Home, Milder Tastes, Nepal, the Himalayas, Neutral Energy, Organic teas, TeaUSD 24.80Hand-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 -
King Silver, matured traditional white tea
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, White teasUSD 22.10Baihao 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 pack -
White Peony Zhenghe, traditional white tea
Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, White teasUSD 11.60Browner Style Zhenghe Dabai:
Those who prefer white tea as their daily drink but want a bit more stimulations in taste, White Peony from Zhenghe is a great choice. It is air withered for a longer duration from one of the two classic cultivars, Zhenghe Dabai. The resultant tea tastes slightly sharper and longer than white teas produced from the other classic, Fuding Dabai. White Peony Zhenghe is a fine tea that is most affordably priced.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack -
Raw Reserve 2009, partially post-fermented Pu’er shengcha
Denser Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUSD 11.80Old Style Dark Tea:
Fine pu’er tea produced by darkening shengcha (raw tea, or maocha) naturally through maturity has a distinct and pleasant herbaceous high note. It is a lost art that mass production has come to replace. To deliver the pleasant tasting effect of Tea Hong Raw Reserve requires much specialistic attention in the process that is not common in the trade nowadays. This is what good pu'er used to taste like before controlled post-fermentation.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack -
Wudong Cassia, Phoenix dancong oolong
Fenghuang ( Phoenix ), Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Cool Energy, Oolongs, TeaUSD 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 -
Bing Dao 2014, matured Pu’er shengcha
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUSD 81.00 – USD 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.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz) -
Shenshan Laoshu 2012, matured Pu’er shengcha
Compressed tea, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUSD 59.00 – USD 374.00Deep Mountain Old Trees
There are harvests from less than famous areas that can be taste worthy. That is why each producer has their own products carrying more generic names as “Deep Mountain Old Trees”, and sell them at much lower price than those with names from more sought after mountains. Some are better value than others. To me, I think this Shenshan Laoshu from Huimin Tea Factory is worth at least three times its ticket value for a body and aroma worthy of a place in the famous mountain rank. It is actually one the best generic name discus we have ever tasted, regardless of the price. One reason they can do that is their collection points spreading deep in Lincang, an area famous for its many famous tea mountains.
Net weight per discus: 357 g (12.6 oz) -
Pasha 2013, matured Pu’er shengcha
Compressed tea, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Home, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanUSD 280.00 – USD 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.
Net weight per discus: 500 g (17.6 oz)
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