Leo is the TEA Man Leo is the TEA Man. His Knowledge is beyond compare and he is dedicated to his cause of helping us all understand and appreciate the many nuances and attributes of tea.. He is the creator and founder of the Ming Cha brand.
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Leoš Wolny
Really the top Your shop is really the top between all tea shops. If I could I would like to run tea shop in the same style and professional level like Tea Hong.
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Carlos Jorge Higuchi
Just like high end Japanese sake A company that has the highest quality product control and information available of product Origen and rating. just like high end Japan sake and high end food and beverage. tea Hong and its owner Leo Kwan is head and shoulders in the Chinese tea world. It is a good as it gets. truly recommend trying the Teas carefully following instruction in making the best tea infusion possible. the Tea alone is not enough to make a great tea experience. Water and its temperature, tea pot,tea cup,technical skill in pouring the water in the tea pot. But most important is the heart and energy of the person while handling the infusion. tea Hong has taught me all this.
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Matthew Grohne
Especially Phoenix oolong One of my favorite places to buy tea, especially Phoenix oolong (though the Laos Shengcha, now out of stock, is also one of my favorite teas overall). Excellent quality and service every time.
A source that I trust for pure, authentic tea Definitely impressed with the speed and quality of service. The tea I received was vibrant and fresh, with strong aroma. Some sites offer a large selection, and you have to try to find the good ones. Tea hong offers a well curated selection, taking out the guesswork. Bottom line: This is a source that I trust for pure, authentic tea.
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Thuha Pham
Convenient way of bringing the tea dream to Canada An amazing teashop! The reason I'm skeptical of online tea shops is because of quality and you cannot taste the teas beforehand. But I have gained a unique trust with the vendor, and figured what lines are more suitable for me. Might I recommend the Phoenix line and puer line. The price beats all and the shipping and customer service is exceptional. I cannot wait for more high quality gems this year from teahong. The only thing is how they sell out to fast, and minor bugs for the site bit nevertheless phenomenal for online quality. *Side note: I haven't learned from a tea master as great as Leo before, his knowledge is amazing and his insight about the market is outstanding. May I commend him on his work as I know this is a smaller part of his latter career. I have learned things that no amount of my shenzhen tea friends could've taught me. Thank you teahong for making my tea collection larger with some fine selections, you've brought a convenient way of bringing the tea dream to Canada. So much easier than carrying kilos all the way from China by hand as I do now. 🙂
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Patricio Hurtado Escobar
Really hard to get better teas than this Teahong has been the major source of my own tea consumption. It's really hard to get better teas than this ones. My favourites: dancong oolongs.
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Lisa Rogers
Some of the best dancong you can get Some of the best dancong you can get your hands on abroad! Plus Siu (their customer service rep) is amazingly helpful and friendly. They offer regular sales to help make their high quality products within reach when you want to get yourself a treat, and their lower priced offers are still quite tasty! My only complaint is: stuff goes out of stock so quickly! I guess rare and precious things are very limited in quantity... but there are so many offerings I oogle and want to try someday when they are in stock.
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Tony de Jasay
I have never been disappointed Tea Hong Oolongs are of a very high standard. So is the service, though the postal charges are a burden to a UK resident. I have never been disappointed, except by the withdrawal of the Phoenix Osmanthus from their range! Phoenix Classic is even part of the family arsenal when fighting of a cold! And thank you for the interesting articles and photos.
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Frankee Muller
I have been reading Leo Kwan's Tea Guardian website for years. Every time I have a question about tea he is the first source I go to. I was thrilled when he launched Tea Hong because I knew he would only carry the best of the best teas, and I was not disappointed. Customer service is excellent in every way. The teas are expertly packaged so as to arrive in perfect condition. Superior quality Tea Hong's mantra.
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NN
the very best, without a doubt I've consumed more than 1,000 different teas from over 100 vendors during the past 20+ years, and in my opinion it doesn't get much better than Tea Hong. Not only is this entire catalog curated and selected to be among the finest teas available anywhere in the world, but the level of detail that goes into both this website and Leo's other website (Tea Guardian) is a reflection of how passionate Leo is about educating tea drinkers around the world.
This entire catalog is curated and selected to be among the finest teas available anywhere in the world - and if you're looking for Phoenix Mountain oolongs, look no further, Leo has put together the absolute best that any connoisseur could ever wish for. The price to quality ratio is unbeatable and the flavor profiles are exquisite beyond belief. I never knew such gastronomic qualities could be achieved at such reasonable price points... Tea Hong truly is the mecca for Fenghuang oolong.
Across the full range of offerings, the attention to subtle nuances is unparalleled. Every tea I have tried is worth every penny, and the information about each tea is worth every second of your time. I am glad to have explored the world of tea through the lens of many different vendors, and found some great ones along the way, but after having discovered Tea Hong, I feel completely and entirely satisfied in my life. I no longer seek out new vendors, and I find myself only buying tea from Leo. I know that, whatever I buy from Tea Hong, it's going to be mind-numbingly impressive, and I can always count on Leo to offer the very best tea at prices that other vendors could never match.
I am happy to be able to support Tea Hong and I think everybody should as well. Even the most discerning and demanding aficionados will find something that will blow their minds no matter what their favorite teas are. For me, personally, that is Fenghuang dancong, and I can say without a doubt there is no better vendor out there. Save your money and do yourself a favor - come and explore the very best collection that anybody could ever dream of and wish for.
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Karen Elias Ager
Absolute pinnacle of quality teas Tea Hong offers the absolute pinnacle of quality teas. Certainly nothing else I'd previously experienced compares to Tea Hong. "Expert" tea shops in the U.S. pale in comparison. Tea Hong's proprietor and tea evangelist Leo Kwan ensures that the product is fairly traded and pure. Kwan makes regular forays into mainland China and elsewhere and has long-established relationships with expert growers, many of whom are from tea families dating back for generations. He and his team describe each offering with the same qualitative language as you'd expect from a wine sommelier. There is truly nothing more exciting than when the Tea Hong box arrives from Hong Kong filled with exotic and aromatic leaves, each variety with its own distinct shape, texture, color, smell and flavor. World travel in every cup.
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Lui Wui Sze Olivia
Great value for quality teas Great value for quality teas. The shopping experiences are also excellent because there are detailed product information available on the site. Whenever you have questions about the teas (e.g. teas for pregnant women?) or teawares (e.g. how to choose a tea pot), just ask and the people in teahong will answer you in great details. Like phoenix oolong the most 😉
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Teddy Lionel
The only online tea shop that I will ever buy from Since reading Leo Kwan's tea blog (Tea Guardian), I had been longing to try for myself true quality teas, especially Phoenix Oolongs which I had never heard before. Well, thank God that he set up Tea Hong, I could finally experience those teas from a trustworthy source, the tea master himself ! Tea Hong might be rather new in online market, but they have been improving themselves and the customer service is great, not to mention the frequent sales and special offers 🙂 . This is the only online tea shop that I will ever buy from.
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Tanner Schmucker
Consistently impress every time Tea Hong is one of my favorite tea vendors for several reasons. First, and most importantly, their tea is wonderful. I truly have not had a single tea from Tea Hong that I didn't enjoy, and every tea I have tried from them has been of very high quality. I am primarily an oolong drinker (though I've been exploring aged pu'erh recently) and they are one of the first, if not the first, vendors I go to when I am looking to get more Wuyi yancha, Phoenix dan cong, gaoshan, or hung shui. The Wuyi yancha I have tried from them has been some of the best I've tried thus far, ESPECIALLY in that price range. I seriously, the Cassia Extraordinaire is probably the best yancha I have tried from anywhere, and costed less than some of the other "premium" quality yancha sold elsewhere. And of course there's their Phoenix dan cong. The dan cong I have tried from them is always interesting and complex, and a delight to drink. Their Honey Orchid Supreme (Mi Lan Xiang) was very good: fruity, floral, long aftertaste, complex, longevity, everything one looks for in a good quality dan cong. Aside from the quality of their tea, Tea Hong's customer service is great too. Every time I email them, even when it's just to chat or ask basic questions, I get a response quickly. They don't mind sharing their opinion on things, and they don't mind speaking frankly and truthfully about their teas. So yeah, I am very happy that Tea Hong is around. There's a ton of tea vendors that have some great teas, but there are few that have an entire selection of great teas and can consistently impress every time I order. They will certainly remain on the top of my list for as long as I drink tea 🙂 Looking forward to my next order.
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What they say about specific products
Some customers have shared what they think about a product by posting reviews in the product pages. There are quite a number of them. These are a few arbitrarily selected by a computer script to display below.
Would you like to tell others what you think of a tea too? Go to the respective product page and post it now.
Serene Water Pearl Tea, traditional green tea
This is a lovely green tea, it has a thick mouthfeel and brothy texture with a savory flavor profile that sinks deeply into the palate. The aftertaste is sweet and smooth, with a long-lasting freshness that reminds me of something between pine needles and rosemary leaves.
I get overtones of zucchini noodles and cereal grains, along with hints of steamed snow peas & green beans, but this tea also has herbal qualities that add an extra touch of complexity and keep things interesting from cup to cup.
The leaf quality is excellent – the dry leaves are wholesome and fuzzy, and as they gradually unfurl they release those tiny little hairs, which makes the resultant soup hazy. If you catch it at the right light, you’ll see all of the little hairs floating around and shimmering like microscopic flakes of gold.
This is a good, clean, and humbly priced daily drinker, one that is easy to brew up and even easier to enjoy.
Thank you for sharing your experience. All our bead shape Taiwan oolongs are tightly rolled. Upon very short infusion time, indeed the release rate will be slow. That is why you are getting a lot of infusion rounds. If the strength from the quick brew is already satisfactory to you, maybe less leaves using a slightly longer infusion time will give you a whole new horizon in the taste of this tea. Again as a general reference: https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-hows/gongfu-infusion-parameters-general/
Tea Hong
Taiping Houkui Traditional, green tea of shidaye cultivar
Beautiful and smooth
I tried a few packs the other Taiping Houkui and my girlfriend liked it. The infusion process has been a show for my friends. Therefore, when this came out, I immediately gave it a try too. The leaves do not look as spectacular as the other one, because they are not as brightly green and not as translucent thin. They are still quite neat. I forgot about it after the show in the party and yesterday I prepared it like any other green tea except perhaps a bit hotter water, the freshness and delightful flavour are really impressive. The unique high class Chinese tea qualities, such as floral, sweetness, cereal, and umami are all there, and not that seaweed taste in the other version. The most impressive part is smoothness. I don’t think I have tried any other green tea smooth like this. Also there is a velvety (?) mouth feel that is also new in green tea for me.
The very first Phoenix tea that really “rocks” me.
The first impression from the strong infusion of gongfu approach is, it rocks! It hits hard in the very first sense then mellows out in toasty grains and finishes with concentrated cool fruity sensation. The finish itself is very long, sweet, like a good stone fruit.
And, yes, it rocks. It’s energy stimulates my entire sense and seems to expand it further but not too hasty. I’m glad to meet this tea.
Danupon S.
Red Cloak Grande, Wuyi yancha oolong
2011 vs 2012
2011 was sold out so I got this 2012 but was surprised the two years don’t taste the same. This is good and has floral taste but I like the more fired taste of 2011 much better. Do you have more fired taste for 2013 or 2014?
Mrs Ngo
Phoenix Classic, dancong oolong
I ordered 2018 Classic Phoenix and my friend really liked it.
The special taste profile of a classic Longjing demands not only a fine harvest from a genuine pedigree, but also the mastery of hand-roasting the leaves. To attain such a skill takes the willingness to endure years of hard practice*. On top of that, a fine Longjing is perhaps the most sought after tea in its native market that is China, and there are people there that are willing to pay thousands for half a kilo of this tea. As a result, good roasting masters are in high demand. A good master producing with top quality harvests is even more rare. To secure a genuinely high quality is therefore a very challenging task. More so at the accessible price we are offering at. Tea Hong's Longjing Traditional Supreme is a proud representation of the best quality of this precious craft, a taste that would have won nobles and mandarins in their tea competition, and when the Qing Emperor Qianlong was still young and flamboyant, and crazy about this tea.
Finer winter Phoenix oolongs have always been sought after for their unforgettable natural bouquet fragrances. To us, an aroma of a premium tea has to be complete with a winning taste profile. It has taken us over a decade to fine tune the mastery of the processing of the choicest harvest to attain a result we can be proud of. Presenting Tea Hong’s very own Snow Orchid, the roundest, smoothest, and by far the most seductively fragrant oolong ever known. It is our luscious indulgence secretly from Nature.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
Back-track 3 centuries to when Qing China was still grand and tea was a respectable drink, zhu cha ( pearl tea ) from Ping Shui — the town of Serene Water — approached the price of gold when auctioned in London. As popularity grew, compromised products took over the market and resulted in those greyish bad taste that is known as “gunpowder” today. Tea Hong revives the original sweet tasting jewel of green teas in the same revered and enjoyable quality in the cups of the gentiles in both the East and the West in the good old days, but at a far more democratically accessible price.
Net weight: 60 g (2.1 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow
Unlike other green teas that are prized for plucking early in Spring, leaves of Da Guazi need to be quite grown and spread in order to make a fine Luan Guapian. This gives the proper biochemistry that yields enough pectin for the tea's signature velvety texture and unique bitter character. This is possible only with a special local cultivar — Da Guazi — Big Melon Seed, hence the funny name. Some say it takes enough experience in life for a person to appreciate the bitterness in a food or drink. We think maybe it only takes a person with a truly sensitive taste faculty to understand and prize such a wonderful tea.
Net weight: 50 g (1.8 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
Deep in the mountains in Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan tea trees grow wild amongst other woods and plants in Bulang Shan. Ethnic mountain people, particularly women, bring with them wood ladders and a plank for platform for plucking in tea season, perhaps as it has always been since antiquity. As a continuation of this tradition, Bulang Silver Spring is hand-processed and slow dried over wood charcoal the same way. This shengcha puer is bright and refreshing when consumed as a new tea, or can be put away for maturity.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide Kraft-alu pack
If a green tea is judged only by how umami it is, a lower grade than Tea Hong’s Anji Baipian* may already top the chart. The grace of this top quality of one of the most sought after name in green teas is not measured only by its savouriness, but its silky smooth and soft body and elegance in its taste character. Perhaps that is why the small county of Anji is never producing enough to satisfy the demand from the growing affluent class in China. That said, it is good to see a small counter trend against the taste of expensive vulgarity in that vast population.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in wide kraft-alu pack
Song pedigree tea cultivar Huangzhi Xiang distinguishes itself from others of the same name not only by its living ancestor that has been carbon-dated back to the 13th century (late Song), but also by the elegantly complex taste and aroma of the tea it yields. That is why it is the most revered of all Phoenix oolong in its own origin and at the nearby Gongfu Tea Capital of the World — Chaozhou.
Net weight: 40 g (1.4 oz) in Kraft-alu pack
Winter harvest Taiwan oolongs have always been prized for crispier floral fragrance, as in the case of autumn Minnan Tieguanyins, except that Taiwan ones generally have softer bodies and aromas. While maintaining these characters, Tea Hong’s Eternal Spring excels with an exceptionally green freshness and yet a fine oolong sweetness. A taste profile most friendly for oolong rookies and yet with such unique quality that can complement any serious connoisseur’s collection.
This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow pack
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
To most people, teas from Taiwan are synonymous with high mountain oolongs. Officially, these are the four top subregions for the tea: Alishan, Shan Lin Xi, Li Shan, and Yu Shan. We already carry quite a few Alishan’s, to find one from the others, we have been relentlessly searching. It has to be one comparable to those from Alishan but individualistic enough.
Shan Lin Xi — literally Stream of Cypress Woods — is an area deep in a national reserve in the mountainous central area of the island country. Two hour driving from the station in the small city of Chia Yi, you will have climbed 1000m on the curvy roads deep in the sparse village areas with dense tall trees and quite many degrees lower than down there. Tea patches are hidden here and there amongst forests, occasional clusters of bamboos and a great diversity of wild plants.
The same Chin Hsin Gan Chi cultivar grown here yields leaves that seem to have acquired a different character, a somehow lighter yet more complex, more stimulating tinkle. Previously when I was still operating a teahouse, some customers came to do Zen with tea as the medium. I guess this Shan Lin Xi Oolong can be one for it too.
Net weight: 70 g (2.5 oz) in Kraft-alu pillow
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
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.
What they say about our shop
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What they say about specific products
Some customers have shared what they think about a product by posting reviews in the product pages. There are quite a number of them. These are a few arbitrarily selected by a computer script to display below.
Would you like to tell others what you think of a tea too? Go to the respective product page and post it now.
Serene Water Pearl Tea, traditional green tea
This is a lovely green tea, it has a thick mouthfeel and brothy texture with a savory flavor profile that sinks deeply into the palate. The aftertaste is sweet and smooth, with a long-lasting freshness that reminds me of something between pine needles and rosemary leaves.
I get overtones of zucchini noodles and cereal grains, along with hints of steamed snow peas & green beans, but this tea also has herbal qualities that add an extra touch of complexity and keep things interesting from cup to cup.
The leaf quality is excellent – the dry leaves are wholesome and fuzzy, and as they gradually unfurl they release those tiny little hairs, which makes the resultant soup hazy. If you catch it at the right light, you’ll see all of the little hairs floating around and shimmering like microscopic flakes of gold.
This is a good, clean, and humbly priced daily drinker, one that is easy to brew up and even easier to enjoy.
GABA Orange Extra, de-oxygenised oxidation Taiwan oolong
Thank you for sharing your experience. All our bead shape Taiwan oolongs are tightly rolled. Upon very short infusion time, indeed the release rate will be slow. That is why you are getting a lot of infusion rounds. If the strength from the quick brew is already satisfactory to you, maybe less leaves using a slightly longer infusion time will give you a whole new horizon in the taste of this tea. Again as a general reference: https://www.teaguardian.com/tea-hows/gongfu-infusion-parameters-general/
Taiping Houkui Traditional, green tea of shidaye cultivar
Beautiful and smooth
I tried a few packs the other Taiping Houkui and my girlfriend liked it. The infusion process has been a show for my friends. Therefore, when this came out, I immediately gave it a try too. The leaves do not look as spectacular as the other one, because they are not as brightly green and not as translucent thin. They are still quite neat. I forgot about it after the show in the party and yesterday I prepared it like any other green tea except perhaps a bit hotter water, the freshness and delightful flavour are really impressive. The unique high class Chinese tea qualities, such as floral, sweetness, cereal, and umami are all there, and not that seaweed taste in the other version. The most impressive part is smoothness. I don’t think I have tried any other green tea smooth like this. Also there is a velvety (?) mouth feel that is also new in green tea for me.
This is for me the most wonderful green tea.
Shèmen Dancong Double Baked, Phoenix dancong oolong
The very first Phoenix tea that really “rocks” me.
The first impression from the strong infusion of gongfu approach is, it rocks! It hits hard in the very first sense then mellows out in toasty grains and finishes with concentrated cool fruity sensation. The finish itself is very long, sweet, like a good stone fruit.
And, yes, it rocks. It’s energy stimulates my entire sense and seems to expand it further but not too hasty. I’m glad to meet this tea.
Red Cloak Grande, Wuyi yancha oolong
2011 vs 2012
2011 was sold out so I got this 2012 but was surprised the two years don’t taste the same. This is good and has floral taste but I like the more fired taste of 2011 much better. Do you have more fired taste for 2013 or 2014?
Phoenix Classic, dancong oolong
I ordered 2018 Classic Phoenix and my friend really liked it.
Random top customer-rated products
Longjing Traditional Supreme, hand-roasted green tea
Denser Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Green teas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Tea, ZhejiangMastery in wok-roasted green tea
The special taste profile of a classic Longjing demands not only a fine harvest from a genuine pedigree, but also the mastery of hand-roasting the leaves. To attain such a skill takes the willingness to endure years of hard practice*. On top of that, a fine Longjing is perhaps the most sought after tea in its native market that is China, and there are people there that are willing to pay thousands for half a kilo of this tea. As a result, good roasting masters are in high demand. A good master producing with top quality harvests is even more rare. To secure a genuinely high quality is therefore a very challenging task. More so at the accessible price we are offering at. Tea Hong's Longjing Traditional Supreme is a proud representation of the best quality of this precious craft, a taste that would have won nobles and mandarins in their tea competition, and when the Qing Emperor Qianlong was still young and flamboyant, and crazy about this tea.Snow Orchid, bouquet Phoenix dancong oolong
Cold Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, TeaXuepian Ya-shi Xiang:
Finer winter Phoenix oolongs have always been sought after for their unforgettable natural bouquet fragrances. To us, an aroma of a premium tea has to be complete with a winning taste profile. It has taken us over a decade to fine tune the mastery of the processing of the choicest harvest to attain a result we can be proud of. Presenting Tea Hong’s very own Snow Orchid, the roundest, smoothest, and by far the most seductively fragrant oolong ever known. It is our luscious indulgence secretly from Nature.Serene Water Pearl Tea, traditional green tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Tea, ZhejiangPing Shui Zhu Cha:
Back-track 3 centuries to when Qing China was still grand and tea was a respectable drink, zhu cha ( pearl tea ) from Ping Shui — the town of Serene Water — approached the price of gold when auctioned in London. As popularity grew, compromised products took over the market and resulted in those greyish bad taste that is known as “gunpowder” today. Tea Hong revives the original sweet tasting jewel of green teas in the same revered and enjoyable quality in the cups of the gentiles in both the East and the West in the good old days, but at a far more democratically accessible price.Luan Guapian Supreme, traditional green tea
Tea, Green teas, Huangshan & Anhui, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Cold EnergyThe sweetness in a unique bitter green
Unlike other green teas that are prized for plucking early in Spring, leaves of Da Guazi need to be quite grown and spread in order to make a fine Luan Guapian. This gives the proper biochemistry that yields enough pectin for the tea's signature velvety texture and unique bitter character. This is possible only with a special local cultivar — Da Guazi — Big Melon Seed, hence the funny name. Some say it takes enough experience in life for a person to appreciate the bitterness in a food or drink. We think maybe it only takes a person with a truly sensitive taste faculty to understand and prize such a wonderful tea.Bulang Maocha 2016, Pu’er shengcha
Home, Lighter Aromas, Neutral-Cool Energy, Pu'er loose leaf shengcha, Pu'er teas, Stronger Tastes, Tea, YunnanForest Tree Tea:
Deep in the mountains in Xishuangbanna in southern Yunnan tea trees grow wild amongst other woods and plants in Bulang Shan. Ethnic mountain people, particularly women, bring with them wood ladders and a plank for platform for plucking in tea season, perhaps as it has always been since antiquity. As a continuation of this tradition, Bulang Silver Spring is hand-processed and slow dried over wood charcoal the same way. This shengcha puer is bright and refreshing when consumed as a new tea, or can be put away for maturity.White Tea of Anji, traditional green tea
Cool Energy, Green teas, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Tea, ZhejiangThe Green Tea that is called White
If a green tea is judged only by how umami it is, a lower grade than Tea Hong’s Anji Baipian* may already top the chart. The grace of this top quality of one of the most sought after name in green teas is not measured only by its savouriness, but its silky smooth and soft body and elegance in its taste character. Perhaps that is why the small county of Anji is never producing enough to satisfy the demand from the growing affluent class in China. That said, it is good to see a small counter trend against the taste of expensive vulgarity in that vast population.Song Cultivar, Phoenix dancong oolong
Cool Energy, Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Oolongs, TeaHuangzhi Xiang Dancong:
Song pedigree tea cultivar Huangzhi Xiang distinguishes itself from others of the same name not only by its living ancestor that has been carbon-dated back to the 13th century (late Song), but also by the elegantly complex taste and aroma of the tea it yields. That is why it is the most revered of all Phoenix oolong in its own origin and at the nearby Gongfu Tea Capital of the World — Chaozhou.Eternal Spring, floral winter oolong
Cold Energy, Floral Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaTea Hong's specially made Taiwan oolong
Winter harvest Taiwan oolongs have always been prized for crispier floral fragrance, as in the case of autumn Minnan Tieguanyins, except that Taiwan ones generally have softer bodies and aromas. While maintaining these characters, Tea Hong’s Eternal Spring excels with an exceptionally green freshness and yet a fine oolong sweetness. A taste profile most friendly for oolong rookies and yet with such unique quality that can complement any serious connoisseur’s collection. This tea is also available in a small portion as a part of Tea Taster’s Box: Nine Oolong Samplers.Phoenix Sweet Osmanthus, traditional flower scented oolong
Fenghuang | Phoenix, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Neutral-Warm Energy, Oolongs, TeaTraditional 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 OsmanthusShan Lin Xi, light style Taiwan oolong
Cool Energy, Lighter Aromas, Milder Tastes, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaFrom the Stream of Cypress Woods
To most people, teas from Taiwan are synonymous with high mountain oolongs. Officially, these are the four top subregions for the tea: Alishan, Shan Lin Xi, Li Shan, and Yu Shan. We already carry quite a few Alishan’s, to find one from the others, we have been relentlessly searching. It has to be one comparable to those from Alishan but individualistic enough. Shan Lin Xi — literally Stream of Cypress Woods — is an area deep in a national reserve in the mountainous central area of the island country. Two hour driving from the station in the small city of Chia Yi, you will have climbed 1000m on the curvy roads deep in the sparse village areas with dense tall trees and quite many degrees lower than down there. Tea patches are hidden here and there amongst forests, occasional clusters of bamboos and a great diversity of wild plants. The same Chin Hsin Gan Chi cultivar grown here yields leaves that seem to have acquired a different character, a somehow lighter yet more complex, more stimulating tinkle. Previously when I was still operating a teahouse, some customers came to do Zen with tea as the medium. I guess this Shan Lin Xi Oolong can be one for it too.Tieguanyin Traditional, bouquet oolong
Cool Energy, Floral Aromas, Fuller Bodies, Minnan/ Mindong, Fujian, Oolongs, TeaOriginal 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.Alishan Guanyin, deep baked Taiwan oolong
Fuller Bodies, Lighter Aromas, Neutral Energy, Oolongs, Taiwan, TeaSlow 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.