$ 18.00
The quintessential tool for anyone who enjoys a good pressed tea. This beautiful knife has a large handle to firmly grasp to help prevent any slips and is nice to look at too. The edges are beveled to a point to separate tea without being sharp enough to slice you. It comes with a nice little cover to help protect the knife (and you!)
$ 58.00
**We have a very limited quantity of this tea available. Once it is gone, we won't be able to get more until next year**
Large, rolled winter harvested leaves from Xi Lai Mountain in Taiwan. The Hao family are third generation tea farmers, caring for tea gardens around 6000' elevation. The aroma of the warm leaves is unique and visceral, soaking deep into the senses. Steeped, the leaves unfurl into large, intact tea tips. The flavor fills the entirety of your mouth, leaving a buttery smoothness towards the back of the throat. Notes of soft, warm bread centers lathered in butter dominate the palate, with a slight undertone of asparagus lingering at the finish. The warming sensation and flavors remain at the roof of your mouth long after each sip, inviting steep after steep. These leaves will keep steeping time after time and we have often found savory notes well into the 12th infusion. Beyond the enjoyable drinking experience, this tea has a soothing effect on both the mind and body, which can be felt long afterwards.
If you've never had GABA tea before, this is a great place to start. We've spent years searching for one that we loved and finally found it. Instead of going through the oxidation process most oolongs have, these leaves are exposed to nitrogen instead. This causes the tea to develop gamma-aminobutyric acid. These amino acids work to inhibit neurotransmissions within the primary nervous system, increasing relaxation. The after-effects are calming and long-lasting.
Harvest: Winter, 2023
Origin: Ren'ai, Taiwan
$ 14.00
Sold Out
For those of us who are avid tea drinkers, we know tea is more than just a taste. It is an experience that permeates all of our senses, and the aroma is key.
Red Dragon Tea Essence is a pure hydrosol captured from our Red Dragon tea leaves. The aroma is soothing and warm and sweetens over time. It offers hints of juicy, fresh baked pie and nectar. It isn't heavy or overbearing, it just offers a subtle yet intense infusion of absolutely alluring aromatherapy.
For years I have longed to capture that intense smell that clings to the empty vessels and seems to grow sweeter and sweeter as it site. It's one of my favorite parts of drinking tea, and I have always wanted to live in a world that smells like an empty teacup, still warm from the brew.
Well, we've started capturing that sweet, alluring aroma from several of our highest grade teas and condensing the steam into liquid form. With these hydrosol spritzers you can literally surround yourself in tea essence.
The process is 100% natural and the only ingredient is pure tea hydrosol, no additives. You can spray it on your skin to refresh and hydrate during your cleansing routine, spray it around the house, in the car, or just on yourself whenever you need a pick-me-up.
$ 12.00
$ 58.00
We are so happy to have a small amount of this spectacular tea to share with you. Hand-crafted by Yong Hao, who has been producing award-winning tea on Chi Lai Mountain for many years. This Qing Xin cultivar is expertly roasted over charcoal and rolled several times to achieve its shape. The aroma offers notes of baked yams and burnt sugar, with essences of warm cedar. Steeped, the tea is soft but complex. The toasty notes of the firing are at the forefront and give way to a sweetly satisfying cup with honeysuckle hints. Over time, the roast flavor will settle and reveal more flavors, which we are so excited to witness. This tea is grown with organic fertilizers and tested to assure cleanliness.
Harvest: Spring, 2023
Origin: Nantou, Taiwan
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We are so happy to offer this tea to you. Menghai Factory has been creating shou Puerh blends that are mimicked each year with fresh leaf. This blend, called '7572' was made in 2000, and has been wrapped in bamboo and Kunming stored. The '7572' blend is made to be approachable and smooth. It is light and has an aroma reminiscent of fresh baked biscuits. The flavor is gentle and comforting with a soft, sweet finish. The leaves are loosely pressed, making it easy to break apart by hand, and each serving will be good for 5-7 steeps. We were able to secure a small amount of this tea, and once it's gone, its gone.
Origin: Menghai, Yunnan
Harvest: 2001
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This cake is a part of our Elemental Tea Series, a four-tea set of Puerhs that is meant to examine differences in Puerhs while also connecting us to the natural world through tea.
Plucked in spring 2020, this sheng is a combination of leaves and puerh buds. The tea is both light in flavor and in spirit. Its aroma conjures a likeness of a dewy meadow, with damp earth and fresh grass. There is a slight astringency that cools the mouth and internal systems and draws the energy up into the mind.
Plant buds hold the prospect of new growth and within them the ability to create. Energetically, sheng brings energy into the mind, sparking creativity and helping inspire ideas. Much like shining a light in a dark corner, sheng puerh can illuminate dormant ideas and help us realize aspirations. When drinking this tea, allow your mind to wander and see what new ideas start to come into focus.
Cakes can be purchased solo, in a bamboo-wrapped tong, or as a set in our Elemental Tea Series. *Wrapper art by Ali*
$ 22.00
These Baby Cakes are the perfect option for tea drinkers on the go! Easy to pack and portion, and cute as heck too. Each tong is wrapped and tied in bamboo and contains five individually wrapped 7g cakes (I recommend breaking each cake in half for each pot). Great for gifting, steeping and even flipping for making important life decisions.
Plucked from Taiwanese Ruanzhi oolong cultivars, high-grown in the Ai Lao region of Yunnan, this spectacular tea does not disappoint. The farmer may be Chinese, but has remained true to the Taiwanese methods of crafting this unique Bai Hao tea.
The dry leaf gives off an intensely fruity aroma that steeps to a perfect medley of honey, stone fruit and lychee, all with a warm undertone of roasted wood. The leafhopper bites, extended basket withering and expert craftmanship make this a truly remarkable offering.
We also offer this tea loose leaf.
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2021
Origin: Pu'er, Yunnan
$ 30.00
Simple and sturdy black ceramic tea tray with slotted bamboo top. Whether you prefer wet or dry tea service, this tray can accommodate your tastes, with just enough room for the necessities.
Approximately 8"x8"x1"
$ 30.00
Simple and sturdy black ceramic tea tray with slotted bamboo top. Whether you prefer wet or dry tea service, this tray can accommodate your tastes, with just enough room for the necessities.
Approximately 8"x8"x1"
$ 9.00
Plucked from the southernmost tea garden in Yunnan, just above the Vietnam border, this tea has a unique personality. It is harvested a few days before the Lunar New Year, towards the end of winter. The leaves have been dormant all winter long, soaking up nutrients in the soil as they rest. The air is dry and cold this time of year and the leaves pick up a notes of smoke in the air and a dewy sweetness.
When picked, the leaves exude flavors and aromas that range from savory charcoal-smoked veggies to sweet red bean paste. The long winter hibernation has harbored a stamina that will allow this tea to be steeped at least 10 times, each yielding vibrant new notes. The first few steeps offer warm hints of smoke and charcoal, and as each steep reaches deeper within the leaf, it accesses reserves of nectar. Each cup has a healthy amount of body and brings to mind steamed artichoke hearts and summer squash.
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Yunnan, China
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This unusual cultivar is named Bai Ye Wang, or "King White" because of its incredibly light, yellow leaves. Grown in the Phoenix Mountains, this true Dancong oolong brings many attributes to your cup. The dry leaves steep to a mottled aprearance with amber, yellow and green colors intertwining in each leaf. The aroma is enticing with juicy hints of stewed apricots and olive oil. The flavors progress with each sip exuding a honey, fruity sweetness, coating the mouth with a tingly silkiness. Robust and complex, this tea will steep well over 8 times, with each steep underlining different flavor notes. A limited amount is available for the year, and it won't last long!
Process: Organic
Harvest: Spring, 2023
Origin: Guangdong, China
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This cake is a part of our Elemental Tea Series, a four-tea set of Puerhs that is meant to examine differences in Puerhs while also connecting us to the natural world through tea.
Much like the changing of the seasons, this tea exemplifies the autumnal change of air. Harvested in the fall in Mangjing Village, this tea is a collaboration with Theasophie. Cooler season teas grow slower in the shorter days, giving them time to absorb more nutrients from the soil. This tea offers aromatic notes of fallen leaves and burnt sugar. Steeping to a soft yellow, the flavor is robust and brings an astringency that coats the mouth with a lingering hint of dried apricot.
Sheng puerh has an invigorating and cooling effect on the body. It brings our energy into our minds, sparking creativity and energizing us. When drinking this tea, notice the sensations it leaves you with. Can you feel the coolness of your breath in your throat as you breathe? Much like a refreshing breeze, this tea offers a crisp, pleasant sensation. It draws awareness to the point where the air that moves around us becomes the air within us.
Cakes can be purchased solo, in a bamboo tong of 5, or as a set in our Elemental Tea Series. *wrapper art by Ali*
$ 30.00
Simple and sturdy black ceramic tea tray with slotted bamboo top. Whether you prefer wet or dry tea service, this tray can accommodate your tastes, with just enough room for the necessities.
Approximately 10"x5"x1"
$ 20.00
We have a limited amount of these bars to share with you for Valentines Day. The Black Rose Tea has been pressed into easy-break bars and wrapped like chocolate! Large leaf, old growth leaves from Ai Lao Mountain are accented with whole wild roses to create a gorgeous and delicious tea. The resulting infusion balances hearty flavors of warm cedarwood with a floral touch and lush, malty finish. It can be prepared in a gaiwan with short, repeated steeps to bring out a progression of deepened flavors, or steeped longer for a rich, decadent cup that can stand up to the addition of milk and sugar.
Origin: Yunnan, China
Harvest: 2023
$ 14.00
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For all of you Japanese green tea lovers I am so happy to finally offer this tea! This is a tea I was first introduced to a few years ago while visiting Kagoshima in October. Not only are the brothers who make this tea crafting extraordinary teas, they are also avid motorcycle enthusiasts, so we have a lot in common.
The aroma of the dry leaf is intoxicating and refreshing. Steeped, the tea slides into your mouth coating it with a rich, brothy soup that intensifies as it reaches your throat. The flavor notes fill the spectrum between earthy and astringent without touching either. A thick umami lays the base with tones of kombu and a soft hint of sea mist. The flavor lingers and cools the palate and throat with each breath.
This tea can be steeped 4-5 times. The second and third steeps should only be 10 seconds, and after that can go up to 30 seconds. After steeping 5 times you can pour dashi or soy sauce on the leaves and eat them
Harvest: 2023
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
$ 26.00
This is a new edition we were so excited to bring home from our 2023 Japan trip. Grown from the Ujimidori cultivar in Wazuka, this crafted on a woman-owned, organic family tea farm by Teruko Azuma.
Teruko has been pushing the boundaries of what Japanese teas can do, producing exquisite white teas, oolongs, black teas, and experimenting with innovative processing methods. This oolong is no different. The leaves are mid-high oxidized, heated, and then roasted in her hojicha roaster. The result is a tea with similar characteristics as Phoenix Mountain red teas: chocolately, fruity, nutty and toasty. The warm notes of roasted cedar fill the mouth, with a hint of plum-like fruit and lingering burnt sugar sweetness. We like to steep this in a gaiwan with short, repeated steeps, but it also does well with longer steeps without becoming bitter.
Process: Organic
Origin: Uji, Japan
Harvest: 2023
$ 30.00
From the family who makes everyone's favorite Charcoal Roasted Tieguanyin, here is a new tea we are so happy to offer. This unroasted oolong is crafted from Autumn-harvested, old-growth Tieguanyin varietals and is a lovely example of a lesser-made style of this tea. Allowing the leaves to lightly oxidize and leaving them unroasted brings out flavors that can get covered up in the roasting process. The aroma has a thick floral body without being perfumy. The leaves unfurl and steep with a multitude of progressing flavors, each one leaving the palate with a soft, cleansed sensation.
Process: Organic
Harvest: Autumn, 2023
Origin: Anxi, China
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Who says the love has to end after February 14? Keep the sparks flying and join us for a special night of tea and chocolate!
When: Friday, February 16, 6:30-7:30pm
Where: Blue Willow Teaspot, silly!
What: Chocolate and tea pairing date night
Why: Because you deserve it
Indulge your senses as we take you on a sensory journey pairing delicious chocolates with phenomenal teas.
We will have a variety of single-origin chocolates from local Dandelion Chocolate, to enjoy with different teas from different regions showcasing the subtle tasting notes and flavors each one has to offer.
There will be some guidance on tasting methods, notes and suggestions, but this will primarily be a time to connect with each other and treat your taste buds.
Either sign up and snag a table for 2, or sit at a communal table and treat yo self!
Seating is limited so sign up quickly.
All chocolate has just two ingredients: cocoa and sugar and is vegan and nut free. The teas will all have caffeine.
Sold Out
$ 62.00
Everything you need to gongfu on the go. These molded cases are sturdy and are a perfect fit to hold your teaware snug on all your travels. The 100ml gaiwan and three cups are smooth porcelain and nest inside each other with a tea towel to fold between the layers. The gaiwan fills the cups exactly, but there's a pitcher in case you travel solo or in pairs.
Choose between black, red or grey cases. Each one has a keychain attachment so you'll never lose it.
$ 48.00
For those new to steeping and seasoned pros alike, this easy gaiwan offers something for everyone. Clear glass allows you to witness the leaves unfurl and monitor the intensity of each steep. The lid fits perfectly into the petal grooves and has holes to strain the tea without needing to tilt it. It holds 175ml, roughly 6oz. of tea.
If you have never used a gaiwan before, it is an excellent method for making a multitude of different teas, mostly Chinese and Taiwanese greens, reds, blacks, oolongs, and some younger or sheng puerhs.
$ 86.00
These classic teapots are ideal for any puerh lover. Holding roughly 115ml, their squat, wide shape is perfect for allowing compressed cakes to expand. The thicker sides hold more heat, keeping the steeping conditions as hot as possible for puerh brewing. The size is great for solo or paired tea sessions. Because these pots are used to steep with boiling water, the covered vent hole makes a simple way to hold the lid without covering the slot or burning your finger. These are best for brewing shou cha or aged sheng puerh.
Each pot comes in it's own fitted box with a certificate of authenticity.
Yixing pots are iconic and are known as being the first teapots in the world. The clay is uniquely porous and will "drink" the tea that is made with it, allowing the consecutive steeps to absorb into the clay and enhance future steeps. For this reason, it is recommended that each pot be dedicated to one type of tea to prevent the crossover of other flavors. Over time, your pot will become more seasoned and make each pot of tea more aromatic and flavorful.
To care for your pot, rinse with hot water immediately after each use and allow it to dry completely before applying the lid. Never use soap or abrasives.
It is important to properly care for your pot to ensure it's longevity. When you first bring it home, rinse it with hot water and then cold water. This should wash away the clay smell.
It is then important to season the tea before steeping with it. Gently lower the teapot into a clean pot of boiling water. Keep the lid separate and do not let it touch the bottom, as the bubbles might jiggle it too much. Allow it to sit in the boiling water a few minutes, then remove and let it cool completely. You will need to decide which type of tea you would like to dedicate your pot to.
To season, add tea to the pot and steep. Pour the tea into a small bowl after about 30 seconds and steep the leaves again. Repeat this process until the bowl is full. You can then remove the leaves and soak the pot and lid separately in the brewed tea. Let it soak until it has cooled.
Always let the pot and lid dry completely before putting the lid on. Over time, your pot will develop more color and aroma, but it will not be unpleasant. When properly cared for the clay will prevent any bacteria from forming.
$ 12.00
Classic and simple porcelain tea set for steeping all your favorite teas. This pot holds roughly 120ml and perfectly fills two cups. This pot is best for steeping oolongs, greens and white teas, but can accommodate anything.
The set includes one pot and two cups. *tray not included*
$ 30.00
Sunday, May 19th, 2024, 12-1pm
We are happy to re-open Japanese Tea Ceremonies to our guests. Participants will join us in our tea room to experience Chanoyu, the 500+ year old tradition or preparing ceremonial matcha.
Each of our hosts have years of experience practicing and studying Omotesenke, one of the three main schools of the art. They will lead the guests onto the tatami mats and walk them through the progression of the ceremony. Although the practice is usually a meditative process, guests can choose the level of conversation they want.
Please come prepared to sit on tatami mats for 1 hour. Wear loose-fitting pants or skirts and clean socks. Light snacks will be served before the tea. We can seat 2 guests comfortably in the tea room, and up to 3 guests seated in chairs at the edge of the room.
Please show up 5-10 minutes early. The cost is $30 per person.
$ 26.00
$ 90.00
Hand crafted genuine Jingdezhen clay for those who appreciate the beauty in details when making tea. These pieces are each unique and incredibly lightweight. The textured clay is porous and will "drink" the tea, seasoning over time. There is a faint network of surface cracks along the glaze that will get darker with each steep and create a tea egg pattern typical of Ruyao glazes.
The pot holds roughly 140ml and has smooth pour. There is a rounded out strainer molded onto the inside of the spout to strain leaves and prevent clogging and uneven pours.
The matching cups are available separately, can be bundled as a set which includes the glass pitcher.