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**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**
We were able to secure 5 pounds of this iconic tea. Grown on Alishan, this pure Jinxuan cultivar is a beautiful representation of what the leaves can do in the right hands. Expertly plucked and lightly oxidized, the vibrancy of the leaves is preserved, showcasing a fresh crispness. The leaves were lightly roasted just for us, to bring out the creamier notes of the tea. The subtle purity of the flavors allows you to meander through notes of warm milk, pear and dewy morning blades of grass. Whether you are a dedicated oolong drinker, or new to tea, this is a wonderful tea to experience. It is easy to drink and can handle long or short steeps. It'll be gone soon, so don't miss it.
Harvest: Spring, 2024
Origin: Alishan, Taiwan
$ 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: Spring, 2024
Origin: Ren'ai, Taiwan
$ 24.00
This is a new tea for us, which we are so happy to share with you. Harvested from Bitter Bamboo Mountain in Yunnan, these ancient leaves are sun-dried and pressed for Blue Willow into 100g cakes. The aroma of the warm leaf has notes of dry wood and fruit leather. The leaves steep velvety smooth and fills the whole mouth with flavors mimicking chocolate, kumquat, and cedarwood. The roughly 300-year-old trees have deep roots, channeling minerals to the tips of the leaves which linger from the roof of the mouth to deep in the throat.
These leaves are lightly rolled after withering, increasing the amount of time to oxidize, which makes the tea sweeter. The process of sun-drying instead of baking allows more enzymes to live, altering the flavor of the tea and making it ideal for aging. Over time, the enzymes will continue to create more sugars, making the tea sweeter and sweeter the longer it ages. These leaves were harvested in 2022 and are already full of flavor, so we can't wait to see how the flavors progress.
Process: organic
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Yunnan, China
*Label art hand-drawn by Ali, Boss Lady*
$ 48.00
This small leaf shou puerh is made from a blend of ancient tree leaf material across four districts in Lincang County. Fermented in 2007 and carefully aged in Kunming ever since, this tea straddles the balance between soft and bold. The aroma has notes of earth and raw chocolate and steeps a liquor that is rich burgundy with no murkiness. The initial steep is a soft introduction to the tea, with each steep reaching deeper notes. The mouthfeel is smooth washes down your throat, leaving lingering flavors of clean earth and smooth river rocks. The age of the leaves allows the tea to be steeped upwards of 10 times before losing flavor and has an uplifting effect on the psyche.
If you remember when we had this tea years ago, you will be so happy to see it back. We were able to get in touch with contacts in Lincang who have access to the same leaves we had previously, and it has only gotten better with age.
Origin: Yunnan, China
Harvest: 2007
$ 23.00
This hearty, tippy tea was harvested before the rains to ensure a full-flavored cup. Golden Monkey gets its name from the shape of the leaves, and how they mimic monkey claws. The aroma is rich and chocolatey, and steeps to a gorgeous deep red liquor. Each sip has a progression of flavors that begin with cocoa powder, then take on notes of oak barrel aging with a light citrus finish. Compared to some of our other Chinese red teas, this one has a heavy body and I like to think of it as the main course, if Jinjunmei was dessert.
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Fujian, China
$ 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
$ 20.00
This blend took a year to perfect, and we're so happy to finally offer it to you! It's like a take on other breakfast blends, but using three of our premium, top-notch teas (bonus points if you can guess the ingredients). It can be enjoyed everyday, or save it for those brunch dates. The result really is a tea that is more than the sum of its parts. The blend of the three creates an intoxicating sweet, fruity, smoky, floral aroma with a flavor that is full-bodied and complex. It is very versatile and can be steeped gongfu style in a gawian, or British style in a pot for a few minutes. Move over mimosa, there's a new drink on the brunch table!
$ 18.00
We partnered with Ozben Felek of Felek Acupuncture, to create this herbal blend for her clinic. Cozy Belly is a gentle herbal blend that makes a wonderful beverage to sip after a large meal, or any time you need a little extra warmth. The warming and moving mixture of Organic Cinnamon, Licorice Root, Ginger and Fennel helps boost digestion and keeps everything moving along. It doubles as a nice herbal chai option as well.
$ 24.00
The wait is over! We are so excited to finally have these cakes in our hands (and cups). This shou Puerh comes from the Ai Lao Mountains and is delicious by itself, but its real treat is the herbs mixed into the leaves. The leaves of Nuo Mi Xiang (Semnostachya Menglaensis) literally translate to "Sticky Rice Aroma", and for a reason: they give off an aroma uncannily similar to sticky rice. Combined with the Puerh leaves, the combination is deep but uplifting, sweet yet earthen, and steeps over and over again. The liquor is a clean deep red which will keep you going for 8+ gongfu steeps. Each cake has 100g of tea, pressed loosely enough to not require a pick to break it up.
Origin: Simao, Yunnan
Harvest: 2021
*wrapper art by Ali*
$ 30.00
We are so pleased to share this new tea with you. Harvested in the winter on Phoenix Mountain, this black tea is made from Mi Lan Xiang Oolong cultivars. Winter harvested teas grow slower in the limited sunlight, soaking up more minerals from the soil as they grow and often developing sweeter notes. The resulting flavor is unique and intense. The warm leaf offers notes of baked plum pie and a hint of citrus peel. Even with short steeps the tea is full bodied and has a nourishing intensity that settles deep in your throat. When allowed to steep longer, the leaves emanate distinctive chocolate flavors that wash over your senses like velvet.
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2023
Origin: Guangdong, China
$ 14.00
Gorgeous, long single buds plucked from high up in the Ai Lao Mountains. These tea tips are harvested in the spring and stored until the jasmine blooms in the summer. They then go through repetitive overnight layering with fresh blossoms until they have successfully absorbed the succulent floral aroma. This tea is decadent, with lush floral notes accenting the fresh, slightly sweet needle-like leaves. Each sip coats your mouth and glides down your throat like silk, leaving a refreshing aftertaste in its wake
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Yunnan, China
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Grown in Wuyishan, this iconic high mountain oolong is a perfect addition to any tea lovers collection. Yancha, or rock oolong, is unique in flavor for several reasons. The tea buses grow between tall mountainous rocks that block out most of the sunlight, causing the leaves to grow very slowly. This, in combination with the mineral rich soil allow the leaves to soak up more flavor through their roots and develop a depth in flavor that is sought after. This farmer has been crafting Wuyi Yancha for over 60 years, and his skill is easily recognizable.
Rougui translates to cassia (cinnamon), and references the intense aromas of warm wood the tea exudes. The leaves are highly oxidized and roasted, giving them a nutty and toasty aroma offset by a fruit leather sweetness. The tea picks up on different notes with each steep as the water reaches deeper into the leaves. The flavor is full and balanced with a lingering warmth that is comforting and soothing.
Harvest: Spring, 2022
Origin: Fujian, China
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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
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It's here! This is a limited time offering that is available one month of the year.
Translating to "Out of the Pot", Tsubokiri matcha is a special form of matcha harvested in the spring and finished in the fall. Historically, the tencha leaves were stored in clay jars which allowed the flavors to soften a bit from the intensity they have in the spring. In the Autumn, they were removed and stone ground. Now, the leaves are not stored in jars, but are still allowed to breathe under refrigeration and develop a different flavor profile. When the tencha is removed and ground in October, the resulting matcha is incredibly smooth with hardly any tannic notes. The tea is smooth and creamy and has a hint of sweetness and slightly toasty aroma. Suitable for usucha (thin tea) or koicha (thick tea). Don't miss this chance to taste this tea, once it's gone, it's gone until next year.
Currently all of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 12.00
Grown in Kagoshima, this sencha is perfect for a smooth, everyday cup of tea. The tea is versatile and can be steeped stronger to bring out more seaweed notes, or lighter to catch the sweet, dewy undertones. Excellent hot or made as a cold brew, this tea is an excellent tea for those new to sencha or who just want something easy to steep and drink. If you were a fan of the Sencha Hanase, try this tea; it has more depth and steeps sweeter without astringency.
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
$ 20.00
These young buds are perfectly plucked and rolled. Each curled pearl is comprised of one tip with one bud and two young leaves. Made in the same style as our Golden Bud Biluochun, this year's tea is made of smaller leaves and has a decidedly juicier flavor. The aroma makes your mouth water with rich with dark chocolate and sweet grapes. Each steep brings our new flavors ranging from cocoa and cured tobacco to malt and tart cherries.
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Fengqing, Yunnan
$ 10.00
Plucked from wild Yunnan Camelia Taliensis, these leaves are quite large and covered on one side by silver downy hairs. The steamed leaf offers aromas of sweet lemon cucumbers and steeps to a cup with a refreshing satin mouthfeel. The flavors are light and cleansing with notes of clover honey and melon seed.
Origin: Pu'er, Yunnan
Harvest: 2024
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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*
$ 18.00
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.
This tea was harvested in 2020 and pressed for us in 2024. It has relaxed into its pressed state and offers a full body drinking experience. The flavor is both deep and bright, as it is warms the throat while activating the roof of your mouth with an iron-rich tingle. The flavor gets richer with each steep and lingers long after each sip. Aromas of damp bark and rising dough give way to a smooth, deeply satisfying flavor. Each sip can be felt internally as it builds warmth.
Tea plants develops flavor through their connection to the air, water and the soil. Minerals are present in every soil structure and help to nurture tea plants and humans alike. When drinking this tea, notice the increasing depth in flavor that comes with each steep. As the water reaches deeper into the leaf it brings us closer to the heart of the tea through the veins carrying precious minerals. This tea has in innate ability to center us while nourishing us with the plentiful minerals it has absorbed.
*Wrapper art by Ali*
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2021 leaf plucked from 2000 meter elevation trees on Ai Lao Mountain. The leaf composition is a perfect blend of expertly plucked tips and larger leaves with very little breakage in the processing. The result is a smooth, well-rounded tea with notes of apricot, sweet hay and melon seed. These cakes can be broken up and enjoyed now, or stock op on a bamboo-wrapped tong and age it!
Plus a bonus: Our dear friend, Amber von Nagel illustrated the wrapper for us!
Harvest: 2021
Origin: Simao, China
$ 20.00
Don't worry, it's not what you think. This tea is famous is the oolong world, but can sound a little off-putting if you don't know the history. The leaves are large and soft and go through a multi-step oxidation process to enhance the honey-like aroma. Steamed, the leaves have an irresistibly full, creamy, toasty, floral-sweet aroma. The first steep is buttery smooth and rich with notes of sweet cream and fruit. Each steep opens new notes in the leaf and the tea gets progressively more floral and green as the toasty fire notes recede. This tea will go for many steeps and is best enjoyed with an aroma cup to fully enjoy all the of aromatics it can offer.
Dan Cong oolongs are plucked form Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong, China. The term "Dan Cong" translates to Single Bush, which historically meant that the tea was all plucked from the same tea tree. More commonly it is used to describe teas from Phoenix Mountain which have been plucked from the same cultivar and are allowed to grow into large trees. They are famous for adopting various aromas and this tea is no different.
According to legend, the farmers who made this tea plucked the leaves from tea trees growing in soil that was a yellowish-brown color. The tea was so exceptional, they called it Ya Shi Xiang (Duck Shit Aroma), hoping to prevent people from stealing their tea or taking cuttings from their trees. Think of it like the old Greenland/Iceland switcharoo. It didn't take long before word got out about how good the tea was, though, so here we are!
Process: Organic
Harvest: Spring, 2024
Origin: Guangdong, China
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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 seven individually wrapped 7g cakes. Great for gifting, steeping and even flipping for making important life decisions.
Made from a blend of two Taiwanese oolong cultivars, grown in Pu-er and processed as a black tea, this tea has a growing and dedicated cult following.
The family who tends to these plants operates a small organic farm and grow mostly Taiwanese cultivars. Red Dragon comprises leaves hand plucked from Ruanzhi and Jinxuan cultivars, grown at nearly 2000 m elevation.
This tea offers up a complex cup that is both wholesome and seductive. Enticing aromas of juicy lychee and smokey cedar give way to a full-bodied cup with the perfect balance of sweet and tart plum and toasty barley.
We also offer this tea loose leaf.
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2021
Origin: Pu'er, Yunnan
$ 14.00
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 seven individually wrapped 7g cakes. Great for gifting, steeping and even flipping for making important life decisions.
This spring 2020 shou cha fits perfectly into our Puerh collection. Plucked from 200-400 year old trees, its perfectly balanced flavors of slightly dry raw cacao, damp bark and light minerality sit deep in the throat and belly. It has the ability to steep rich and deep while still maintaining a clear liquor. The small leaf grade is accented with bright red young leaves and is pressed into 100 gram cakes that are able to be broken up without the need for a pick. This tea creates a warmth and calmness that makes it idea in the evening or any time you need to get grounded. We recommend this tea for everyone from Puerh novices looking for an smooth cup, to aficionados needing something flavorful but calming.
We also offer this tea in 100g cakes.
Harvest: 2020
Origin: Yunnan, China
$ 24.00
This spring 2020 shou cha fits perfectly into our Puerh collection. Plucked from 200-400 year old trees, its perfectly balanced flavors of slightly dry raw cacao, damp bark and light minerality sit deep in the throat and belly. It has the ability to steep rich and deep while still maintaining a clear liquor. The small leaf grade is accented with bright red young leaves and is pressed into 100 gram cakes that are able to be broken up without the need for a pick. This tea creates a warmth and calmness that makes it idea in the evening or any time you need to get grounded. We recommend this tea for everyone from Puerh novices looking for an smooth cup, to aficionados needing something flavorful but calming.
We also offer this tea in 7g Baby Cakes!
Harvest: 2020
Origin: Yunnan, China
$ 19.00
This is probably one of the most easy-to-drink and good-for-any-occasion offerings. Soba Cha is exactly what the name translates to - Buckwheat Tea. The buckwheat is roasted to perfection and packed with health benefits, without any caffeine. When steeped, soba is an inviting, aromatic drink that has a fresh baked, nutty, toasty flavor. It is mild and refreshing and can be steeped long without becoming unfavorable. And of course, it's gluten-free!
Buckwheat is full of antioxidants which help with digestion, promote heart health and boost the immune system, among other things. Please note that some people may have allergies to buckwheat.
Try this one iced in the summer or when you need a little extra comfort. It's a tea that makes you feel like you're getting a good hug.
Harvest: 2022
Region: Kagoshima, Japan
$ 15.00
$ 40.00
Kinrin is a flavorful matcha that can be used for making Usucha (thin tea) or Koicha (thick tea). The Kinrin whisks to a velvety-smooth bowl of matcha with robust umami flavor and offers rich notes of steamed kombu and a light sweetness. To prepare this as Koicha, use three times as much tea with less water and whisk with a chasen at least 200 times!
Currently all of our ceremonial grade matcha offerings are produced and stone-ground by Marukyu Koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in Uji for over 300 years.
$ 29.00
Forget that Lapsang you had at the coffee shop years ago, the one that assaulted your senses with smoke and clung to your mouth for hours after. This is not that tea. Grown in the Wuyi mountains, this Bohea cultivar is expertly crafted. The dry twisted leaves present an alluring aroma of pine smoke without taking over. Steeped, the leaves exude a gorgeous amber liquor and offer aromatic hints of toffee and tobacco. The soft veil of smoke clears with each steep, yielding to deeper notes of sherry and raw cacao within the leaves. Juicy and robust while sipping, the tea finishes slightly dry with just a hint of embers remaining.
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Fujian, China
$ 19.00
This is the sister tea to the Tamaryokucha, grown in Ureshino. Both these teas are shade grown and harvested in the spring, when the leaves are still young and approximately 1/2"-3.4" long. The difference lies in the processing. While the Tamaryokucha is steamed, typical of Japanese senchas, the Kamairicha is pan-fired in a large wok, similar to certain Chinese teas. This method was adopted from mainland China in an area just north of Nagasaki, which is known for it's melting pot of international cultures.
The result of processing this robust Japanese tea with traditional Chinese methods is a completely unique experience. The aroma is both sweet and vegetal with notes of hazelnut and soft to. The mouthfeel is smooth and full-bodied has just enough viscosity to linger long past the tea is gone. Steeping to a soft yellow-green, the soup is both bright and grounding. The vegetal depth and umami characteristics balance perfectly with the warming toasty notes the pan-firing imparts.
This tea is made by a third generation tea producer and only a limited quantity is available this year.
Harvest: Spring 2023
Origin: Ureshino, Japan
$ 40.00
Picked and processed by hand in the small village of Xi Ping in Anxi, this expertly-crafted Tieguanyin is a perfect representation of the depth and complexity this tea can offer. Plucked in the spring and roasted over hot charcoal in bamboo baskets the dried leaf gives off hints of toasted biscuits and soft magnolia blossoms. Once steeped, it exudes enticing aromas of fresh baked goods while preserving the underlying freshness of the green leaf. The mouthfeel is full bodied and silky and the flavor is crisp, sweet and warming with an herbaceous note reminiscent of squash blossoms. The warming sensation stays in your mouth and throat urges you to take another sip.
The leaf itself is medium-oxidized and plucked from old Tieguanyin plants that have been in the family for generations. The soil it grows in is rich with minerals which add to the depth and roundness of the flavor. Only a small quantity is available.
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2024
Origin: Anxi, China
$ 40.00
For those who like to add a little green in their cooking. This is a premium food grade matcha, produced by the same folks as our ceremonial grades. It is a vibrant green with intense umami flavor and grassy notes. But it also has an astringent kick to it, which is helpful when using it to cook or bake (or even make lattes and smoothies). When combined with other ingredients, the tannins are canceled out and the flavor of the matcha isn't drowned out. If the matcha is too smooth, it will get pushed into the background with the addition of other ingredients.
Add this to cookies, smoothies, make ice cream, salad dressing, you name it. Not only will it taste great, but you'll also be getting the elevated health benefits like catechins, chlorophyll, vitamins and antioxidants. It's a win-win!
This is NOT the type of matcha you get in the bulk aisle at the grocery store. It is processed in Uji, Japan by a family that has been making matcha for over 300 years.
$ 14.00
Here's a tea you won't find anywhere else. Awa Bancha is only made in one small prefecture in Japan, and is barely known even in Japan. It goes through a unique lacto-fermentation process that yields a tea like no other.
The uniqueness of this tea starts at the plucking, which takes place in the summer, when the leaves have grown large and hardened. Every leaf is stripped from the branches, so each year the whole plant re-grows and there is only one harvest each year. From there, the leaves are boiled to soften them and make them more pliable. They are then rolled, similar to an oolong, but then packed into fermentation jars, and covered with banana leaves and heavy rocks to soak in their own juices. Because the tea is harvested so late, the leaves have a higher sugar content, which increases the fermenation that occurs. About a month later, the leaves are removed and dried in the sun.
The result is a drink that is slightly sour, sweet, and tangy depending on how you steep it. It is incredibly versatile and can be boiled over a fire to get the medicinal properties, or steeped more delicately to extract the sweeter notes. Awa Bancha's nickname used to be "peasant's tea" because it was typically boiled and every leaf was used, unlike other teas.
The flavor is best suited for those who love pickles, sauerkraut and all things probiotic. It is great for the gut and the more you drink it, the more your body will crave its effects.
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This has been one of our most popular herbal offering in the shop for some time. I'm sorry it's taken so long to get on the website!
A sweet, calming, cleansing and slightly spicy blend of organic chamomile, lemon balm, ginger, lavender and sage, Simmer Down is the ideal stress-reliever. Egyptian chamomile soothes and relaxes while clarifying sage and cleansing lavender work together to lift your spirits. Lemon balm is a natural stress-reliever, and the hint of ginger create an internal warmth that helps everything absorb and circulate better. This caffeine-free blend is ideal in high-stress environments or before bed to help relax the body and mind.
$ 35.00
If you're a fan of Japanese green teas and haven't tried Tamaryokucha yet, you're missing out. This tea has some of the most robust flavors out there. Grown in Ureshino, it is produced in a way that is a cross between Gyokuro and Sencha. The tea plants are shade grown similar to Tencha (for making Matcha) or Gyokuro. This step increases the chlorophyll and decrease the bitterness. Then the leaves are plucked, but much younger than even a Sencha. The result is an incredible tea with vivid green liquor and an flavor that excites the senses. The aroma is like seaweed and fresh cut grass and the flavor saturates your whole mouth with umami.
To get the most out of this tea steep it lower than usual (around 140°-150°) for 1 minute. When resteeping, pour after 10 seconds. This tea is great for over 4 steeps and the leaves can be eaten afterwards with the addition of a little salt, dashi or soy sauce.
Origin: Ureshino, Japan
Harvest: 2023
$ 22.00
Here is an intriguing offer for the adventurous oolong lover. This oolong is made in Kagoshima, Japan from the second flush benifuki cultivar. Known for its astringency and bold flavor, benifuki softens a bit in the summer, and makes an interesting starting point for producing an oolong. Best flash-steeped in a gaiwan, this oolong has similar characteristics as a baozhong, but with more umph. Sweet and floral at the start, with a lingering dryness that keeps you wanting more.
We first introduced this tea the second year Yasuhisa Ueno produced it. It was a hit, and we sold out almost immediately. In the years since, the flavor has not matched so we did not carry it. However, upon visiting Japan this spring, we were delighted to find that he had been ageing the same lot we originally purchased 7 years ago. The ageing has done amazing things for the tea, making its flavor fuller, rounder and even smoother than before. We are so happy to have a limited quantity available to share.
Origin: Kagoshima, Japan
Harvest: 2016
$ 16.00
The Wuliang Beauty is made in the style of traditional Oriental Beauty but without the colonial-era wording.
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 which is available for a limited time only.
Process: organic
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Yunnan, China