$ 26.00
Our top grade sencha from Kirishima. This tea is from the Asatsuyu cultivar of tea and has earned the nickname of "Natural Gyokuro" for good reasons. Although it is not shade-grown, it has a vivid green liquor and deep umami characteristic that is typically associated with gyokuros. The farm it is grown on is completely self-contained, bio-dynamic and the oldest tea farm in the region. The aroma of the dry leaves is compelling and rich and only grows as it is steamed. The resulting tea is out of this world and a gift to any sencha-lover.
Process: Organic
Harvest: Spring 2022
Origin: Kirishima, Japan
$ 19.00
One of our favorite teas! These tiny leaves have so much going on. Plucked in Fujian in the early spring, the tips are fully oxidized and lightly smoked. The dry leaf smells like plums and burnt caramel and just the steam is intoxicating. The tea itself is bold and sweet with a perfect balance of hardy oak smoke and chocolate and delicate fruity overtones.
Process: organic
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Fujian, China
$ 27.00
This tea is one of the highest quality teas being grown in Japan. Grown in shaded small gardens in Uji, by Koyamaen, a tea grower that has been in the Koyama family for over 300 years, this tea is truly special. The tea is grown the same way as tencha and matcha; The shading of the plants before harvest causes the leaves stretch and grow very thin and delicate and produces higher levels of chlorophyll. This process also increases the catechin antioxidants and decreases the tannins, making this tea less bitter and extremely high in health benefits.
The deep green needle-like leaves infuse into a bright green liquor with a hearty flavor. Fresh and full of life, this tea has medium body and a lingering sweetness. Don’t pass this extraordinary tea up, limited supplies are available only at certain times of the year!
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Uji, Japan
$ 20.00
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 in 7g cakes!
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Pu'er, Yunnan
$ 15.00
Grown in the foggy hills of Kirishima, this tea is made by two brothers who are producing some exceptional quality teas. The moisture of the air and fertile soil from the nearby volcano create a perfect environment for growing complex teas. This Hojicha is plucked from a single farm that is completely self-contained and bio-dynamic. The tea itself has an incredible union of flavors that rise above the toasty base. The roasted leaves are not burnt, but instead embody wonderful nutty quality that softens to a light nectar-like sweetness which lingers long after you sip. The bouquet of soothing aromas and flavors will leave you relaxed and the relatively low caffeine content makes this an excellent dessert tea.
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2022
Region: Kagoshima, Japan
$ 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: 2022
$ 20.00
This highly unusual tea is plucked from Ai Lao Mountain in Pu-er. The family who tends to these plants operates a small organic farm and grow mostly Taiwanese cultivars. This tea is exclusively from the Ruanzhi (or Soft Branch) bushes, which are native to Taiwan and grown for making oolongs.
The leaves are hand picked in the spring from 30 year old plants growing in rich, mountain soil and processed as a Yunnan green tea. The result is guaranteed to intrigue even the most well-versed tea lover, while remaining accessible to newcomers.
The leaves are sweet with a magnolia blossom aroma, full body and silky mouth feel, notes of buttered asparagus with a lingering toasty finish. Good for many steeps, this tea is quickly growing in popularity.
Process: organic
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Pu'er, Yunnan
$ 26.00
This high-grade, pre-rain, pan-fired tea is a delicacy. Each tip is perfectly flattened in the wok by expert hands and the leaf integrity is undamaged as a result. The flavor is sweet, fresh, crisp and soothing. Its silky mouthfeel coats your mouth and throat and has a lingering flavor of asparagus and buttery artichoke. This tea is plucked in the early spring and is available for a limited time. Once we run out, it's gone until next year!
Process: Organic
Harvest: 2022
Region: Zhejiang, China
$ 18.00
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, 2022
Origin: Guangdong, China
$ 10.00
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
$ 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 2022
Origin: Ureshino, Japan
$ 28.00
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: 2022
Origin: Anxi, China
$ 9.00
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: 2022
$ 28.00
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: 2022
Origin: Fujian, China
$ 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: 2022
Origin: Yunnan, China
$ 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
$ 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: 2022
Origin: Fujian, China
$ 22.00
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.
Process: organic
Harvest: 2022
Origin: Yunnan, China
$ 40.00
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
$ 48.00
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: 2022
Origin: Nantou, 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*
$ 42.00
This is a limited time offering that is available one month of the year. We only have 30 canisters available this 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.
$ 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 autumn 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, full tips, with an almost rubber-like thickness. 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: Fall, 2022
Origin: Ren'ai, Taiwan