$ 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
$ 25.00
This loose puerh from Mangjing village is made up of leaf from several family's efforts to combine all of the old growth and feral tea growing in the mountains. The fog-covered hills are home to an incredible range of biodiversity, in which tea plants thrive in the mineral-rich soil that feeds the local ecosystem.
This tea was plucked and pile-fermented in 2015, and has been evolving in the years it has been aging. The liquor is a rich umber with a strong peat-like aroma. Each sip allows you to explore the depth and variety of flavors present in the leaf, from chocolate, to earth, wood, and notes of spice. The leaves can be re-steeped all day long and their warmth and smoothness have the effect of cultivating an inner, grounded energy.
Origin: Yunnan, China
Harvest: 2015
$ 15.00
Plucked from wild trees growing high on Ai Lao Mountain, this loose leaf shou cha is perfect as an introduction to puerh or as a refreshing breather for the afficionado. It has been sorted to include only the tips and has an effect that is clarifying and uplifting.
The first steep yields a bright and vivid infusion, with each consecutive cup reaching deeper notes of the leaf. The mineral content of the soil is prevalent in the cup with bright, energizing notes of copper, and grounding undertones of cocoa and damp earth. The liquor has a silky mouthfeel and leaves a lasting coolness in the throat, unusual for a tea of this style.
Origin: Yunnan, China
Harvest: 2018
$ 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*
$ 9.00
The tea leaves of Assam are large and thick when compared to the Chinese variety, which have been planted in most other regions of India. The resulting flavors derived from these plants are unique to the region, known the world over for being distinctively malty and bold, with a high note of astringency. We have found an excellent second-flush Assam, grown organically in the lush Brahmaputra River valley. The bright and brisk tea shows off the Assam characteristics with vigor and is a great way to get started in the mornings. Stands up well to milk and sugar, but delightful on its own as well.
Process: Organic
Estate: Chardwar
Harvest: 2021
$ 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!
$ 21.00
One of our most popular teas! The leaves of the Black Honey Oolong are gorgeous, curled, first-flush tips from the Luye township in Southern Taiwan. The aroma of the dry leaves is so sweet and intoxicating, but nothing compared to the steeped honey-like fragrance and flavor. This tea is grown on a single organic farm run by a woman and her son. The region is home to a type of bug called the leaf hopper, which bites the tea plants and sucks the nectar from the leaves, causing the fermentation process to begin while the leaves are still on the plants. When these leaves are plucked and oxidized, the result is a naturally honey-like sweetness within the leaf. Several other growing regions try to replicate this process, but this is where is occurs naturally.
Process: Organic
Harvest: Summer, 2022
Origin: Luye, Taiwan
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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: Winter, 2021
Origin: Guangdong, China
$ 10.00
This tea is a sweet and simple treat just in time for sharing with your loved ones. 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: 2022
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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: 2022
$ 10.00
Pure Ceylon tea is blended with Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans to create this aromatic blend. The sweet smell of vanilla beckons and the bold black leaves create an astringency that is accented by the natural sugars. This tea delivers a brisk pick-up throughout the day with an alluring accent. Especially great iced with fresh lemon. While there is no bourbon whisky in this blend, it makes a great base for a hot toddy!
$ 9.00
Sri Lankans, for over 150 years, have grown this first flush Ceylon tea on the magical misty hillsides of Dimbula province. The long, dark, wiry leaves create a rich, fruity and satisfying cup strong enough to take milk and also excellent when steeped more briefly and sipped alone. The tea growers pluck only the delicate tips of the tea plants, circulating along the rows of tea bushes frequently to catch the golden tips at their peak. These leaves offer the best of Dimbula, carrying the fragrance of fog-shrouded mornings and the warmth of the sunny afternoons into your cup. Ceylon Golden is unblended and opens a clear window into the characteristics of the growing region. We recommend Blue Willow Ceylon for both mornings and afternoons, to be enjoyed by itself or with a variety of foods. We also find it particularly refreshing served iced during the hot summer months.
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For anyone who wants to taste multiple teas without too much commitment, these tea flights are a perfect option. Each gift box contains four of our favorite Chinese red/black teas, plus information on the region, harvest season, steeping suggestions for gaiwan brewing and extra tidbits. There is enough of each tea to make several servings and explore the differences between styles and regions.
Each flight contains Jinjunmei, Golden Snail, Golden Monkey and Pure Gold Needle.
Plus, you can sleep easy, the packaging is all compostable, including the bioplastic bags!
$ 10.00
The Darjeeling district in West Bengal has been producing famed teas since the nineteenth century. This autumn harvested tea comes from an estate that provides us with an organic and fairly-traded Darjeeling tea. A bit stronger than earlier plucked teas, this tea has a slightly more robust body while retaining its soft floral accents. The steeped leaves provide a wonderful delicacy and flexibility to be appreciated from breakfast to dessert. During the day, Blue Willow Darjeeling provides a wonderful, light lift with a muscatel sweetness and clean finish. The full, fresh flavor and delicate floral hints create a truly pleasurable sipping experience on its own, with a sturdiness that can handle the addition of sugar and milk.
Process: Organic
Estate: Sungma
Harvest: 2021
$ 9.00
British diplomat and statesman Charles, Second Earl of Grey, is said to have received the original recipe for this scented tea in China in the Nineteenth Century. Despite its worldwide popularity, no one can say for certain what was in the original formula, or who the source was of this spectacular combination of black tea with oil of bergamot orange. We do know that the best ingredients produce the best blends. Blue Willow uses only fresh oil of bergamot, derived from the Mediterranean bergamot plant, a variety of citrus. We blend premium Chinese and Indian black teas, applying just the right amount of bergamot oil. Our method creates a perfect balance of the robust citrus aroma of the Mediterranean orange and the warm, oaky, fruity flavors of the tea leaves themselves. Blue Willow’s Earl Grey blend is accented with the addition of blue cornflowers and orange peels, which liven up the appearance of the tea and add an extra floral hint to the flavor. Taken black, with a twist of lemon, or with milk and sugar, Earl Grey has won the favor of many tea drinkers and provides an excellent cup at breakfast, teatime or with dessert.
$ 10.00
Every tea merchant tends to create their own proprietary blend to reflect a certain flavor profile and represent a good “house” tea at a good value. While some companies try to hide inferior teas in a muddled blend, Blue Willow took an extra step to formulate our English Breakfast blend. We use our finest quality Estate teas from Darjeeling, Ceylon, and China’s Anhui and Yunnan provinces. Every component adds a unique note to this tea, creating a brisk, aromatic and very full-bodied blend, excellent with or without cream and superb iced.
$ 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
$ 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
$ 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
A tea that “a mouse could walk on”. Our sturdy Irish Breakfast blend takes the chill off cold winter days and warms the “cockles of the soul”. We developed this wonderfully rich, strong brew with lingering toastiness and a slightly creamy element that comes from the addition of a silver tip grade Ceylon to the base of Indian and Chinese teas. Wake up your mornings with our Irish Breakfast, or lift yourself out of a tedious afternoon with this lively tea. Exceptional with cream or on its own, this tea is versatile and delicious.
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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
$ 9.00
For many tea aficionados Keemun tea offers the peak black-tea experience. Rich, toasty and bold, Keemun was once the preferred breakfast tea of England. The small, carefully harvested ebony leaves produce a rich, oaky taste with undertones of sherry. The toasty aroma dances out of the cup and entices you to take sip after sip. Historically Keemun is enjoyed with the addition of milk and sugar, but stands well on its own for an added kick.
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We are honored to offer you this tea. These 200g cakes are a community effort to interlace feral and old growth tea from around the village and mountains of Mangjing. The leaves were plucked and fermented in 2015 and have since developed into an incredible tea which we had pressed in 2019. The aroma is thick and earthen, yielding to a deep chocolate liquor with an incredible velvety mouthfeel. Each sip leaves traces of cacao, berries and peat all the way down to your stomach, where it fosters an internal warmth and grounding energy.
The village of Mangjing is situated in the ancient tea-producing Jingmai Mountain range and is home to the Bee Immortal Tree, central to the village's agricultural calendar. The immense banyan tree is draped in dozens of beehives, which are closely watched throughout the year. When the majority of bees return in the spring, it is the signal to begin plucking the tea trees.
This tea is a decadent shou cha that can be steeped all day long and still present new flavors. The roots of these trees tap into so many layers of minerals in the rich soil, that each steep unveils new depth and complexities.
$ 16.00
In India, Russia, Turkey and a host of other places, chai means tea. In the US, we say “chai” when referring to masala chai, a traditional Indian spiced tea.
Blue Willow Maple Chai comprises a complex blend of premium Estate teas and spices to recreate a classic Indian Masala Chai derived from a Himalayan recipe. The teas create a bold base that flourishes with the addition of spices. Cardamom, whole cloves, ginger root, cinnamon, whole star anise and allspice are freshly milled and blended in small, 60lb. batches at our plant. The exotic flavor combines a smooth taste of tea with invigorating spice. This recipe is lightly sweetened with pure maple powder, which is made by a small family sugar house in Vermont. While the tea in Blue Willow Maple Chai brings caffeine to the blend, the high proportion of spices dramatically lowers the caffeine content so the beverage has a soothing effect that is sure to warm the heart. Chai’s popularity, both iced and hot, has risen quickly and for good reason.
$ 15.00
In India, Russia, Turkey and a host of other places, chai means tea. In the US, we say “chai” when referring to masala chai, a traditional Indian spiced tea.
Blue Willow Chai comprises a complex blend of premium Estate teas and spices to recreate a classic Indian Masala Chai derived from a Himalayan recipe. The teas create a bold base that flourishes with the addition of spices. Cardamom, whole cloves, ginger root, cinnamon, whole star anise and allspice are freshly milled and blended in small, 60lb. batches at our plant. The exotic flavor combines a smooth taste of tea with invigorating spice. While the tea is Blue Willow Chai brings caffeine to the blend, the high proportion of spices dramatically lowers the caffeine content so the beverage has a soothing effect that is sure to warm the heart.
$ 10.00
Everyone loves tea, but figuring out exactly what kind someone wants can be a puzzle.
Enter: Magical Online Gift Card!
Whether you have a sick friend who needs a pick me up, a boss who has it out for you, a partner who banished you to the dog house, completely forgot your mother's birthday, or don't know what to get someone for your first Valentine's Day together...
The Magical Gift Card can cure all these problems and more*
*these statements have not been approved by the FDA
PLEASE NOTE: Gift cards will be emailed automatically to the purchaser. You will then be able to forward them to the recipient with a loving note. Gift cards issued online can only be used on the website. Unfortunately, they can not be redeemed in the store :(
If you'd like to receive an in-store gift card, please email or call.
$ 10.00
In Scandanavian legend, the hero Beowulf battled monsters in the bitter chill of East Frisia, an area bordering the North Sea and the Netherlands. Now, the monsters faced by Frisians are bitter winds and harsh winters. As a result, the tea consumption is over 5 lbs. per capita annually. For those who live here, tea is an all-through-the-day ritual, prepared strong with the addition of cream and a lump of rock sugar.
Our brisk, custom blend employs the tradition of using a 2nd flush Estate Assam with tea from Ceylon and China. The tea itself has a full-bodied malty quality with long-lasting finish. Traditionally, East Frisians never stir tea in the cup. It is meant to be enjoyed in 3 layers; the cream or “sky”, the tea or “water” and the sugar or “land”.
$ 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