Yunnan

Style: Black

Origin: Yunnan Province, China

Description: Yunnan Province has the oldest tea cultivation history in the world. Mountainous elevations and mild temperatures offer ideal growing conditions for the native Camellia sinensis var. sinensis plants. This terroir, with its unique soil profile, adds to the popular, rich, and mildly toasty flavour of Yunnan’s local dian hong (red teas). 

This Yunnan Black is grown at higher elevations, offers a wonderfully rich and satisfying everyday steep. Excellent as a breakfast, or afternoon, or truly any time of day tea. Will take a little bit of milk, although we enjoy this one without. It is mature and full-bodied - an excellent and classic Yunnan tea. We are pleased to provide a tea which is such a high quality with an excellent cost per cup. 

Tasting Notes: The steep is smooth, sophisticated and thirst-quenching. Well-rounded and toasty from start to finish, with little to no astringency even as the tea sits in the cup. The aroma is rich with hints of caramel. Notes of sweet and lush grasses roll through the steep alongside a delicate dark chocolate bitterness and subtle spice. The golden tipped tea buds add a rich sweetness, and there is a slight cane sugar finish, typical of teas from Yunnan. The finish is clean and crisp but still lingers nicely. The second steep maintains depth and complexity. 

Brewing Instructions: 2g per cup. 100ºC water. Steep 3-5 minutes. Re-steep 4-6 minutes. 

Optional addition of a quick rinse with 100ºC water and letting the leaves steam covered before the initial steeping will bring out even greater complexity of the leaves.

Organic.

Style: Black

Origin: Yunnan Province, China

Description: Yunnan Province has the oldest tea cultivation history in the world. Mountainous elevations and mild temperatures offer ideal growing conditions for both the native Camellia sinensis var. sinensis plants and the introduced Camellia sinensis var. assamica plants. This terroir, with its unique soil profile, adds to the popular, rich, and mildly toasty flavour of Yunnan’s local Dian Hong (red teas). Big Snow Mountain is the only tea that one single family of tea growers produces each year. Their tea garden is tucked away in higher elevations (1800m) of the Mengku region in Lincang from where many Yunnan teas originate. This lovely black tea was processed with great care from the first flush of spring assamica varietal tea leaves.

Big Snow Mountain is excellent as a milder breakfast tea, or perfect as an afternoon steep. The cup will stand up to a little bit of milk, although we enjoy this one without. This tea offers a range and depth of notes and flavours all wrapped up into one cup.

Tasting Notes: The steep is rich, warm, smooth and well-rounded. Little to no astringency even as the tea sits in the cup, or with longer steeping. There is a slight and pleasant bitter strength at first sip, yet this evens out to a subtle lingering sweetness. 

The steep first hints at fresh caramel, with faint notes of sweet, toasty grasses. A malty baked plum and whiffs of copper come through as you sip further. The golden tipped tea buds add a rich sweetness with a smooth honeyed finish, typical of teas from Yunnan. The second steep maintains depth and complexity - this is one you will want to steep again and again!

Brewing Instructions: 2-4g (1-2 heaping teaspoons) per cup (250ml). 90-95ºC water. Steep 2-4 minutes. Re-steep 2-5 minutes. 

We recommend: Steeping 2g for 3 minutes for a milder cup or 4g for 2 minutes for a stronger cup. 

Adjusting the steeping amount and time, you will find this tea very easy to brew. It is smooth enough to be brewed quite strongly. If you enjoy a stronger quality in the finish, brew for longer. If you find the strength to be objectionable, a shorter steep time will offer a mellowed cup.

*This tea is not organic.

Style: Black

Origin: Simao County, Yunnan Province, China

Description: This is a beautiful Yunnan black tea (Dian Hong – also known as Red Tea). It is grown organically on the southern slopes of the Ma Wei Mountain in the county of Simao in Yunnan Province. Yunnan is home to the oldest tea cultivation history in the world. Mountainous elevations and mild temperatures offer ideal growing conditions for the native Camellia sinensis var. sinensis plants. This terroir, with its unique soil profile, adds to the popular, rich, and mildly toasty flavour of Yunnan’s local teas. 

The tea leaves for Golden Snail are carefully picked, processed and rolled into pellets, reminiscent of small snails. The tea has benefited from short-term aging developing a slightly malted sweetness along with a lovely rich aroma. 

A steep of Golden Snail invokes the feeling of the golden hour…that brief window of time just before the sun sets in late summer. During golden hour, when our surroundings are bathed in gold light, everything slows down to a snail’s pace and we are encouraged to arrive in the moment.

Tasting Notes: Showcasing the nature of tea harvest in Yunnan, this tea provides a grounding steep with subtle toasted sweetness. It is comprised of tippy gold buds, lending to the vibrant amber-orange liquor and easy-going appeal of the cup. The steam offers hints of a fresh caramel fragrance. This tea is rich yet smooth and full of flavour, balancing strength and softness. There is an enigmatic linger to this tea that combines a delicate malt, notes of cocoa and tea flowers. If you listen carefully, the Golden 'Snails' may “talk”…a cheerful chatter arises from the steep as the tightly rolled dark leaves and bright buds unfurl below the surface of the hot water.

Brewing Instructions: 2-3g per cup. 100ºC water. Steep 2.5-3 minutes. Drain all tea from the leaf. Explore re-steeps. 

Optional addition of a quick rinse with 100ºC water and letting the leaves steam covered before the initial steeping will bring out even greater complexity of the leaves.

Certified Organic.