Teas

From the vast plains of Assam, the Banaspaty garden offers us this tea with uniform and slightly broken leaves. Its liquor is straightforward and full-bodied with aromas typical of tobacco, malt and fruit (plum). With or without a cloud of milk! A comforting tea for mornings or dessert.

Japan is not well known for its black teas. It took us five years of research (and tastings) to find a decent representative of this unusual tea style with a true sense of identity. Something both unique and resolutely Japanese in style, adding a new element to our catalogue Smooth, aromatic and bursting with warm flavours, our Yakushima organic rides a fine line between bold and refined.

This biological lot, produced from older tea plants, originates from one of the most famous gardens in Darjeeling. With a full and tasty liquor, the delivery on the palate is lively and aromatic, with full of notes of dry wood, fatty nuts and ripe fruit. Its character, full-bodied and malty, makes this tea a worthy morning companion by its simplicity.

A rich and flavorful mid-flush organic delight that crops up every year in Puttabong Tea Estate (known affectionately as the “Clonal Queen”) just north of Darjeeling town. This blend of cultivars (including the popular AV2 and the elusive T78) presents a well-defined taste profile, easy to follow as it develops in the mouth. Light herbal and flowery head notes moving into darker nuances (incense and muscat) before trailing off with fruity hints at the end (peaches). This year’s thirst quenching Darjeeling by excellence.

This black tea, a recent innovation of Mr He, is composed of long curly leaves decorated with golden buds. In infusion, rich chocolate and gourmet notes (peanut oil) stimulate our senses. Its coppery and smooth liquor unfolds on the palate with an amazing complexity, combining tart, sweet and even umami (oyster) with its nuances of root vegetables (parsnips) and spices. A silky tea from beginning to end.  To learn more about this product, see this blog article.

Located near the Nepalese border, this garden offers a certified organic tea, produced with a sense of tradition. Its liquor, fresh and invigorating, is a pleasant balance between its woody (bark), mineral, cereal and fruity notes. Its finish is highlighted by a subtle hint of muscat aromas. A complete and satisfying tea that will keep delivering on its promise of quality throughout the year!

Rich, sophisticated classic First Flush from the North of Darjeeling. Tukdah is a garden of great reputation that has been very quiet for 10 years and suddenly come back on the scene. This organic lot boasts the traditional compact flavour of established seed-grown plants from the 1890’s and promises to mellow beautifully with age. Lively aromas of herbs, wood and spices, altogether rounded by a subtle zesty finish. Well balanced, great mouth feel: the true spirit of old plant Darjeeling.

This tea from Hunan Province is grown without chemical fertilizers or pesticides and is made solely from lovely rolled golden-hued buds. The result is a surprising liquor that is both silky and aromatic. Rich aromas of caramel and mild spices harmonize well with subtle vegetable notes (corn, tomato, and artichoke hearts) to create a balanced and particularly admirable vintage.

A Chinese black tea with a large quantity of buds known for its woody and earthy fragrance. Its liquor, sweet (malt) and crystalline, is supported by rich, tasty tannins that give it additional body. Spicy and floral aromas lighten this well-grounded tea.

The EX 6 ghanni we are presenting this year is from a tiny 6kg batch of black tea, pure AV2 clonal plants, perfectly showcasing the flavour from the Mahalderam section of Jungpana (Darjeeling).

This up and coming garden once again surprises us with this beautiful batch of leaves and buds. Its sweet liquor, silky and slightly mineral (limestone), holds herbaceous, floral and fruity perfumes (peach) reminiscent of spring at its best. Its sublime finish will make your palate eager for more!