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Clear, uplifting, alpine cedar.  Notes of winter cabin and warm sauna.

Clear, uplifting, alpine cedar.  Notes of winter cabin and warm sauna.

I was very happy to come across this simple, yet quite lovely cedar incense.  It is a very gentle incense that I use often at my desk.  In addition to high quality resinous cedar, there is mugwort and cinnamon that create a sweet and sweet profile.  Not to be missed.  

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Alpine Cedar goes well with any of the dark and aged oolongs.

15g incense ~ 50x 21cm sticks.  Approximate burn time of one stick ~ 30 minutes.

Elegant carved wood incense burner with fireproof fabric for burning the entire incense horizontally.

Beautiful incense burner that burns the entire stick.

Smoke drifts up beautifully through the magnet-attached, coin-patterned lid of this incense burner.  Made with fireproof fabric, this incense burner will burn the entire incense stick horizontally, without leaving tiny unburned nubs, as happens with incense holders.  Fireproof 'fire-cotton' fabric is used so that air can flow easily all around the lit incense stick.  

Incense will not stay lit on a plain, flat surface.  But when placed on the 'fire-cotton' fabric in this incense burner, it will burn easily and safely.

This incense burner can easily hold longer 21cm incense sticks.

Whimsical, abstract dreamscapes with colorful glaze, colored slip, and gold luster.

Whimsically unique porcelain tea bowl adored with abstract dreamscapes.

It's been wonderful to work with Erin Louise Clancy on these custom pieces.   I love her free-flowing brushed glaze style paired with this classic porcelain form.  This size tea bowl is my personal favorite for enjoying tea.  The foot, lip, and overall slope makes for a perfect connection to the hand when drinking.

Each piece is different in glaze, though they all feature the same general motifs of green slip brush strokes, airy pastels, crimson flecks, and touches of gold luster.

190ml
4.25" Wide x 2.25" Tall

The most famous of all cliff oolongs, also known as Great Red Robe, this Wuyi oolong is deeply textured and rich, with a lovely roast that feels ancient. From 20 year old bush.

Notes of chocolate, roasted barley, and old tobacco barn.

The most famous of all cliff oolongs, also known as Great Red Robe, this Wuyi oolong is deeply textured and rich, with a lovely roast that feels ancient.  The cutting for this Da Hong Pao has been in the farmer's family for 3 generations, and the mineral qualities of the tea are quite deep.

The medium oxidizing of these large leaves imparts a red fruitiness while the medium charcoal roast imparts a warmth and caramelization.  The profile is rustic and abundant, like a vast ancient city of wooden buildings, tobacco barns.

Cliff oolongs should be brewed carefully, but because this Da Hong Pao is very sturdy you can extend the brewing times.  I recommend 195 degree water with a 2 minute infusions. 

Notes of chocolate, malt, yam, and cherry and pine woods.

This lively black tea comes from a Spring picking, and the amount of golden bud down is astonishing.  Harvested and prepared in Wuyishan, China (Huang Gang Shan).

The initial impression of the tea is that it is truly special. A high quality tea will have strong grounding qi from well maintained land, and strong active qi from the human hands that prepared it. And the more facets of the process that are carried out by humans the better, at least in terms of quality and vibrance. This is a tea in which the qi and artistry is clearly evident.

There are flavors in this tea that harken back to ancient times, it seems. There are notes of earthy sweet vegetables like yam, chocolate, and tobacco. And the feeling of drinking Jin Jun Mei is that of taking a journey. There is a robust delicacy to this tea, and in the notes from my first tasting of this tea I wrote cryptically, “golden-feather.”

This tea should brew with 195 degree water with infusions around 45+ seconds. The resulting brew is a clear amber with superb texture and an evolving profile

Leaf-hopper cicadas are allowed to nibble on the leaves of this tea before picking. The resulting tea has a blooming rose and spiced-honey profile.

Notes of spiced honey, roses, and toasted cashew.

Gui Fei Red, also known as Concubine Oolong is one of the sweetest oolongs.  It is from a category of tea we refer to as leaf-bitten oolong, and it has a dynamic profile that pairs a mild charcoal roast to fully maintained bouquet of honeyed flowers. 

Leaf-bitten teas deserve to be in a category of their own.  There are several stories about how Gui Fei’s preparation method came to pass, and it appears that the most reliable story is that in 1999 there was an earthquake in central Taiwan and the tea farmers of Fenghuang village were forced to evacuate.  Upon returning the farmers noticed that the tea plants had been overrun with cicadas that had nibbled on the leaves and stems.  They processed the least damaged leaves and found that an almost magical transformation had occurred.  Tea tasted completely different with an intense sweetness.

Shortly after the cicadas had bitten the leaves the plant created more sugars to heal itself.  In addition, the leaves began to oxidize while still living on the bush, as opposed to the post-harvest human-assisted oxidation that commonly happens by tossing and rolling the leaves.

To this day same Fenghuang farmers near the Phoenix Mountain range in Taiwan encourage the little “leaf-hoppers” as they call them to nibble on the leaves to create this Gui Fei.  There is now a beautiful, mutually beneficial 4-way symbiotic relationship between the cicada, the tea plant, the farmer, and the tea drinker.

Gui Fei has a tendency to be tricky to brew.  It’s best to get to know this tea with shorter infusions.  We use 200 degree water with 30 second infusions.   The first infusion before the leaves open fully will be a delicate preview of the fireworks to come.  Latter infusions have a profile that is a lot like a robust Oriental Beauty with extra sweetness.  As the mouth-feel fades after the 4th infusion, the nose continues to bloom like a lively rose garden.

Featured Review

This tea is fruity sweet and citrusy too with touch of roasted nuts. Complex, changing with every steep. so delicious and refreshing during heat wave we experiencing now.

Dry leaf smelled so good of roasted nuts.

5g 100ml glazed pot 200F no rinse/30/15/10/15/20 sec etc

Boychik

Phenomenal, traditional Japanese incense made with fragrant woods, spices, featuring natural aloeswood, sandalwood, and camphor.

Traditional Japanese incense, notes of water, spice, and dark wood.

This traditional incense is made from pulverized aloeswood and sandalwood, combined with spices such as benzoin, cinnamon, and camphor; blended and joined with sake.  This is one of my all-time favorite incenses, and it always strikes me with a focusing feeling.

I encourage experimentation with incense and tea pairing, but I think that Hone goes well with any of the dark and aged oolongs.

15g incense ~ 46x 14cm sticks.  Approximate burn time of one stick ~ 30 minutes.

Competition-wining oolong with a masterful roast, this well-articulated Dong Ding oolong is a testament to expertise.

Notes of open flowers, caramel, spiced plum, and clove.

This medium-roasted Dong Ding is a balancing act of whimsy and depth, built on a Taiwanese floral high mountain oolong with a mesmerizing 50% roast that bakes a light caramel into the tea.  I consider this tea to have the essence of artful preparation paired with ideal growing conditions. 

High mountain oolongs grow with smaller leaves because of the increased altitude.  Because of this the floral notes in the leaf become more concentrated and sought after.  Non-roasted high mountain teas have a beautiful elegance that is some delightfully ephemeral, with a taste sweetly evaporates.  But when those same high mountain oolongs are roasted a new depth appears that is very dynamic.

I enjoy when a tea has multiple lines of direction.  For instance, this Medium Roast Dong Ding has floral notes with an upward moving sensation or energy, and it also has grounding notes from the roast with a downward moving energy.  This dual movement is quite lovely to experience.

Dong Ding is one of the great tea mountains in central Taiwan, and this tea comes from the Lugu township in Nantou county, home of Dong Ding mountain.  This oolong uses the famous Qing Xin cultivar, brought from China during the Qing dynasty.  Qing Xin, also known as Gentle Green Heart is very delicate and only suitable for high mountain growth, but it’s hard-earned flavor profile has notes of plum, cloves, and honeysuckle.

Brew this oolong with 200 degree water using 2 minute infusions.  The first infusion will be a light preview of the floral notes, while later infusions will quickly bring out the depth of the roast.

Smooth texture with vegetal notes of kelp and gyokuro, this caffeine-free herbal tea is uncannily similar to steamed Japanese green teas. 

Notes of seaweed, grass, and deep-steamed, fresh sencha.

The deep-steamed Mulberry leaves (kuwacha) are uncannily similar to a traditional Japanese green tea like sencha or gyokuro. This uncommon tea is naturally caffeine-free and brews with a silky, vegetal profile. Like a fine Japanese green tea, it has oceanic elements with a smooth, mouthwatering umami texture.

By look, smell, or texture, Mulberry is similar to a traditional Japanese green tea like sencha or gyokuro. These pesticide-free mulberry leaves grown in the coastal Miyagi prefecture in Japan, and are prepared in a similar deep-steamed fashion to high quality green teas, achieving a beautiful and rich infusion. It’s clear that the coastal environmental qualities are present in this tea.

It’s very interesting to me how the sencha preparation technique can alter the mulberry leaf. Other mulberry leaf teas we’ve tried from Thailand and China do not have the unique characters of this mulberry tea. This mulberry leaf tea is a great example of how, given similar plant species, preparation technique and local terroir can affect the final product of tea, even an herbal tea.

In Japan, mulberry tea is becoming popular as a delicious alternative to traditional green tea. In addition to these small, dark green, whole leaves, a powdered version of mulberry leaf can be used in place of matcha.

Brew this tea like a sturdy sencha, but use warmer water, around 200 degrees. Use a medium infusion at the beginning, around 45 seconds, followed by 2 minute infusions, or longer. This tea will not become astringent, but longer infusions will bring out more and more umami flavor. The trick is to not overdo that buttery umami texture. This is a fun tea to experiment with.

Robust, textured, and clearly unique among flower teas, this caffeine-free tea is both light and heavy, both fragrant and earthy.

Notes of pinot noir, honey, and alpine flowers.

The vibrant red and gold flowers of Snow Honey Chrysanthemum are as beautiful as they are delicious.  This is a rare treat as a naturally caffeine-free herbal tea because it has many notes, a beautiful scent, and a viscous texture.  And it can be steeped across several infusions.  It is my favorite herbal tea by far, with a profile that is incredibly bright and pungent.

There are three general types of chrysanthemum flowers used in tea production, and the most common of the three are white and yellow chrysanthemum.  Both white and yellow chrysanthemum have a peppery quality to them that is somewhat medicinal, but very unique and pleasant.  The third type of chrysanthemum, Snow Honey, has a completely different character.

Snow Honey Chrysanthemum has deeply floral notes similar to high mountain oolongs, and similarly it is only grown in the high altitudes of Kunlun Shan, China.  It is the only high mountain chrysanthemum.  Robust, textured, and clearly unique among flower teas, this caffeine-free tea is both light and heavy, both fragrant and earthy. 

I brew this tea like an non-roasted high mountain oolong with short infusions using 200 degree water.  Try 30 second infusions for a lighter body with a lovely fragrance.  Increase time to 2 minutes to bring out the pungent, deep texture.  This is definitely a tea that deserves exploration, and will do well in many brewing circumstances.

Translucent when held to light, matte pearl finish, easy to use, traditional and elegant. 

Translucent when held to light, matte pearl porcelain, lean, traditional and elegant.

Nothing speaks of traditional tea brewing like a Gaiwan (蓋碗 Gàiwǎn). This tea brewing device is versatile and elegant with its roots reaching back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Its versatility is due to the use of porcelain and its ability to not carry scents or flavors from the various teas brewed in it. Gaiwans have traditionally been used for green tea and white teas because they do not affect the lighter and subtle flavors or fresher teas.

The gaiwan can also be used as a cup to drink the tea from and not just a brewing instrument. In China it is common to see people sipping their green tea from a gaiwan with the lid still on as a means to hold back the tea leaves. When the gaiwan is used as a drinking device all three of its parts are used, the lid, cup and saucer. The lid has multiple functions.  It can be used to keep the water warm and as a strainer when pouring and drinking to hold back the leaves. The cup is used for brewing and drinking and the saucer is used for holding the gaiwan if it is hot or for setting it down.

The use of a gaiwan is related to Gongfu tea service which roughly translates as “skilled” tea service.  The reason that “gongfu” tea service has the notion of skilled is that the preparation requires focus and attention to detail requiring a degree of skilled action. The use of a gaiwan is not difficult but does require skill in that the upper lid is used as a filter for the tea leaves when poured. What makes a gaiwan more or less difficult is the flare of the lip on the cup. The wider the flare of the lip of the cup the easier it is to hold, use and pour. The lip cannot be too wide which would make it difficult to handle with one hand, which is how gaiwans are traditionally poured.  We looked for gaiwans that are beautiful and easy to use, all three of the handcrafted gaiwans that we have sourced from China meet this criteria.

150ml

Beautiful texture, sweet high notes and foretaste followed by a rich pit fruit finish that is cooling and welcoming.

Notes of candied cherries and dried prunes, with a cooling finish.

Immediately striking, this beautiful and vibrant black tea is a unique treat.  The sensation of drinking this tea is as if it were sweetened, but there is no sugar added.  The color of brewed tea is a beautiful orange red, and the scent is rich and welcoming.

Taiwan is world renowned for its oolong tea but little is known of its phenomenal Black tea which is often referred to as Sun Moon Lake Black tea due to the location of its growth and production. This black tea is as unique and special as the oolong produced on the special island.

Ruby #8 is one of the earliest cultivars from the Taiwan Tea Research and Extension Station (TTES) to use Assamica, which was imported to Taiwan in the 1920's.  

The tea brews with a red-orange color, medium body, and smooth texture.  We recommend brewing with 200 degree water for the first infusion which should be 1 minute.  Increasing brew time with subsequent infusions.

This high mountain oolong imparts a profile that is both toasty and floral.  The GABA process imparts smoothness and maintains depth.

Notes of sesame, toast, dandelion flowers, and chocolate.

This high mountain GABA oolong has qualities of a delicate high mountain oolong as well as the smoothness form GABA processing.  It was grown and prepared in Nantou, Taiwan.

GABA stands for Gamma-Aminobutyric acid. It is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. In Asia, particularly Japan, there is significant health buzz about it as being very calming, lowering stress and anxiety, helping abate mental fatigue, reducing risks of cancer, etc…

The process of making GABA tea is unique.  Instead of oxidizing the leaves, the harvested leaves are processed and reduced in an oxygen free, nitrogen rich environment.  The result is a tea that tastes smoother and warmer than a similarly oxidized tea.

There are notes of toasted sesame that later transform into a humid summer's day of cutting wild bramble, followed by returning to the house for a piece of rich chocolate.

Brew with 195 degree water for 2 minute infusions.  To bring out more of the nutty quality increase the time.  This is a forgiving tea that can handle lots of variation in brew time so feel free to experiment.

Stainless steel tea basket with porcelain saucer.

Stainless steel tea basket with porcelain saucer.

One of the easiest ways to brew tea is with a basket infuser.  This simple brewing device is large enough for the leaves to expand and very easy to clean.

The saucer is made by Erin Louise Clancy in the same style as the Dreamscape tea bowl and incense burner

Infuser: 2.5" Wide opening x 2" Tall 

Saucer: 3" Wide

Delicate, yet rich floral oolong with lots of high mountain flavor.   Grown on the sunset face of Li Shan mountain in Taiwan.

Notes of gardenia, pine needles, sweet grass, and Spring.

The floral and clear fragrance and taste of this high altitude oolong grown on famous Li Shan mountain.  These tea bushes were planted on the western face of Hehuan peak, so these leaves received the cooling sunset light after the heat of mid-day.  The result is quite astounding, and the fragrance is like that of the famous Da Yu Ling oolong.

Li Shan means Pear Mountain, and it is part of the Jade Mountain range where the best fruits and some of the most sought after oolongs originate.  Li Shan itself is part of the Ho Ping Township in Taichung County.  Growing tea in the cool high altitudes causes the leaves to be a bit smaller, concentrating the floral notes.   And only certain varieties of tea do well in this environment.

Qing Xin is the variety used in this Li Shan oolong, and it is largely regarded as the best variety for high mountain growth.  It was introduced to Taiwan from China in the early Qing dynasty.  Qing Xin means Gentle Green Heart, and some say this refers to the delicacy of the leaves that can only grow with high-altitude.  Some say it refers to the delicacy of the tea, which like the scent of jasmine, is hard to hold on to and floats away from memory.

West Peak Li Shan is a very lightly processed tea.  After the hand-picked harvest, the teas are briefly oxidized and rolled so that upon brewing the leaves gradually open, slowly releasing their fragrance of gardenia and nectarine.  The body of the tea has a feeling in the mouth that is quite buttery, sweet, and cooling.

Brew this high mountain oolong with 195 degree water for 1 minute.  Add a minute to the brewing time with each additional infusion.