Black tea is made by allowing tea leaves to oxidize. This simple process will turn any cultivar into a black tea and transform the antioxidant of catechin into beautiful tannins. Tannins are the magic taste behind black tea! We offer this set as a vertical discovery pairing to heighten the senses and guide you through the incredible world of black teas from China and Korea. Whether you are an experienced tea drinker or looking for that special gift for someone with a discerning palette, the Taste of China set will surely be well received! Let us take you on a journey through the incredibly rich history and taste of Chinese teas.
1. Lapsang Shen Zhan Xiao Zheng Orchid 正山小种兰
Early spring picked, small leaf black tea with an incredibly sweet aroma and after taste with just a hint of roasting. Medium-bodied with light tannins, delicate, yet pronounced. This style of Lapsang is favored in China and it highlights the quality and taste of the tea from the Tongmu Guan protected region. The mineral sharpness is unmistakably from the Wuyi mountains!
Origin:
Tongmu Guan, China
Cultivar:
Xiao Zhong
Flavor Profile:
Raisins, caramel, roasted walnuts, that lend to purple flowers after the first steepings
Net weight:
50g
2. Tai Yang Hong Cha 太陽味紅茶
One of our favorite teas is back! A special sun-dried variety using a cultivar created in Wuyi and grown and processed in Menghai at 1200m above sea level where the use of pesticides is not necessary because of the high elevation. Tai Yang or "sunshine taste" is a time-consuming technique (machine dried is finished in a few hours) where the leaves are dried in pure sunlight infusing it with a taste very similar to noble rot in wine almost like raisins or dried cherries. This tea will slowly open up its deep layers of taste locked away by the sun over many steepings.
Origin:
Menghai, Yunnan, China
Cultivar:
Hybrid from Wuyi
Flavor Profile:
Woody tannins, cashews, notes of dried cherries, raisin
Net weight:
50g
3. Organic Balhyo Black Tea 발효차
This tea is unique to Korea since it can't be specifically classified as oolong, black, or Puerh and each producer has their own secret technique and tea leaf grade preference. We categorized Balhyo as black by the level of oxidation and taste. The taste is delicate yet pronounced with a full range from beginning to a very long finish. It is hard to describe the satisfaction of drinking this tea so we will leave it up to you to discover and enjoy.
Origin:
Hadong, Korea
Cultivar:
Hadong
Flavor Profile:
The strong aroma is of roasted almonds and cocoa.
Net weight:
50g
