Black roughly twisted leaf. This is one of the original scented teas, a smoked tea of the orient. Smoked over burning green pine roots produces the sharp smell & flavor. Strong aromas to the nose, the flavor is more subtle and smoothed by sweetening. The leaf is long and open; and it provides a mild, smooth yet smoky taste.
This Hyson tea from the Anhui Provence of China is perfect hot or iced. The young leaves are thinly rolled and have a twisted appearance that unfurls when brewed.
Grown in a mountainous, often fog shrouded area, the tea is picked in April/May and hand processed by rolling each
leaf and a bud into pearl size balls. The tea is then held until August/September when jasmine is in bloom. When the jasmine flowers begin to open in the cool night air, the "marrying" of the jasmine to the tea happens in two applications, after which the jasmine petals are removed. According to Chinese research, this tea has a higher concentration of Vitamin C and amino acids than other teas. When brewed in a tea press, the leaves unfurl gracefully during a most unique "agony of the leaf."
"The champagne of teas." Fancy Oolong is hand picked only once per year. This tea is a compromise between black and green tea with a delicate peach pit flavor. Although oolongs are not much lower in caffeine, they are considerably lower in acid content than black tea.
