News
Does Tea Go Bad?
The shelf life of tea is a common topic of discussion among tea drinkers. We often see questions such as:
- Can tea go bad?
- How do I keep my loose leaf tea fresh?
- Which teas have longer or shorter shelf lives?
Let's look at some of the factors that affect how long your tea stays fresh.
Caffeine in Oolong Tea (Updated)
Does Oolong Tea have caffeine? Yes, and this guide shows you exactly how much caffeine is in Oolong Tea, and precisely how Oolong tea caffeine content is related to the way you brew, how long you steep, and even the type of growing and processing methods used.
Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Winter 2020
This year's winter batch is closer to the classic Li Shan High Mountain Oolong in that it is less oxidized than our recent batches from this source. Minimal oxidation offers more aromatic complexity, and a more delicate and fresh flavor profile. Watch the video below for a detailed tasting of this new batch in comparison with the previous fall batch of tea, as well as last winter's batch — all from the same farm, made by the same craftsmen.
2020 Nantou Global Tea Expo
The Nantou Global Tea Expo is by far Taiwan’s largest tea event and this year marked the 11th year of the annual event. The event featured various hands on activities, performances, formal tea services representing many different cultures, and literally hundreds of tea vendors selling their tea. This year included a pig roast competition! Our organic tea farmer friend Edan was the only one who could say that his award winning organic tea was for sale on site, AND show up in the capacity of a professional pig roaster!
Charcoal Roasted High Mountain Oolong Spring 2020
Our newly arrived batch of Charcoal Roasted High Mountain Oolong was harvested in spring 2020 from a farm at 1400m elevation in the Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Tea growing region. Compared with our previous batch from the same farm that was harvested in fall 2019, this new batch is noticeably more substantial and balanced in character.
Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong Tea Fall 2020 Harvest
It brews a clear, bright, yellow/green tea with a balanced creamy savory aroma and a satisfying savory scone flavor profile, with subtle floral notes in the finish. It's character really comes forth after the brew has cooled to room temperature.
Alishan High Mountain Oolong Fall 2020 Tea Sourcing Trip
It was a beautiful morning, and although the sun was quite strong, it felt so good to be doing what we love most — riding into the hills to source quality Taiwanese Tea! We've ridden this rode at dozens of times over the last 20+ years, and it never gets old. Each time we take this trip, we see these mountains in a different light. As far as we recall, this is the first time we stopped at this awesome spot on this bridge!
Shan Lin Xi High Mountain Oolong Fall 2020
In the end, each seasonal crop has its own unique combination of contributing factors that give it a slightly different aromatic and flavor profile than other seasons. We really enjoy experiencing these seasonal variations from the same plot of tea processed in the same basic way. We encourage our High Mountain Oolong fans to follow suit in order to more fully understand this type of tea and how it can vary from season to season.
Li Shan High Mountain Oolong Fall 2020
The fall harvest of high elevation farms is somewhat of a well kept secret in terms of the value for the money. Like all High Mountain Oolong growing regions, the local market price is more than a third cheaper than spring and winter harvests. But the fact remains that the difference in these harvests in only a few months apart! Different growing seasons have clearly noticeable influences on the constitution of the new leaf growth, and as a result — of the character of tea that is made from them. However, while the differences are notably significant, they are not at all drastic!
Red Jade Black Tea Upgrade
Our source of Red Jade Black Tea (Tai Cha 18) is a success story in progress. And his most recent advancement in his operations has been to optimize the quality control of his Red Jade production. He is only using his prime summer produce for making his Red Jade Black Tea, and designating the early and late harvests for Ruby White Tea making. He has also begun to be more precise in timing of harvests, and picky (no pun intended!) about the selection of hand-picked leaves to reap only the proper degree of maturity in the new leaf growth.
5 Refreshing Homemade Iced Tea Recipes to Beat the Heat
A refreshing glass of iced tea made from freshly brewed loose-leaf tea is a delicious and satisfying way to beat the summer heat, and it's easy too! You can use your leftover hot brewed tea and shake it up in a cocktail shaker. Here are five spontaneous gourmet iced-tea creations that we've recently concocted, and enjoyed immensely!
Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong Summer 2020: Buttered Love
This batch of Alishan High Mountain Jin Xuan Oolong summer 2020 harvest has a very pronounced buttery character. Starting with the leaves put into the pre-heated tea judging cup, they exuded a pronounced buttered toast/popcorn aroma. But the flavor profile is replete with an uncanny buttered popcorn note, it's almost unbelievable! How can tea leaves do this?! It's not only buttered popcorn either! There are distinct floral and vegetal notes that balance out the incredulous and delicious buttered popcorn flavor. OK, enough repetitive description! Click here to get your share.