Rare Teas

This year's exceptional Silver Needle Reserve comes from the first white tea harvest of spring. Each leaf bud was hand-harvested from a grove of da bai tea trees in Fuding County, Fujian. Covered in a fine layer of protective down (known as trichomes), these tea buds are so light that it takes over 27,000... →

Harvested in Taiwan's highest-elevation and most revered tea region, Da Yu Lin has a level of complexity, aromatics, and flavor that is simply unrivaled by other Formosa oolongs. True Da Yu Lin like this has a reputation as Taiwan’s most coveted tea. At over 8000 feet above sea level, the source garden is close... →

The Phoenix Mountain range historically has been isolated from the rest of Guangzhou due to its remote location and harsh terrain, resulting in the development of distinctly unique tea varieties and traditions. In particular, this persimmon blossom tea was so rare and so desirable that farmers took to calling it... →

After many years in our collection, we have finally reached the end of this aged crop. For a similarly rich, roasted flavor, we recommend exploring Wuyi Oolongs. Until the mid-1980s, Taiwan oolong teas were rolled by hand in small canvas bundles. Hand rolling produced tea clusters that were looser than what... →

Aged oolongs are rare in the world of teas. Unlike pu-erhs that change through microbial activity, oolong leaves age naturally. And whereas pu-erh teas are considered "living teas" that must be exposed to air, aged oolongs are often kept sealed as they age. This tea was sourced in the mid-80's,... →

Song Zhong traces its origins back to the waning days of the Southern Song Dynasty. Locals on Phoenix Mountain tell of the last Song Emperor's flight from the invading Mongols. Tired and thirsty, the emperor was restored with tea brewed from the leaves of a Phoenix Mountain oolong. Today, Song... →

Our Xin Gong Yi white tea was harvested early April from Fuding County, Fujian Province. The hand-picked leaves consist of a bud and single leaf combination. The buds contribute florals and texture to the tea, while the leaves give it complexity.   Xin Gong Yi means "new craft". What distinguishes... →

A refreshing and surprisingly sweet herbal tisane from the mountains of Nantou, Taiwan. This is what we drink after a long day of Formosa Red tasting at Sun Moon Lake. →