TNW Best

There's an often-told story behind the unappetizing name. They say a famous and successful tea farmer got so fed up with everyone asking about the secret to his masterpiece oolong that he started to make a joke, telling everyone that the secret to his tea was the duck droppings he used as fertilizer for his plants.

This Oolong is baked using charcoal twice. The tea is first baked using an oven with a lower temperature (90c) for about 8 hours to remove the water content in the tea leaves. Rest for 3 weeks, and then baked using charcoal for 18 hours with 120c temperature. This tea will taste better when it has been aged for at least 4 to 6 months.

It's nutty and addicting like a toasted peanut. It's floral, but not overwhelmingly floral, just the perfect amount of floral notes. It's comforting and makes you want to just relax and forget about all the problems going on in the world.

Alternate Name: Ya Shi Xiang

Harvest: Spring 2020 

Elevation: 1200m

Origin: Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province

Notes: Floral, Toasted Peanuts, Comforting, 

 One of Leo's favorite teas, and one of the most popular teas in the store!

If you're looking for an excellent example of high mountain tea that is more than just a famous name, this is the tea for you.

We chose this 2020 harvest because it's one of the teamaker's most favorite batches in recent years. It's a myth that high mountain oolong can't be aged over time. If made well, they can age just as well as any pu-erh or dark oolong. 

This tea is all about texture. Super rich, buttery, and almost luxurious, a hallmark of a good high mountain tea. The flavor is sweet and fresh, without being overly floral or green. The aftertaste is even sweeter.

Alishan is one of the most iconic high mountain regions in Taiwan, but not all Alishan oolongs are created equal. Because Alishan is so famous, there's a big range of quality on the market.

Our Alishan is made by one of the region's most famous teamasters, with leaves picked in a natural garden. She has been working with the same leaves for more than 20 years, and knows how to bring out the best in every harvest. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used for the tea which really captures the essence of the high mountain environment. We're big fans! 

Origin: Alishan, Taiwan

Harvest: Spring 2020

Notes: creamy, buttery, sweet

First invented in 2005, Jin Jun Mei was originally created as a close alternative for Chinese who couldn't appreciate the flavor of the robust smoked Lapsang Souchong black tea that Westerners tend to enjoy. Jin Jun Mei debuted the same year as the unsmoked version of Lapsang Souchong. The main difference between them is that Jin Jun Mei is made exclusively of the buds, whereas unsmoked Lapsang Souchong uses two leaves to one bud.

The translation of this tea into English may be confusing - "Golden Steed Eyebrow" - but there's nothing confusing about the taste! Deep chocolate notes lead to a full-bodied tea that's almost thick like honey, leaving a sweet aftertaste.

Origin: Wuyi Mountain, China

Notes: Honey, Chocolate, Malt

Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe) is a heavily oxidized, dark oolong tea. The real, original Da Hong Pao is hardly existed anymore because there are barely any of the original tea tree left. If any vendors told you that they have the real 100% pure Da Hong Pao, you should be extra cautious.

Our Da Hong Pao is a blend of the old tree Hua Xiang Shui Xian, Rou Gui, Qi Lan, and Qi Dan. Qi Dan is the pure Da Hong Pao cut from the original mother tree of Da Hong Pao. Mostly use Qi Dan in this blend because it has an incredible amount of energy. Qi Lan is added for the aroma; sweet, floral and rocky aroma. Rou Gui is added for the sweet, spice, and cinnamon aroma. And finally, Hua Xiang Shui Xian is added for the floral, fresh aroma. Four amazing cultivars blend into an amazing Da Hong Pao. No other Da Hong Pao blends can have the complexity of this Da Hong Pao. A pure enjoyment tea to have at any time.   

Origin: Wu Yi, Fujian, China

Notes: Refreshing Minerals, Charcoal, Cinnamon, Prunes

When thinking about the most famous green tea from China, Dragon Well topped the list. Green tea is largely unoxidized. The oxidation of Chinese green tea is controlled by using the pan-firing method. Perhaps most green tea in the world tries to pan-fire a green tea to copy the style and tradition of Dragon Well.

This pan-firing method keeps the "juice' within the leaf while driving the moisture out of the leaf. The tea master then presses and flattened each leaf by hand. A time-consuming effort that only an experienced tea maker can accomplish. As a result of the pan-firing, Dragon Well is especially nutty, vegetal, and umami. A great tea to drink in the morning. 

This Dragon Well green tea is truly unique. Sourced from the most famous place for a Dragon Well Longjing green tea. This handpicked green tea is very rare and only able to be harvested around 20 kg a year. We are fortunate to be able to carry such a quality green tea. 

Recommended brewing temperature: 205º Fahrenheit or 95º Celcius

Alternate Name: Xihu Longjing

Origin: Xihu, Zhejiang Province, China

Harvest: 2020 Spring

Notes: Sweet, creamy, vegetal, nutty

From time to time there is a tea that changes everyone's perspective of what good tea should be. Sometimes it's because it came from a famous mountain, sometimes because of the reputable farmer, and sometimes because the tea has been aged for a certain period of time. This tea is almost an accidental discovery for us.  We always know that Shuixian is a very special tea, famous for its incredible tea energy (Cha Qi).  What we didn't know is how this tea develops amazing texture and sweetness when it was aged. The texture is heavy and thick. The flavor is earthy with a touch of sweetness.

Another amazing discovery we found while brewing this tea is that this tea can be brew so many times. Much more than the younger Shuixian. The taste becoming sweeter as the later brew goes. And because this tea has been aged, you'll get a feeling of "tea drunk" fairly easily.  

Since this tea is pretty mild, you can use more tea when brewing gongfu style. We recommend using boiling water with about 6-7 grams of loose leaf for around 120ml teapot, with a quick rinse on the first steep. After the initial rinse, steep about 5 seconds on the second steep. Add additional 5 seconds for each additional brew. You'll expect the tea tasting like an aged white tea after the fourth or fifth steep, which is kind of unique. This is definitely the tea for the ages!

Origin: Wu Yi, China

Notes: Sweet Cinnamon, Sugarcane, Crumb Donuts

Origin: Alishan, Taiwan

Harvest: Winter 2020

Notes: Creamy, buttery, sweet

As delicate and airy as high mountain oolong gets!

Because this tea is so soft and delicate, brew this tea on its own in a dedicated session to get the best out of the leaves.

Yushan is a lesser known region in Taiwan, since most of the Yushan area is a protected national park where tea cultivation is not allowed. This particular garden is just outside the national park but in the same gorgeous, high elevation environment. No pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used in the garden, which really captures the essence of the high mountain environment. 

Winter Harvest:

This super elegant Yushan is made from a special winter harvest called dong pian, or winter petal, which only happens when the weather conditions allow the tea bushes to sprout twice during the winter. Dong pian harvests don't happen every year, and when they do happen, the yield is lower but the leaves are more concentrated and sweet. 

Notes: Sweet, Delicate, Airy

Origin: Yushan, Taiwan