The Essence of Tea

Black Teas

Robust, full bodied, and bold

Such characteristics describe the taste and appeal of black tea. When brewed, black tea typically yields a hearty, amber cup.


Types of Black Teas:

Doomni Estate, Golden - Tipped Assam:
Abundance of rare golden tips creates a lighter, more fragrant version of the traditional hearty Assam from the Doomni Estate.
Noted: Very Malty.

Kopili Estate Special Assam:
Bold but very drinkable, this unique Assam is bursting with rich, round flavor.
Noted: In a class by itself, this tea is highly recommended.

Darjeeling Estate, Golden Tipped:
Prized first flush tea grown at over 6000 feet. Exquisite floral aroma and pugnent nutty taste.
Noted: Abundant golden tips.

Namring Estate Darjeeling:
First flush from the renouned Namring Estate in Darjeeling, India.
Noted: Beautiful flavor with a delicate, flowery finish.

Kenilworth Estate Ceylon:
From one of the most famous tea gardens in Sri Lanka. Long attractive leaves, exquisite flavor and subtle body.
Noted: Excellent afternoon tea.

Ceylon Breakfast:
An ultra smooth version of English Breakfast with a beautiful golden color in the cup.

China Keemun:
The burgundy of teas from Anhui Province in China. Full bodied with a light toasty taste.
Noted: A Classic.

Pu - erh:
Recognized in the Orient for its medicinal properties. Red liquor with unique, slightly earthy taste.

Kongfu Black Tea:
Smooth, full bodied tea with dark leaves ad golden tips.
Noted: An excellent breakfast cup with rich, mellow flavor with a slightly smokey finish.


Green Teas

Green Tea has a delicate yet distinctive taste, and can be almost colorless in the cup to pale green or golden. Some green teas have a vegetal taste that is highly desired by green tea lovers.


Types of Green Teas

Gyokuro Asahi Pearl Dew:
Finest green tea from Japan. Plucked from only first flush leaves.
Noted: This tea has a delicate sweetness with rich intense flavor.

Darjeeling Green:
Very rare tea, lighter and more delicate than Darjeeling black tea with distinct green tea flavor notes and a light golden color.

Earl Green:
Blend of top quality green teas scented with fragrant bergamot.
Noted: All the goodness of green tea with the distinctive flavor of Earl Grey.

Royal Candlestick:
An extra delight for the tea connoisseur. A golden calendula flower 'blooms' when boiling water is added to each small hand tied bundle of this tea.

Wild Green:
This tea is harvested from wild tea trees in the mountains of China.
Noted: Translucent in the cup, its medium bodied in flavor witha lingering hint of smokiness and a slight astringency.

Lucky Flower:
This smooth Chinese green tea is hand tied into delicate flower petals that retain their unique shape when infused.
Noted: This green tea is a very pale liquor, yet full green tea flavor.

Curled Dragon Silvertip:
Chinese tea valued for its beautiful appearace. It's young, tender tips are hand rolled into a round, twisted shape.
Noted: Delicate fragrance with a smooth flavor and sweet finish.

Jasmine Yin Hao:
Tea enriched with jasmine flowers has been a favorite since the Sung dynasty.
Noted: The finest of the 19 grades of this celebrated Chinese scented tea.

Emerald Goddess:
Deep green hand twisted leaves produce a sophisticated full bodied cup with flavor notes that grow more dramatic with each cup.
Noted: This green tea is complex and rewarding.

Dragonwell Special Grade:
China's most famous green tea. Named after a benevolent dragon in Chinese mythology.
Noted: Flat green leaf yields a light, sweet tea with classic flavor and bouquet.


Oolong & White Tea

While many people are familiar with black and green tea, they may not know as much about Oolong and White teas. Oolong tea is between black and green tea in color and taste. China and Taiwan are the main producers of Oolong tea. White tea typically has a lighter, more delicate taste than other teas. White tea is the least processed.

Oolong Tea:
Oolong tea should be brewed with water between 160 ~ 180 degrees for 3 - 5 minutes.
Some Oolongs can be infused multiple times.

White Tea:
Brew White tea with water reaching the first hint of steam, around 150 ~ 170 degrees.
Steep for approximately 2 minutes, although some may be steeped longer.
As with any tea, brewing times vary according to personal preference.


Tea Trivia
The Truth About Herbal Tea

Herbal teas do not come from the camellia sinensis bush and therefore are not ''true'' teas. Herbal teas are made of grasses like lemongrass, barks like cinnamon, fruits like orange peel, flowers like chamomile and hibiscus, and many other botanicals. Flavored blends start with Premium teas that are combined with spices and natural flavor extracts from around the world.


Chinese Tea Bricks

Centuries ago the inventive Chinese pressed dust from tea into bricks to use as tea money for trading with Mongolia and Tibet. The tea bricks were even scored so they could be easily broken to make change.


Tea Facts

True teas are made from the dried leaves of the Camellia sinensis, the tea plant, first cultivated in China and found growing wild in India. Tea leaves are harvested and processed into four types of tea, ~ Black, Green, Oolong or White. Black tea is withered, fully oxidized and dried. It yields a hearty, amber colored brew. Green tea skips the oxidizing step. It has a more delicate taste and is a pale green tea in color. Oolong is a cross between Black and Green tea in color and taste. White tea is the least processed. Flavored blends start with premium teas that are combined with spices and natural flavor extracts from around the world.

Herbal teas contain no true tea leaves but are created from an international collection of herbs and spices such as Moroccan rosebuds, Oregon mint, tropical hibiscus, cinnamon from Indonesia, to name a few. These all natural botanical ingredients are combined to create exciting flavors and aromas in a rainbow of colors from pale yellow to deep red. Each type of herbal tea has its very own unique taste and aroma.