Widely consumed, a tea that has traveled with merchants and nomads for centuries, Pu-erhs are some of the oldest, most complex teas yet are largely unknown in the western world. As Pu-erhs age, they develop an earthy aroma and a sweet, full-bodied taste. They come in many, many shapes and forms - green and dark, loose leaf, compressed by hand and machine into nuggets, bricks and cakes of all sizes; aged in bamboo and baskets, fired and aged in citrus rinds and innumerable other materials, all to create unusual tea. Unlike all other teas, pu-erh is actually aged. and the leaves go through a natural fermentation process before the tea is gently dried. This creates a cup with zero astringency and deep, rich body. Pu-erh is extraordinarily smooth and deeply refreshing.

White tea in its most natural form is made of unopened bud sets and is famously known as Yin Zhen or Silver Needle. Unopened, the buds show a covering of fine, downy white hair. The tea maker preserves these natural attributes and the sweet, subtle notes held within. The result is savory liquor that cups clean, straw-colored. Its flavors suggest light honey and chestnut. Rich in aroma and taste, white teas are ideal if you savor the unusual and nuanced tastes of early spring.

The least oxidized of teas, green varietals offer flavors ranging from sweet, vegetal and cream-like to toasty, nutty and clean.

Oolongs offer an appealing range of appearances and aromas that are wonderfully varied, from floral and herbaceous to nectar, honey-sweet and roasted notes. They are processed in a myriad of ways to coax and develop complexity and flavor. Leaf appearances range widely from very large and rolled, long and slender to light green, rich red-brown to nearly black. The rich flavors of these semi-oxidized teas results from a painstaking process of tumbling or otherwise bruising the surface of the leaves, rolling or twisting the leaves and lastly, firing them to enhance these flavors and then to arrest

Aromatic, naturally sweet, soft, smooth and full bodied, fruity, malty, chocolate, hints of smoke are all apt descriptions of our Chinese black teas. Given that the Chinese prefer their black teas unblended and unscented, our blacks reflect this. They are made with a lighter touch in the oxidizing step to preserve the nuanced tastes and natural sweetness of the varietals.