Teance Fine Teas Blog

Teance Fine Teas

6 Posts Back Home

One more treat not to be missed: Mr. Wei has successfully…

Tea Adventures

One more treat not to be missed: Mr. Wei has successfully produced an amazing Gongfu Red tea, oxidized for 48 hours naturally, made with the very top of the line Phoenix Almond leaves. I will have just about 10 lbs of this and will make it available for pre- order soon. I am highly motivated to do these Gongfu Red teas justice- from now on, Black teas are black teas made by machine. Gongfu Hongcha or Red tea made by hand, will have its own category. You wouldn’t call a diamond glass, champagne a beverage, nor poetry the alphabet, right?

The name of this tea will be Phoenix Almond Gongfu Red. There is really, nothing black tea about it. Once you have all tried it, (should be online under Pre-order soon) hopefully you’ll know why it must be a different category!

Keep Reading

There, I made an attempt to include myself in a photo as some of…

Tea Adventures

There, I made an attempt to include myself in a photo as some of you don’t believe that I made these trips, wrote the blog, climbed the trees, picked the leaves, hauled them in, produced the tea… At least true up to the climbing the tea trees part.

No, istockphoto.com is not where these photos came from. I have logged millions of miles and have multi thousands of photos by now, celebrating over 15 years buying tea professionally from source farms.

Keep Reading

It’s all in the hands. Mr. Wei says that rough, large hands with…

Tea Adventures

It’s all in the hands. Mr. Wei says that rough, large hands with crude hand motions will not make nuanced, elegant tea. The secret to his superior quality lies in his ability to sensitively drive all the astringency out of the leaves in its initial withering and tumbling- fluffing, as he calls it. Takes 5-6 hours repeatedly to fluff the leaves, bring the aromas up to the surface, remove the bitter juices, all by touch. One taste of his tea in comparison to other artisans at the same village and you’ll be convinced.
This year’s Ya Sai, or Duck Poop Phoenix Oolong made by Mr. Wei, is an aficionado’s dream. Any oolong fan must put this on the bucket list.

Keep Reading

Quick update: it survived. The Song Zong mother tree that is now…

Tea Adventures

Quick update: it survived. The Song Zong mother tree that is now 700 years old survived a mad man’s random hacking, but seems to have regained its 15 or so feet in height, and there was even an opening ceremony a few days ago to pray to the tea gods to bless the harvest and protect the tree. The yield from the tree this year: 3 jins (3.5 lbs), consecrated to the earthly gods the Communist government officials.

Keep Reading

Phoenix Mountain Single Grove trees, producing some of the most…

Tea Adventures

Phoenix Mountain Single Grove trees, producing some of the most unique Oolongs in the world. There is no other tea that tastes anything close to it. Tall trees that require being perched precariously on branches or on ladders in order to harvest, and inherently there are more branches than leaves as the trees age, which makes the skill and labor requirements all the more demanding. Many of these trees exceed a century or more in age at the top of Wudong Peak, with some of the oldest exceeding 500 years old. Of course, the older the root stock, the deeper and complex the taste. And the tea pickers? The older the age, the faster and lighter the touch. This morning, I watched a bunch of 60 year olds get atop these century old trees at harvest, in the gently swaying wind, loud swallows buzzing about, an intense tea fragrance surrounding everything. Trekking all the way here from California doesn’t seem like much effort in comparison.

Keep Reading

The name Ya Sai, or Duck Poop, has to be the best name in the…

Tea Adventures

The name Ya Sai, or Duck Poop, has to be the best name in the history of tea. Mr. Wei says their tree was constantly being clipped by fellow villagers once upon a time centuries ago, because the fragrance of its leaves was superior above all other Phoenix tea varietals. The family thought of a clever idea: they named their tree ‘Duck Poop ’ after the multitudes of ducks resting beneathe the tree. Other villagers, in hearing this gross out name, stopped coming around to steal the tea branches. It is the greatest reverse marketing idea ever thought of.
I think it’s a great name. The tea, with its deprecatingly down to earth name, was anything but- superbly elegant in its mango peel and ripe apple flower aroma, light yet memorable front notes on the palate of almonds and honey water, a salivating middle, and a long lingering finish. Not a trace of astringency. It is nothing short of heavenly levels, attributed to not only the trees themselves, but Mr. Wei’s expert handiwork. After all, a Rose by any other name would smell just as sweet, and Duck Poop oolong is one such example.

Keep Reading
Navigate