Beyond the Leaf

Big Red Robe, or Da Hong Pao, is the signature tea of the Wuyi Mountains. Learn how it relates to Rock Oolong and why its name can mean several things. Read More

Most tea producing countries largely specialize in producing one kind of tea (and many of these are excellent). China is different. It has the knowledge, the history, the location, and... Read More

I’ve written about Mr. Lin Rui Fu before and don’t hide my admiration for him. As a guy from a Midwestern, blue-collar family, I relate to his hard-work, high-quality, no-nonsense... Read More

Here’s a quick comparison of the three most recent sheng puer arrivals. Each was steeped in 150ml gaiwan with 8 grams of tea, 15 second rinse, and then 20 second... Read More

Puer cakes being wrapped in bamboo "tongs" in Kunming, Yunnan To be fair, puer tea can be difficult. The flavors and aromas don’t lend themselves to the obvious charms of... Read More

Here’s a compare and contrast of three Chinese green teas we received in 2019: Gu Zhang Mao Jian Dragonwell Superior  Wuling Mountain Yunwu Wuling Mountains in Hunan Province, China Each... Read More

Steeped Asanoka #80 Here’s a quick compare and contrast of the three newest Japanese green tea arrivals: Asanoka #80 Sencha #35 88th Night Shincha  Asanoka #80 Each tea was steeped... Read More

The Wild Tea Trees of Nan Nuo Shan The most notable thing that morning is that it wasn’t raining. It rains a lot in Yunnan in July. Cloudy and wet... Read More

Check out Golden Buddha & Rock Oolong!  Both of these teas were made by Mr. Tang Shuang Jiang.  Mr. Tang cupping sheng puer in Xi Gui I love the food in China (a geographical... Read More

Ms. Zhao cupping 2017 Bing Dao Sheng Puer – Bing Dao translates as “Iceland” It’s strange to meet someone for the first time who you’ve talked so much about. The... Read More

Highlights from Michael's tea sourcing trip Shop the Yunnan Collection Kunming, Yunnan | Ms. Zhao Yu Jie Michael's first stop when he arrived in China was Ms. Zhao's family in... Read More

The greatest thing about drinking tea in China is that it’s one of the most normal things you can do. You do not need to pretend to be relaxed, mindful,... Read More