Black tea is the most popular class of tea consumed in Europe and North America. The largest producers of  black tea are Africa, China, India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Delicious alone or with milk or sugar, black tea has been an essential beverage for Westerners since the China Trade tea frenzy began in the mid-1600’s, first with Holland and then with England.

Black teas are fully-oxidized and will brew the “strongest” cup. Black tea is produced in many different leaf styles and flavors: assertive, sturdy Tanzania from Africa, aromatic and smooth Keemun, Sichuan and Yunnan from China, delicate and aromatic Himalaya-grown Darjeeling, robust Assam from north-eastern India, lush, mouth-filling Nilgiris from the Blue Mountains of southwestern India, plus the classic fruity and flavoury Ceylon from the Highlands of Sri Lanka.

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Tea from the lush, tropical island identified geo-politically as Sri Lanka is marketed as Ceylon tea. Tea grows in four regions of  the central highlands at elevations above 4,000 feet:  Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Uva,and Dimbula. These regions produce premium , orthodox leaf teas that  are widely sought after by tea lovers around the world. Although Ceylon  tea is more often identified by estate than region, we notate both when possible.

Additionally, there are two  tea-producing regions in the south: Galle and Ratnapura, known more for robust blending teas than single-drinking teas. The descriptor most often associated with Ceylon tea is brisk, the term that Sir Thomas Lipton once ascribed to Ceylon tea back in the late 1800’s.

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Keemun is a small district in Anhui Province of east-central China. The Keemun hills extend southwest from the high mountains of the Huang Shan that form the southern border of the central Yangtze valley. One of the most legendary regions of tea production in China, Keemun was at the heart of black tea manufacture during the time of British dominance of the modern China tea trade in the 18th & 19th Centuries.

 Keemun tea was historically used as the base of traditional English Breakfast tea, but today many companies no longer use it because of cost factors. However,  we proudly feature Keemun in our English Breafast tea because it is the presence of Keemun that gives this classic blend its character..

Serious tea drinkers should have a solid grasp of the taste profile of Keemun tea as it is a treasured Chinese black tea.

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Yunnan Province is the southwest anchor for China the point at which the Mekong River forms its border with Burma (Myanmar) as this great river enters Laos. Yunnan tracks the Burmese border north until it reaches Sichuan Province and the Tibetan Plateau. This enormity yields a varied topography and climate, allowing Yunnan to contribute delicious black and green teas ( as well as its singular Pu-erh teas ) that feature distinctive styles and flavors..
 
Yunnan black teas are less-well-known than Keemun but they are among the most stunning and satisfying black teas produced. Looking at a globe, it is easy to see why, as this is the region of the world where Camellia sinensis, the tea bush, was first discovered growing wild. It is only a ‘stone’s throw’ from here to all the major growing areas of Nepal and India. We call it the ‘heartland’ of Chinese tea.
 

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Various parts of the Himalaya are some of the most prime tea-growing regions on earth. High altitude combined with cool,, nurturing mists and plentiful rainfall (and snow melt) provide conditions that encourage tea bushes to thrive.

Nepal and Sikkim both benefit from this native terroir and produce small crops of exquisite tea.

We are proud to offer a selection of these fine teas. They have a clarity that is remarkable, and none of the finicky brewing demands of their cousins across the fence: the Darjeelings.

Growing at such a high altitude, Nilgiri teas are incapable of developing sharp astringency; they tend to lush, clear flavors and soft body.
 

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Assam tea is produced in the far northeast corner of India. This historically-important tea growing region fills the Brahmaputra River   valley as it snakes its way down from the southeastern flank of the Himalayas. With Burma (Myanmar) to the east and Bangladesh to the south, this valley receives more rainfall per annum than any other location on earth. Assam tea is noted for its depth of flavor, dark burgundy-colored liquor, and ‘malty’ taste. Thought of in the west as a ‘milk tea’, Assam tea is drunk by Assamese without milk, but elsewhere in India it is often the base for quality chai, the national spiced tea beverage.

We offer Assam tea both in the orthodox leaf style and the newer           CTC style.
 

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Darjeeling is a former British hill-station and spa located in one of the most spectacular settings of the Indian Himalaya.

Considered the 'Champagne' of tea, Darjeeling is beloved for its clarity, Muscatel-like aroma and clear, smooth flavor. Developed using 100% China bush, blended China and Assam bush, or using clonal, modern varietals, Darjeeling teas vary considerably from garden to garden. .

It is easy to get excited and offer too many choices of Darjeeling tea, so we limit our offerings to well-chosen lots from both the First and Second Flushes and also the Autumnal pluck. The weather in each season influences the resulting style and flavor of the tea, so tea lovers will find a lot to consider when tasting Darjeeling tea.

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