Terroir: a small word for the very complex system responsible for the incredible diversity of our favorite leaf. You may be more familiar with this word through its association with wine, but it extends to all agricultural crops. It describes a complex cycle, which encompasses weather patterns, average climate, soil content, and the traditional harvesting practices in a specific area that all contribute to the unique character of any crop produced in that growing region.
Tea leaves, like wine grapes, are particularly susceptible to subtle shifts in this complex system. This can be detected most broadly between teas grown in different countries, but it is also very distinct between teas grown within the same region, during different growing seasons. You are likely to notice that a tea you enjoy from your favorite estate or garden has slightly different flavor notes as compared to last season.
With experience and experimentation, you can detect a common thread in the terminology used in the descriptions of certain flavor profiles of teas from specific areas. What is the ideal way to experience the wide range of terroir in one convenient collection? A great place to start is with our tea flights.
Our Green Tea Flight For Beginners includes green tea from Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka, and China. You can taste the characteristic mineral/umami flavor notes and distinctly rich and vibrant vegetal character of a Japanese green tea, which results from the practice of shading the bushes prior to harvest as well as steaming the harvested leaves to halt oxidation and retain its green character. As you sip the two green teas from China, which are pan-fried or baked to halt oxidation, you will notice a sweet, earthy flavor profile. The Ceylon (Sri Lanka) green tea selection, due to its exposure to a particular combination of elevation and microclimate, has both an earthy sweetness and herbaceous minerality to the flavor profile. The sweet, complex flavor profile of the Korean Green tea selection reflects the cool climate, mineral-rich soil, and careful hand processing of the leaves.
Our Black Tea Flight For Beginners provides a collection of black tea samples from India, China, Sri Lanka, and Africa. The China Yunnan sample perfectly encapsulates the subtropical climate and mineral-rich soil of Yunnan province in its smooth, rich, earthy sweet cup. With its stone fruit and herbaceous flavor profile, the Darjeeling sample from India reflects the well-drained, loamy soil, cool dry winters followed by a monsoon season, and idyllic weather conditions of a high altitude setting. The tippy Assam blend from India features the bold, malty, and bright flavor profile that results from the tropical climate, high rainfall, and nutrient-rich soil it is grown in. The Ceylon (Sri Lanka) blend, grown and produced at a wide range of altitudes and individual microclimates, exhibits a flavor profile that balances a range of bright and brisk with toasty and woody notes. The Rukeri Estate Rwanda selection highlights the robust toasty and floral notes from the tropical climate and fertile volcanic soil of the African country of Rwanda.
We hope this has been an enlightening primer, and that you feel inspired to consider the many interconnected conditions that nourished the leaves that make your favorite cuppa possible. Until next time, keep sipping!