The Great Tea Race Collection

A pronounced aroma and flavor of rich melted chocolate distinguishes this outstanding black tea selection from Yunnan province. A profusion of downy golden buds yields a dark amber cup with a rounded, velvety smooth mouth feel and caramel-like sweetness. The finish lingers with dark, bittersweet notes of malt and cherry, reminiscent of a Porter beer. A staff favorite. Small lot with limited availability.

This stellar first flush Darjeeling intoxicates with its fresh floral fragrance. Upon first sip, the vibrant gold liquor fills your mouth with a buttery smooth feeling like golden corn silk. Enlivened by a rich honey sweetness, the classic floral character conjures a stroll through a lush spring garden. Vegetal hints linger in the crisp finish, completing a delightful tea moment.

Harvested on February 3rd, the very first plucking of the 2025 first flush season at Rohini Estate, this outstanding selection displays bold, handcrafted leaves in shades of green, decorated with delicate, silvery tips. The aroma is fresh and fragrant, with sweet floral hints and notes of corn silk. The cup glows with rich golden highlights, the first sip blooming with honeyed floral notes, complemented by hints of fresh spring greens. A full buttery mouth feel embraces the classic first flush flavor profile, leading to a lingering, silky finish. Savor each sip of this stellar offering.

From the “Four Season Spring” cultivar, this unique Formosa Oolong exhibits premium, loosely rolled leaves that produce a pale gold liquor with the heady scent of lilacs. A smooth, rich buttery mouth feel provides the perfect complement to the pronounced honey notes and intense floral character. The finish lingers with light hints of melon.

With its invigorating, full-bodied cup, this 2024 Snowview Estate first flush offering exhibits a classic “European style” character. The heady aroma is a rich bouquet of sweet flowers, fresh corn silk, and spring greens. These notes enliven the flavor of the sparkling gold liquor as well. Hints of tropical fruit and apricot linger in the finish, delighting the palate with a refreshing crispness. The perfect accompaniment to a decadent dessert.

Cultivating premium teas since 1870, the Snowview Estate coexists with the migratory path of elephant herds, which travel across the estate regularly between the forests in order to drink and bathe in the Moortee river on the lower border of the tea garden. They have recently partnered with Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network, an independent organization striving to protect elephant populations. In 2020, Snowview Estate became the first tea garden in Darjeeling to be awarded with Elephant Friendly Tea Garden certification.

This outstanding Yunnan black tea selection is composed of handcrafted golden tips with a beautiful downy appearance. The russet-amber liquor is fragrant with hints of molasses. Layers of cocoa, spice, and earth weave together to create a rich flavor that is complemented by a caramelized sugar sweetness. A whisper of spice lingers in the finish.

This premium Jasmine Silver Needle white tea is made entirely of the tender buds of a large leaf cultivar from the spring harvest in Yunnan province. These young buds are then naturally scented with fresh jasmine flowers over five consecutive nights. The sugar-sweet aroma of this loose leaf Chinese silver needle tea is redolent with a sublime jasmine/osmanthus fragrance. The pale golden cup is light and airy with a pronounced jasmine scent, reminiscent of a lush garden’s fragrance at the height of summer. A silky smooth, refreshing finish completes a memorable tea experience. The perfect choice for a winter uplift!

A fine complement of golden tips sets this stylish selection apart. The flavor has classic Burgundy-like Keemun notes, with subtle smokiness and a hint of cocoa. This one comes close to the Hao-Ya 'A' Keemun of days past.

The dark olive, neatly rolled leaves exude a fresh buttery fragrance with hints of flowers. The pale straw-colored liquor invites that first sip with its delightful floral aroma. A nectar-like sweetness complements notes of chestnut and mineral in the light toasty cup. The finish lingers with hints of honey.

This beautifully handcrafted Ceylon white tea showcases downy, silver-sage buds. The pale champagne-colored liquor has a fresh, inviting fragrance. A silky smooth mouth feel complements sweet notes of melon and apricot. A clean finish completes an outstanding tea experience.

The dry leaves of this top-quality Oolong offering are fragrant and expertly rolled, producing a sparkling gold liquor with a sweet floral aroma. Notes of orchid are complemented by a buttery mouth feel in the silky smooth cup. Hints of honey lend a richness to the lingering finish. This tea is a great choice for multiple steepings.

Produced at a small family tea garden in Shizuoka, Japan, this unique black tea is smoked for 6-8 hours using wood chips from a Japanese cherry wood whisky barrel. With layers of smoke, Burgundy and hints of floral sweetness, the aroma is reminiscent of a warm charcoal fire. A buttery mouth feel and hints of toffee complement the pronounced smoky notes in the smooth, rich cup. That smoky character is joined by a prevailing sweetness that lingers long after the last sip.

New lot. Elegant, downy gold tips are showcased in this superb black tea offering from Yunnan province. A sweet aroma with notes of brown sugar pairs well with rich earthy notes in the thick, syrupy cup. A silky smooth mouth feel envelops hints of spice that linger long into the finish.

With a tea growing history of over 900 years, the Bulang Mountain range of Yunnan province includes some of the most prized Pu-Erh production regions. The aroma reveals a woody/toasty/sweet earthy complexity, complemented by hints of cocoa. The velvety smooth, rounded cup is dark and rich with notes of molasses, chestnut and a hint of spice. The clean finish lingers with nuances of cinnamon and clove. Produced from a large-leaf varietal, this 4 ½ inch diameter round tea cake weighs approximately 95-100 grams and comes packaged in our silver packet.

Tiny mandarin oranges are dried and stuffed with Shou Pu-Erh leaves, creating this unique tea treat. The opaque, deep brown liquor is fragrant with hints of citrus zest and earth. A whisper of cocoa joins the citrus-earthy flavor in the cup, finishing on a brisk, lively note. Each 1.5" mandarin will yield approximately 4 cups of tea. This selection is perfect for multiple steepings.

Da Hong Pao, or "Big Red Robe," is a famous Chinese Oolong tea with a colorful pedigree. The very large leaves are perfect for multiple infusions. Subsequent steepings will produce varying levels of stone fruit and honey notes. The aroma is fruity and fragrant with a hint of sweet spring flowers. A lingering vegetal sweetness is noted in the finish, along with a crisp, clean hint reminiscent of dry white wine. Very limited lot.

The large, neatly twisted leaves of this organic Oolong offering from Colombia produce a medium amber liquor with a fresh aroma reminiscent of a clean ocean breeze. The full-bodied cup is velvety smooth and bursting with a rich ambrosial flavor that fills your mouth with pronounced notes of honey and dried stone fruit. The finish is long and lingering.

With a tea growing history of over 900 years, the Bulang Mountain range of Yunnan province includes some of the most prized Pu-Erh production regions. In the pale rosy-amber cup, a complex aroma introduces notes of earth and fleeting whispers of fruit and smoke. The flavor is rich with pronounced stone fruit notes of plum and apricot wrapped in honey sweetness, a mouth-filling nectar-like quality. Produced from a large-leaf varietal, this 4 ½ inch diameter round tea cake weighs approximately 95-100 grams and comes packaged in our silver packet.

From Yunnan province, this outstanding Chinese black tea offering has long ebony-brown leaves that steep a velvety smooth cup. The sweet aroma of this Yunnan tea, hinting of rose petals, is balanced with pronounced spicy notes of cinnamon and nutmeg. The dark amber liquor exhibits exceptional complexity with layers of earth, spice, brown sugar, and a whisper of floral essence. The finish lingers and comforts with hints of warming spice. A staff favorite.

This exquisitely crafted Formosa Oolong is very fragrant, with pronounced peach notes in both the aroma and the tawny-gold cup. An abundance of downy, silver tips adorns the large beautiful leaves, yielding a liquor bursting with flavor and a smooth, creamy mouth feel. Notes of dried fruit as well as hints of warm spice and honey lead to a clean finish with a lingering sweetness.

An impressive mélange of silver-sage buds and light olive-green leaves are showcased in this special lot of “White Peony” China white tea. The pale straw-gold liquor is redolent with pronounced honey notes and buttery floral hints, which spill over into the mouth-filling flavor. The silky smooth cup hints of melon, which lingers into the finish, complemented by a refreshing crispness reminiscent of dry white wine.

Grown on Chaozhou Phoenix mountain in Guangdong province at an altitude of 4,000 feet, this esteemed Chinese Oolong tea, also known as “Mi Lan Xiang,” is plucked from a Dan Cong cultivar only once a year in the spring. The ultra-bold, hand-twisted leaves yield a velvety smooth, full-bodied cup with a pronounced stone fruit character. The complex aroma weaves layers of fragrance — floral, honey, citrus, nutty, toasty/biscuity — with a whisper of smoke. The clean finish lingers with an appealing fruity sweetness. This staff favorite creates a memorable tea experience.

A fresh vegetal aroma, reminiscent of newly cut grass, introduces this outstanding green tea offering from Colombia. Long, wiry leaves produce a pale gold liquor that hints of sugared tropical fruit embraced by a full buttery mouth feel. A gentle hint of evergreen lends a clean, crisp quality to the finish.

The Fuding tea region of northeast Fujian province is well known for its preeminent white tea production, and this white tea cake is an outstanding example of its premium quality teas. The pale golden-amber liquor is smooth and silky with pronounced honey notes in both the aroma and the flavor. Hints of stone fruit linger in the finish. Produced from a large-leaf varietal, this 4 ½ inch diameter round tea cake weighs approximately 95-100 grams and comes packaged in our silver packet.

This classic Chinese Oolong was grown in the Wudong area of the Phoenix Mountains in Guangdong province. “Da Wu Ye,” meaning “big dark leaf,” refers to the elegantly long, dark green leaves of this most prized of Phoenix Oolong offerings. A gentle roasted aroma introduces the light amber liquor. Pronounced stone fruit notes and hints of honey highlight the rich ambrosial character and full mouth feel of this stellar selection. The finish is smooth and lingering.

Handcrafted using time-honored traditional methods, this exquisite Darjeeling white tea is composed of predominantly silver-sage buds, covered in fine silky hairs. The champagne-colored cup is fragrant with notes of honey, pear, and honeysuckle. A full, buttery smooth mouth feel embraces notes of melon and a vegetal sweetness reminiscent of fresh spring flowers. This rich sweetness lingers in the clean finish, completing an exemplary tea experience.