Passenger

Fall is here and with that, we are excited to share three new teas.

Our first tea comes from Japan. Traditionally, Japanese green teas are processed by steaming the leaves; however, Kamairicha is pan-fired tea that directly links to the expertise of processing passed down from China to Japan over a thousand years ago. This extremely limited lot produced by the brilliant, innovative Yoshiaki Hiruma, underwent a meticulously controlled withering process before pan firing. In the cup we get one filled with umami, sweetness, florality and hints of white chocolate. This tea can be brewed traditionally in a kyusu or in a gaiwan using short infusions.

Second, a Nepalese green tea. Nepal lies at the eastern border of the Himalayan kingdom. Similar to Darjeeling, Nepal has soaring elevation and thin air that slows the maturation of the leaves which allows for unique complexity. Teas from Nepal can be hard to come by and are still being discovered by the Western world. Himalayan Shiiba Green comes from Jun Chiyabari which translates to “moonlit tea garden” – a 90 hectare tea garden sits between 1650-2100 meters above sea level. This microlot was produced using a varietal from Shiiba village in Miyazaki, Japan that was gifted by a family friend. Since then, it has flourished in Nepal and remains a very special tea to the family. With notes of summer squash, sweet corn and toasted sunflower seeds; it is a refreshing yet comforting cup.

Last but not least is an oolong from Thailand. Thailand has warm days and cool, misty nights which make it a wonderful place to cultivate tea. Cultivating tea since the 1960s, Thailand initially received numerous tea bush cuttings and knowledge on techniques and processing from their Taiwanese connections. Majority of teas produced in Thailand are consumed internally and only a few are exported. Thai Dong Feng Mei Ren is a Thai take on the traditional Taiwanese Dong Feng Mei Ren oolong tea. This oxidized oolong is very aromatic and fruit-forward, thanks to the bug bitten leaves from the green leafhoppers.

We truly hope you all enjoy them as much as we do!