Dark Academia
Looking for deep, dark, and moody flavors? This selection of blends is perfect for haunting your local bookstore.
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Green, Purple, & Oolong Teas
Yarrow, Lemon, & Calendula
Gunpowder Blend
Chamomile, Ginger, & Chrysanthemum
Gunpowder Blend
Butterfly Pea, Valerian, & Chamomile
Purple Blend
Bachelor’s Button & Jasmine
Young Hyson & Purple Blend
Lemongrass & Coconut
Ti Kwan Yin Blend
Pine & Oatstraw
Formosa Oolong & Lapsang Souchong Blend
Oolong Tea Leaf Guide
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The term “Formosa” translates to “The Beautiful Island” and is always used to describe teas from Taiwan. Taiwanese oolong teas are renowned for their floral aroma, strong flavor, and their bold and creamy mouthfeel.
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Ti Kwan Yin, or Iron Goddess Oolong tea is a tightly rolled Chinese Oolong tea that originated in 19th century Anxi, in the Fujian Province. It has a very floral aroma, with a very complex floral taste with warm, roast-y notes.
The Wei legend of Ti Kwan Yin tea:
In Fujian's Anxi County, there was a run-down temple which held an iron statue of Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. Every day on the walk to his tea fields, a poor farmer named Wei would pass by and reflect on the temple's worsening condition. "Something has to be done," he thought.
Being poor, Wei did not have the means to repair the temple. One day, he brought a broom and some incense from his home. He swept the temple clean and lit the incense as an offering to Guanyin. "It's the least I can do," he thought to himself. And he did this twice a month for many months.
One night, Guanyin appeared to him in a dream, telling him of a cave behind the temple where a treasure awaited. He was to take the treasure and share it with others. In the cave, the farmer found a tea shoot. He planted it in his field and nurtured it into a large bush, from which the finest tea was produced. He gave cuttings of this rare plant to all his neighbors and began selling the tea under the name Tieguanyin, Iron Bodhisattva of Compassion.
Over time, Wei and all his neighbors prospered; the run-down temple of Guanyin was repaired and became a beacon for the region. From this time onwards Mr. Wei took joy in the daily trip to his tea fields, never failing to stop in appreciation of the beautiful temple
Green Tea Leaf Guide
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Chinese green tea leaves steamed, withered and rolled into small balls before pan-firing them to stop oxidation. Gunpowder teas are less prone to breaking and take time to unfurl during steeping, creating a signature deep flavor that is unique among other green teas
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Chinese green tea leaves finished with either fresh jasmine flowers or jasmine oil.
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Chinese green tea leaves that are finished and dried by pan-firing. These leaves are rolled vertically, similar to Sencha, and that specific rolling method creates a brighter, lighter brew in the final cup.
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Purple tea has a flavor very similar to Young Hyson green tea, but has a floral aroma and earthy notes that are unique to this gorgeous Kenyan tea strain.
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Japanese green teas like Sencha brew into a brighter and more delicate cup of tea compared to their Chinese counterparts. The difference lies in that most Chinese green teas stop oxidation through pan-firing, which results in the slightest roast-y flavor in the final brew, whereas most Japanese green teas stop oxidation via steaming before drying and rolling the leaves into the final product to keep a purer, fresher flavor in the finished cup.
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Hyson, or Lucky Dragon Tea is a green tea from the Anhui Province in China. The name Hyson is probably derived from an Amoy name (Chinese: 熙春茶; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hi-tshun-tê) 'flourishing spring tea.’ While Hyson tea is considered a mediocre green tea, Young Hyson leaves (the kind we use in our blends) are considered much higher quality and brew into a smooth, full-bodied tea with a golden color.