New Teas? Yes, Please!
Calling all tea lovers! We are so excited to share that our team has sourced two new teas––Lao Shan black tea and Red Robe Qi Dan Oolong tea. At CRIMSON, we pride ourselves in sourcing only the highest quality specialty tea leaves––carefully picked, withered, and dried by the experts who grow them from across the globe. From China to Japan, Thailand to even Peru, we partner with like-minded producers to bring the best of harvest to your cup.
Our first tea is a brand new black tea: Lao Shan Black tea which was produced in Lao Shan Village, Shandong, China. This tea has unique tasting notes of sweet potato, pomegranate, and melted caramel. Mount Lao is among the most significant sites in Taoism. This lot was grown in the gardens beneath the mountain range in the northerly Shandong province of China. The decision to grow outdoors (as opposed to in hoop houses) challenges the tree but creates a delicious, sweet and layered cup.
While Lao Shan village region focuses almost exclusively on green tea processing, Mr. He’s hybrid oolong rolling and black tea oxidation profile, coupled with an aromatic roasting, creates a unique sweet and toasty profile.
Our next tea is an Oolong tea: Red Robe Qi Dan Oolong which was produced in Wuyishan, Fujian, China. This tea brings tasting notes of aloeswood, kabocha squash, and orchid.
Red Robe 'Qi Dan’ was asexually propagated from vaunted Da Hong Pao mother stock and selected for the growing environment of northern Fujian, specifically the Wuyishan Biosphere Reserve. Picked in April and slow roasted over charcoal beginning in the summer, the Zhous are experts at evoking Yan Yun (the beautiful, vaporous aftertaste of Yancha) from their teas through mavenly roasting. Presently, and through all seasons, Zhou family teas have been a fixture of our catalog. Airy orchid aromas meld over the haunting yan yun and unreal stone fruit. The further you steep, the more it lingers.
This tea was produced by the husband and wife team, the Zhou family. They are smallholders that have been producing tea since 1998 and presently their plots include just a few hectares in Wuyishan, Fujian. Wuyishan is a UNESCO World Heritage site and, without a doubt, one of the most iconic natural locations in China––known for its clean water, iron rich soils and biodiversity. With expertise in both traditional charcoal roast finishes of yancha, and black tea process yancha cultivars, we are eager each year to see how their vintages improve.
We cannot wait for you to try these two new teas and experience perfection with each sip you take. Be sure to stop into either of our CRIMSON locations at Easton Town Center or 64 West Lane Ave to try these teas.
