* Your ticket also entitles you to a 5% discount on purchase of featured teas!
About The Teas
In the Japanese tea calendar, October is considered the most wabi month. This month often marks Portland’s transition to a chill and withered feeling as well.
It’s been a bit of a journey for me to learn to truly appreciate this season: my associations with it have not always been the best. But, I can say without hyperbole that teas like these two are part of why my heart now thrills at the first crisps of autumn in the air.
2018 Qímén Hóngchá
祁門紅茶 — Qimen (Keemun) Red (Black) Tea
Qimen is one of those massive names in Chinese tea: so famous that everyone wants a piece of the action. While it can be said of just about every style that the vast majority of examples are, frankly, pretty bad, it’s especially true of these super-famous ones.
This is not the best Qimen (I’m working on that for next year :), but it’s really good, and really affordable. And, it may help you understand why you can’t assume you know a style after trying just one or two instances of it.
2004 Mùzhà Tǐe Guānyīn
木柵鐵觀音 — Tie Guan Yin Wulong of Muzha, Taiwan
This Tie Guan Yin is wonderfully typical of the Muzha style, with incredibly deep, soft roast. It’s also somewhat atypical, in that its wettish storage has given it a hint of almost pu’er-like 陳味 (chén wèi — aged taste).
張先生 (Mr. Zhāng), who made and aged this tea, is a great grower/producer. He operates his small farm, production, and roasting operations with skill, care, and attention. (You may be familiar with some of his other teas through Shiuwen Tai [floatingleaves.com], who introduced me to him.)
I strongly encourage you to sample his craft!
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