Highwire Tea Selection - January 2012
Symbol Key: # Seasonal Tea * Rare Tea
Black Teas
Ceylon Gold
This bold leaf tea exhibits a brisk and slightly malty character. This is a classic morning cup that stands up nicely to milk. $4.50/2 oz.
Darjeeling Organic - 2011 Crop is Now In!
High grown tea showing sweetly floral and grape notes. Teas from this Himalayan district are among the highest grown in the world, and the local processing has evolved to maximize potential, lending them exquisite aromatics and flavor. Certified organic. $8.50/2 oz.
Highwire Breakfast
Our signature morning cup. Big, bold and complex enough to stand up to milk and refined enough not to need it. We select and combine black teas from Assam, Darjeeling, Yunnan and Anhui to deliver a sturdy, nuanced cup. $5.75/2 oz.
Courtesy of Sara Remington*Honey Cedar Yunnan - Almost Sold Out
Gorgeous golden tips and dark black leaves yield a honey-sweet tea rich with aromas of cedar and cinnamon. A Highwire favorite that we’re savoring while it lasts. $9.50/2 oz.
Keemun
Smooth, dark-liquoring Anhui tea with toasty overtones. Sometimes referred to as the burgundy of the tea world, this makes an easygoing everyday cup. $7.00/3 oz.
Malty Assam - 2011 Crop is Now In!
A classic, stout bodied Assam. Our source skillfully combines tiny lots of broken orange pekoe leaves to deliver the rounded, bold flavor we love in this tea. Stands up admirably to the addition of milk. $5.25/2 oz.
*Red Peach (Hong Tao Mao Feng)
Smooth, toasty high-mountain Keemun with hints of pine, plum and cocoa. “Red Peach” is the producer group of this spring grown delight. Our source for this tea regularly travels to China and has a relationship with them. $10.00/2 oz.
Bourbon Vanilla
Black tea flavored with vanilla beans. For those who like a little something extra in their cup of tea, we offer this sweetly aromatic favorite. $5.25/2 oz.
Earl Grey
Bright black tea with bergamot citrus oil. One of the classics of the tea world, ours balances the tea and bergamot flavors nicely. $5.25/2 oz.
Masala Chai
We blend four fine black teas with freshly milled whole spices: cardamom, ginger root, star anise, cinnamon, clove and more… $9.25/4 oz.
White, Green and Oolong Teas
Courtesy of Sara Remington#Drum Mountain White Cloud
This refreshing white tea is grown in the mountains surrounding the Buddhist Drum Mountain Monastery, along the coast of Fujian Province, China. Delicate and fragrant with light honey sweetness. $4.75/ .7 oz. (20 g)
*Competition Grade Dragonwell
One of the finest lots from the spring 2011 harvest. Dragonwell teas are made by hand in large, wok-shaped pans, about a quarter pound at a time. The great ones are set apart by the location, timing and care in leaf plucking combined with the skill and attention of the tea maker. This is a deliciously fresh example, and is available for a limited time. $13.00/2 oz.
*Finest Jasmine Pearl
Gorgeous, hand-rolled spring green tea, delicately scented with fresh jasmine blossoms. We tasted a handful of teas in this style, and were amazed at the range in quality. Let’s just say that not all jasmine pearls are created equal. The lot we selected has the delicate character of a fine spring green tea, carefully scented with night blooming jasmine in a perfect marriage of aroma and flavor. $16.00/3 oz.
Genmaicha
Fresh Japanese green tea blended with comforting toasted rice. This is a perfect introduction to the green category as well as a delicious example of the style for the experienced tea drinker. $10.5/3 oz.
White Monkey
Early-spring 2011 green tea from Fujian Province, made of hand crafted leaves mixed with plenty of small white buds. This is a traditional Chinese green that steeps to a very likeable, sweet-nutty flavor. Dragonwell drinkers will enjoy this tea. $6.75/2 oz.
#Golden Jade Oolong
Spring 2011 crop. This lightly oxidized oolong is smooth, lushly floral and sweet. The jade leaves are tightly rolled and gorgeous, transforming as they unfurl in the teapot, yielding a deceptively smooth cup overflowing with nuance. $9.00/2 oz.
Herbal and Decaffeinated Teas
Organic Spearmint
Heady, pure spearmint yields an invigorating cup with prolific aroma and absolutely no caffeine. $3.50/1 oz.
Rooibos Capetown
Named for its Western Cape province home, fruit flavored rooibos is blended with cornflowers, sunflower and rose petals. The brew is enticing, aromatic and relaxing. $5.75/2 oz.
Rooibos Organic
Classic South African herb with woodsy, vanilla aroma. This caffeine free botanical is the closest tasting to black tea that we’ve encountered. Certified organic. $6.50/3 oz.
Decaf. Earl Grey
Decaffeinated black tea flavored with bergamot citrus. Calming and familiar, it delivers classic tea flavor at any time of the day or night. $5.75/2 oz.
