Tasting Notes
The flavour develops with each infusion of this clean but complex tea. The first infusions are rich with flavours of tart stewed apple and cookie dough. This leads into bright sencha greens and sherbert. Later infusions have a soft digestive biscuit note and a final mineral finish.
Quantity
Use 3g of tea per 150ml of water.
(We recommend giving the leaves a quick wash with hot water before infusing to help them open up.)
Temperature
For the optimum infusion use 95°C (203°F) water.
Time
Infuse for 90 seconds, tasting regularly.
Infusions
You can infuse this tea at least three times. With each careful infusion, different subtleties of flavour are revealed.
Cost Per Cup
30p per cup based on 3g of tea per 150ml of water and 3 infusions.
This tea can be infused several times to reveal incredible subtleties of flavour. We recommend infusing your loose leaf oolong tea in a gaiwan tea set. Using small amounts of hot water with a high leaf to water ratio, and infusing many times rather than making one large pot can uncover countless flavours.
Use an inch of hot water at 100°C (212°F) to rapidly "wash" the leaf for a few seconds. You can discard this first brew. This opens out the rolled leaf and allows the water to penetrate.
Subsequent infusions are best made at high temperature but rapidly - just 20-30 seconds. You don’t need to reheat the water as you go – the softened leaf will require lower temperatures. In all we recommend at least six steps to allow the leaf to completely open out and reveal all its beauty.
You can also enjoy one teaspoon of leaves all day; coming back to the same pot and reinfusing it – but in this instance reheat the water to 90°C (194°F).
Here is a short video demonstrating how to get the most out of your precious oolong leaves with a gaiwan:
Imagine blending wines from Bordeaux and Napa Valley - the viniphiles would throw their hands up in horror. Ooh la la, sacre bleu, “@~!?$*#”.
Sometimes you have to break with tradition to innovate. Combining these beautifully crafted teas, both made with infinite care to be the best expression of their terroir, creates a tea that sings of the story of craftsmanship and healthy soil. A merging of two worlds - the old and the new, the history of tea and its fresh beginnings.
We’ve created a new loose leaf afternoon tea for new traditions.
What is the best afternoon tea?
In the past we have drunk a blend of black teas to go with Afternoon Tea, but this is a loose leaf tea blend for the 21st Century. We don’t all have time to sit around at 4 o’clock eating sandwiches and scones. Tea in the afternoon is more likely to be a pick-me-up in the midst of our busy days. Hopefully a time to stop for a moment or two to recharge and get through the last push of the day.
This is an oolong tea that goes delightfully with whatever your afternoon treat is, sweet or savoury: a cake, biscuit, a handful of nuts, the humble crumpet, peanut butter on toast, a banana, temaki or a taco.
The most important thing is you don’t have to be lounging on a sofa or in a fine hotel, you can be at your desk, making the kids supper or out on a stroll - wherever you are in the afternoon and whatever you’re doing you’re going to want tea. And this is the tea you want.
We really recommend using a gaiwan, the perfect teapot to make 6 short extractions and experience the flavour progressions of each infusion. This won’t take long, just 10 minutes, but its 10 minutes you won’t regret.
