TEA DISCOVERY CLUB

EXCLUSIVE AND UNIQUE TEAS, DELIVERED TO YOU EVERY 2 MONTHS. NEXT TEA DISPATCH IS EARLY FEBRUARY

As we make our way through the vast and wonderful world of tea, we often come across teas that we love and find interesting but, for one reason or another, are unable to add them to our range. It might be because of general availability, price, maybe it’s too niche to add to our range, or maybe it’s a little all of the above. 

The Tea Discovery Club (TDC) takes members beyond our core range and features teas that are unique, interesting, difficult to acquire, and/or too niche for a general audience. Each box will be uniquely themed and include tea sourced exclusively for the club. This one is for the true tea enthusiasts. 

A unique, bi-monthly tea experience 

For each box we curate a special package based on a specific theme for members to enjoy. Some teas may involve experimental techniques, others may be out-of-production finds from deep within the archives of some of China’s larger, historic tea brands. Whatever the theme, you can be sure of a unique and educational tea experience that will deepen your knowledge and experience of tea.

What’s in the box?

• An estimated 50 – 200g of tea in each pack (exact quantities may vary depending on the type, grade and rarity)
• 15% off all purchases on our website and in-store (workshops and events included)
• Free shipping Australia-wide (Shipping charges apply to all other countries)
  

Previously on the TDC

• • Issue #8 – Tongmu Red
    Lapsang Souchong is also known as Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong. For this issue, we’re showcasing three types of unsmoked Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong hongcha, all from the same producer but with different picking standards
    for each tea, including a proper, high-grade, Jinjunmei.
    

• Issue #9 – Mother Phoenix
  The original tea varietal in Fenghuang Shan, Chao Zhou (AKA the Phoenix Mountains) was Shui Xian (水仙) AKA Water Sprite. Over time, tea farmers noticed that certain trees began to display certain characteristics – flavours and aromas of “Honey” and “Orchids”, while others were perhaps more floral, displaying characteristics of “Magnolia” or “Ginger Flowers.” The tea farmers would take cuttings from the best parts of these trees and cultivate them to hone in on these flavour and aroma characteristics and after a few generations, the different cultivars of Dancong Oolong tea such as Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid) emerged – but it all stemmed from the Shui Xian varietal.
  
  
• Issue #10 – Raw vs. Ripe Pu'erh
  Pu’erh tea, despite the calls of many producers and enthusiasts over the years, isn’t a tea type in and of itself but rather a reference to two types of teas that come from Yunnan province. On the one hand, we have RAW PU’ERH, which is actually quite similar to Green tea in terms of how it’s produced, and on the other, we have RIPE PU’ERH, an earthy, fermented style of tea that’s actually a type of dark tea or hei cha.
  

• Issue #11 – Mengding Ganlu
  Mengding Ganlu is a green tea from Mengshan, Sichuan. Mengshan is reputed to be the place where tea was first cultivated and Mengding Ganlu is the oldest of the famous teas in China and is revered as an ancient tea.
  As fresh as they get, the leaves for this “pre-qingming” tea were delicately picked on the 9th of March on Kezi Mountain. Grown at an altitude of approx. 1200m above sea level, the picking standard for the tea is one bud or, one bud and one leaf that is just about to unfold.
  

• • Issue #12 – Taiwanese Oolong
    Ever since we began Tea Angle, we’ve put a huge focus on sourcing great Oolong teas, predominantly from Mainland China. With so many varieties and regions to explore, after 10 years or so running a little tea business, we’ve finally gotten around to exploring Taiwanese Oolongs, two of which were featured in this box – Li Shan and Milky Oolong.
    

• • Issue #13 – Orchid Heart
    A pure, non-hybridised cultivar of Rock Oolong, the name “Su Xin Lan” translates to mean “Pure Heart Orchid.” This unique cultivar came close to extinction in the 80s when farmers shifted their focus to cultivating more high-yield, resilient and robust Rock Oolong cultivars such as Rou Gui and Shui Xian. It is however experiencing a bit of a revival now as farmers look to preserve the lesser known cultivars of Rock Oolong.
    
    
  • Issue #14 – Wuyi Jasmine Red

    This isn’t your average Jasmine tea. Most Jasmine teas use green tea as the base. This one however uses a black tea. And not just any nameless, faceless black tea – high quality, high grade Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong is the base for this tea. Wuyi Jasmine Black is the result of a collaboration between two master tea producers – Chen Zeng, a tea producer that specialises in Wuyi Rock Oolong and Black teas (and one that we’ve been working with for many years now), and Chen Falai, a tea master who specialises in the traditional Jasmine tea scenting process.