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Typically, though not exclusively, a black tea’s name will refer to its origin of growth.   Indian Black Teas Darjeeling The tea variety Camellia Sinensis Sinensis – the Chinese variety of the plant – took well to the soil, humidity, and altitude offered by Darjeeling hills. However, the tea produced here seemed to obtain a different taste profile to the Chinese tea that people were familiar with – its non-astringency and floweriness was preserved from the Chinese plant, but the conditions in Darjeeling gave this tea a sweetness that had not been seen before in a black tea. Darjeeling tea...

When you think “Chinese Teas”, what initially springs to mind?   According to one legend, the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was sitting beneath a tree in 2737BC and boiling water to purify it when some leaves fell into the water. Upon drinking this new concoction, he declared it delicious. And we couldn’t agree more.   Since then, tea has developed in many ways including gaining specific cultural brewing and drinking practises, and different methods of production resulting in very different beverages. Chinese teas may be seen by western eyes to be synonymous with green teas and, while there are a plethora of beautiful Chinese...

Jiangbei 江北   Teas: Liu an Gua Pian  This tea region (whose name translates directly to North of the River Yangtze) is the most northerly of China’s tea growing regions, and its lower temperatures result in a slower rate of growth for the tea plant camellia sinensis. This slow growth has the effect of producing a smaller-leafed tea with a sweeter flavour than teas from other tea regions of China. Char’s Liu An Gua Pian is a wonderful showcase of these iconic aspects, with its full-flavoured floweriness that leaves a sweet aftertaste. Additionally, this tea contains a higher concentration of antioxidants than its...