This is a gorgeous tea and is fast becoming a blue willow favorite. Each leaf is blanketed in downy hairs with a new bud peeping out. Grown on the heights of ai lao mountain in yunnan, the dry leaf invokes memories of sweet dried fruit. The steeped tea is mild in tannins and has a soft sweet-grass note with substantial body and a smooth mouth feel. Good for several steeps, this tea will keep blossoming with each infusion.

Our top grade sencha from kirishima. This tea is from the asatsuyu cultivar of tea and has earned the nickname of "natural gyokuro" for good reasons. Although it is not shade-grown, it has a vivid green liquor and deep umami characteristic that is typically associated with gyokuros. The farm it is grown on is completely self-contained, bio-dynamic and the oldest tea farm in the region. The aroma of the dry leaves is compelling and rich and only grows as it is steamed. The resulting tea is out of this world and a gift to any sencha-lover.

A robust ceremonial-grade matcha that is great for making usucha (thin tea) on a daily basis or for special occasions. This stone-ground blend is curated by marukyu koyamaen, a family tea business that has been growing and producing tea in uji for over 300 years. It has a bright flavor with a touch of tannins, full bodied umami and vegetal seaweed finish.

This classic, wok-fired green tea has a delicate, decidedly sweet flavor and steeps to a lovely, yellow-green color with fresh scent. The taste is clean and has a silken, buttery characteristic which lingers on the taste buds for a pleasant sipping experience. The needle-shaped leaves are large and flattened and are not as grassy or astringent as other green teas. The overall cup is refreshing and soothing and is reputed to help keep the mind stimulated yet clear.

One of the most popular teas in Japan, Genmaicha blends green tea and toasted brown rice, some of which is popped. This blend is visually exciting and produces a sweet, vegetal flavor with a brothy mouth-fee, complimented by the toasty addition of rice. This green tea already naturally lower in caffeine content than black teas, has even less due to the presence of the brown rice. Enjoy this tea at any time of day clear and pure without any additions.

This attractive tea is made up of large uniform yellow-green leaves. The aroma is soft and honeyed with a clean bouquet. The infusion is mellow, copper-colored, and fragrant with a pleasant progression from softly sweet to slightly nutty, with a round body and pleasant, toasty finish. "Green Tara" (or Dolma) is an invocation of compassion in Tibetan Buddhism.

This tea is one of the highest quality teas being grown in Japan. Grown in shaded small gardens in Uji, by Koyamaen, a tea grower that has been in the Koyama family for over 300 years, this tea is truly special. The tea is grown the same way as tencha and matcha; The shading of the plants before harvest causes the leaves stretch and grow very thin and delicate and produces higher levels of chlorophyll. This process also increases the catechin antioxidants and decreases the tannins, making this tea less bitter and extremely high in health benefits.

This tea provides the perfect marriage of the best qualities of jasmine blossom and green tea. Harvesters pluck the green tea in spring and store it in chests until early fall when night-blooming jasmine is picked and layered with the tea. Overnight the essential oils of the blossoms permeate the tea, after which they are removed. The process of layering is repeated up to five times to achieve a truly harmonious pairing of flavors.

This exquisite tea comes from a small, family-run farm in China. For generations this family has grown jasmine and green tea in order to produce Jasmine Pearls. Top-quality green tea combines with jasmine to yield a tea with lush fragrance and silky mouth feel. These rare pearls are made of tender, young green tea leaves which are plucked and rolled into perfect pearls with beautiful downy strips. They are then stored until the jasmine is plucked in the summer. The fresh jasmine blooms are then layered with the pearls overnight and removed after imparting their fragrance; the process of layering can be repeated up to seven times.

The green teas of Japan are unexcelled for vegetal freshness and sweetness. The dark green leaf of this tea yields a light-bodied, pleasing taste with clean and sweet aroma. An everyday "house tea" of the Japanese countryside, Blue Willow Bancha is appealing to those who are looking for a mellow pick-me-up that you can be enjoy with a variety of foods. 30% of leaf weight consists of polyphenols, a key component in Ayurvedic medicine.

Minty Green is an all-organic blend inspired by Moroccan methods of preparing tea. It comprises high-quality green tea and fresh peppermint leaves, creating a snappy combination of light vegital sweetness and cooling mint. This tea is one of the best for icing, has half the caffeine of regular green tea, and is a great treat after meals to help aid digestion.

Grown in the foggy hills of Kirishima, this tea is made by two brothers who are producing some exceptional quality teas. The moisture of the air and fertile soil from the nearby volcano create a perfect environment for growing complex teas. This Hojicha is plucked from a single farm that is completely self-contained and bio-dynamic. The tea itself has an incredible union of flavors that rise above the toasty base. The roasted leaves are not burnt, but instead embody wonderful nutty quality that softens to a light nectar-like sweetness which lingers long after you sip. The bouquet of soothing aromas and flavors will leave you relaxed and the relatively low caffeine content makes this an excellent dessert tea.

In Japan, estates harvest green teas at exact times to produce a range of tastes and flavor balances. Sencha Hanase, a very popular steamed green tea in Japan, is plucked in mid spring for a medium astringency and light taste. The intensely deep green leaves resemble pine needles and produce a fresh flavor with hints of newly mown grass and sea mists.

This highly unusual tea is plucked from ai lao mountain in pu-er. The family who tends to these plants operates a small organic farm and grow mostly taiwanese cultivars. This tea is exclusively from the ruanzhi (or soft branch) bushes, which are native to Taiwan and grown for making oolongs. The leaves are hand picked in the spring from 30 year old plants growing in rich, mountain soil and processed as a yunnan green tea. The result is guaranteed to intrigue even the most well-versed tea lover, while remaining accessible to newcomers. The leaves are sweet with a magnolia blossom aroma, full body, and silky mouth feel, notes of buttered asparagus with a lingering toasty finish. Good for many steeps, this tea is quickly growing in popularity.

One of our most popular teas! The leaves of the Black Honey Oolong are gorgeous, curled, first-flush tips from the Luye township in Southern Taiwan. The aroma of the dry leaves is so sweet and intoxicating, but nothing compared to the steeped honey-like fragrance and flavor. This tea is grown on a single organic farm run by a woman and her son. The region is home to a type of bug called the leaf hopper, which bites the tea plants and sucks the nectar from the leaves, causing the fermentation process to begin while the leaves are still on the plants. When these leaves are plucked and oxidized, the result is a naturally honey-like sweetness within the leaf. Several other growing regions try to replicate this process, but this is where is occurs naturally.

This is a truly lovely oolong, high-grown in Taiwan, and very lightly oxidized. The bright green leaves unfurl, showing the slightest outline of amber around the edges and radiate an incredibly sweet jasmine-like aroma. The leaves are not scented or flavored, but are masterfully crafted to bring out the natrual floral element within the leaves themselves. The flavor is fresh and uplifting with no astringency and a lingering embrace of sweet nectar.

For the tea lover who appreciates a little sweetness in their cup. This tea is a high-grown jin xuan from Anxi, Fujian. The tea is expertly picked by hand and lightly roasted to bring out the creaminess of the Taiwanese cultivar. It is then steamed with milk to further accentuate the sweet cream flavor and floral aroma found naturally within the leaves. The light oxidation and roast of this tea, paired with the nuanced nectar, create a prefect melange of fresh, sweet and uplifting.

Grown at the base of the Luye mountains in Southern Taiwan, this highly oxidized oolong is produced by a mother and son team who grown exceptional teas on their organic farm. The tightly rolled leaves unfurl to beautiful deep, black red and impart an aroma of sweet maple. The tea itself has notes of tangy red wine with an equalizing undertone of toasty cedar. Pro-tip: Don't miss out on the aroma of the pot when you pour the tea out, it intensifies as the ceramic cools.

Pure ceylon tea is blended with Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans to create this aromatic blend. The sweet smell of vanilla beckons and the bold black leaves create an astringency that is accented by the natural sugars. This tea delivers a brisk pick-up throughout the day with an alluring accent. Especially great iced with fresh lemon. While there is no bourbon whisky in this blend, it makes a great base for a hot toddy!

The tea leaves of Assam are large and thick when compared to the Chinese variety, which have been planted in most other regions of India. The resulting flavors derived from these plants are unique to the region, known the world over for being distinctively malty, and bold, with a high note of astringency. We have found an excellent second-flush Assam, grown organically in the lush brahmaputra river valley. The bright and brisk tea shows off the Assam characteristics with vigor and is a great way to get started in the mornings. Stands up well to milk and sugar, but delightful on its own as well.

Sri lankans, for over 150 years, have grown this first flush ceylon tea on the magical misty hillsides of dimbula province. The long, dark, wiry leaves create a rich, fruity and satisfying cup strong enough to take milk and also excellent when steeped more briefly and sipped alone. The tea growers pluck only the delicate tips of the tea plants, circulating along the rows of tea bushes frequently to catch the golden tips at their peak. These leaves offer the best of dimbula, carrying the fragrance of fog-shrouded mornings and the warmth of the sunny afternoons into your cup. Ceylon golden is unblended and opens a clear window into the characteristics of the growing region. We recommend blue willow ceylon for both mornings and afternoons, to be enjoyed by itself or with a variety of foods. We also find it particularly refreshing served iced during the hot summer months.

The British discovered the wonderful tea-growing properties of the Darjeeling district in West Bengal in the nineteenth century. We have found an estate there that provides us with an organic and fair traded Darjeeling tea. The light body and floral accents of this tea create a wonderful delicacy and flexibility that is favored by tea drinkers worldwide. The musky aroma arises from the incomplete oxidation process and gives this softly flavored tea the elasticity to be appreciated from breakfast to dessert. During the day, Blue Willow Darjeeling provides a wonderful, light lift with a muscatel sweetness and clean finish. The full, fresh flavor and delicate floral hints create a truly pleasurable sipping experience on its own, with a sturdiness that can handle the addition of sugar and milk.

British diplomat and statesman charles, second earl of grey, is said to have received the original recipe for this scented tea in China in the 19 th century. Despite its worldwide popularity, no one can say for certain what was in the original formula or who the source was of this spectacular combination of black tea with oil of bergamot orange. We do know that the best ingredients produce the best blends. Blue willow uses only fresh oil of bergamot, derived from the Mediterranean bergamot plant, a variety of citrus. We blend premium Chinese and Indian black teas, applying just the right amount of bergamot oil. Our method creates a perfect balance of the robust citrus aroma of the Mediterranean orange and the warm, oaky, fruity flavors of the tea leaves themselves. Blue willow's earl grey blend is accented with the addition of blue cornflowers and orange peels, which liven up the appearance of the tea and add an extra floral hint to the flavor. Taken black, with a twist of lemon or wit

Every tea merchant tends to create their own proprietary blend to reflect a certain flavor profile and represent a good "house" tea at a good value. While some companies try to hide inferior teas in a muddled blend, blue willow took an extra step to formulate our English breakfast blend. We use our finest quality estate teas from darjeeling, ceylon and China's anhui and yunnan provinces. Every component adds a unique note to this tea, creating a brisk, aromatic, and very full-bodied blend, excellent with or without cream and superb iced.

These perfectly plucked leaves are a delight to drink every time. Harvested in Autumn, this tea has the full-bodied flavor of leaves that take their time growing in the shortened days. The rolled tea is striped with beautiful golden velvet hairs which unfurl to a young leaf and bud. The flavor is well rounded with a warm cedarwood aroma, seamlessly accented with notes of stone fruit, and balanced with a silky soft encore.

A tea that "a mouse could walk on". Our sturdy Irish breakfast blend takes the chill off cold winter days and warms the "cockles of the soul". We developed this wonderfully rich, strong brew with lingering toastiness and a slightly creamy element that comes from the addition of a silver tip grade ceylon to the base of Indian and Chinese teas. Wake up your mornings with our Irish breakfast or lift yourself out of a tedious afternoon with this lively tea. Exceptional with cream or on its own, this tea is versatile and delicious.

For many tea aficionados Keemun tea offers the peak black-tea experience. Rich, toasty and bold, Keemun was once the preferred breakfast tea of England. The small, carefully harvested ebony leaves produce a rich, oaky taste with undertones of sherry. The toasty aroma dances out of the cup and entices you to take sip after sip. Historically Keemun is enjoyed with the addition of milk and sugar, but stands well on its own for an added kick.

I am excited to introduce this new tea coming out of Malaysia. A blend of black teas from boh's three exquisite tea gardens in the cameron highlands, the base of this tea is well rounded with a medium body and light astringency. The tang of the lemon extracts and dried orange peels linger on your tongue and add a wonderfully intense citrus aroma. Try this tea iced for a special summer treat!

I am excited to introduce this new tea coming out of Malaysia. A blend of black teas from Boh's three exquisite tea gardens in the Cameron Highlands, the base of this tea is well rounded with a medium body and light astringency. The Mango extract and dried pieces bring a lovely sweetness to the aroma but is not overbearingly sweet on the tongue. The contrast of the mango nectar and boldness of the tea make a winning combination. Try this tea iced for a special summer treat!

In India, Russia, turkey, and a host of other places, chai means tea. In the us, we say "chai" when referring to masala chai, a traditional Indian spiced tea. Blue willow maple chai comprises a complex blend of premium estate teas and spices to recreate a classic Indian masala chai derived from a Himalayan recipe. The teas create a bold base that flourishes with the addition of spices. Cardamom, whole cloves, ginger root, cinnamon, whole star anise, and allspice are freshly milled, and blended in small, 60 lb. batches at our plant. The exotic flavor combines a smooth taste of tea with invigorating spice. This recipe is lightly sweetened with pure maple powder, which is made by a small family sugar house in Vermont. While the tea in blue willow maple chai brings caffeine to the blend, the high proportion of spices dramatically lowers the caffeine content so the beverage has a soothing effect that is sure to warm the heart. Chai's popularity, both iced, and hot, has risen quickly and for

In India, Russia, turkey, and a host of other places, chai means tea. In the us, we say "chai" when referring to masala chai, a traditional Indian spiced tea. Blue willow chai comprises a complex blend of premium estate teas and spices to recreate a classic Indian masala chai derived from a Himalayan recipe. The teas create a bold base that flourishes with the addition of spices. Cardamom, whole cloves, ginger root, cinnamon, whole star anise, and allspice are freshly milled, and blended in small, 60 lb. batches at our plant. The exotic flavor combines a smooth taste of tea with invigorating spice. While the tea is blue willow chai brings caffeine to the blend, the high proportion of spices dramatically lowers the caffeine content so the beverage has a soothing effect that is sure to warm the heart.

In scandanavian legend, the hero beowulf battled monsters in the bitter chill of East frisia, an area bordering the North sea and the Netherlands. Now, the monsters faced by frisians are bitter winds and harsh winters. As a result, the tea consumption is over 5 lbs. per capita annually. For those who live here, tea is an all-through-the-day ritual, prepared strong with the addition of cream and a lump of rock sugar. Our brisk, custom blend employs the tradition of using a 2nd flush estate Assam with tea from ceylon and China. The tea itself has a full-bodied malty quality with long-lasting finish. Traditionally, East frisians never stir tea in the cup. It is meant to be enjoyed in three layers; the cream or "sky", the tea or "water" and the sugar or "land".

Made from a blend of two taiwanese oolong cultivars, grown in pu-er and processed as a black tea, this tea has a growing and dedicated cult following. The family who tends to these plants operates a small organic farm and grow mostly taiwanese cultivars. Red dragon comprises leaves hand plucked from ruanzhi and jinxuan cultivars, grown at nearly 2000 m elevation. This tea offers up a complex cup that is both wholesome and seductive. Enticing aromas of juicy lychee and smokey cedar give way to a full-bodied cup with the perfect balance of sweet and tart plum and toasty barley.

This interesting tea is grown in hunan and processed in a similar way as sheng puerh. The leaves are plucked in the spring, withered, fired, and rolled. But what sets this tea apart is the roughly two months of repetitive low-heat smoking that the leaves undergo afterwards. The result is a bright, energizing tea with a tannic overtone, contrasting with the earthen wood smoke that is most prominent in the first few steeps. Plucked in 2015, the leaves have aged beautifully in bamboo baskets which have allowed the flavors to interact seamlessly. This tea has a cult following in the shop!

This Yunnan red tea is great any time of day. The leaves constitute a good blend of leaf and curling golden buds, which combine to create a full bodied and flavorful cup. The taste is strong without being astringent and has a lovely aroma of earth and cedar wood. Excellent on its own or with the addition of milk and sugar.

Plucked from wild trees growing high on Ai Lao Mountain, this loose leaf shou cha is a perfect introduction to puerh. The first steep yields a light and vivid infusion, with each consecutive cup reaching deeper notes of the leaf. The mineral content of the soil is prevalent in the cup with bright, energizing notes of copper, and grounding undertones of damp earth. Great as an everyday puerh, which will only get better with age, this tea is perfect for those just beginning their puerh journey, or for those aficionados who sometimes need a little more brightness in their cup.

This loose puerh from wangjing village is made up of leaf from several family's efforts to combine all of the old growth and feral tea growing in the mountains. The fog-covered hills are home to an incredible range of biodiversity, in which tea plants thrive in the mineral-rich soil that feeds the local ecosystem. This tea was plucked and pile-fermented in 2015 and has been evolving in the years it has been aging. The liquor is a rich umber with a strong peat-like aroma. Each sip allows you to explore the depth and variety of flavors present in the leaf, from chocolate, to earth, wood and notes of spice. The leaves can be re-steeped all day long and their warmth and smoothness have the effect of cultivating an inner, grounded energy.

Blue willow blends blood orange as a fruit tisane containing dried orange peel, hibiscus petals, rose hips, cranberries and other fruits. Steeping to deep magenta liquor, the robust tartness is well rounded with citrus appeal. The beverage can be enjoyed hot or iced and drunk any time of day due to the lack of caffeine. It is a versatile blend and makes a great addition to black or other teas for those who love to experiment. Especially refreshing iced with lemon and sugar.

While it seems everyone has been familiar with the calming characteristics of chamomile since childhood, it is surprisingly difficult to find a quality chamomile with favorable flavor qualities. We are proud to offer a certified organic chamomile which has such a delicate sweetness and completely clean flavor which is sure to relax the mind and please the taste buds. Our chamomile is a whole-bud variety grown in Egypt.

Blue willow designed this blend of domestically-grown, certified organic mints to soothe the mind and body. The perfect combination of peppermint and spearmint creates an aroma which clears the mind and coats the belly with fresh sweetness. Allopathic and ayurvedic health systems use mint to aid many health maladies, especially digestive ailments. Because this blend contains no caffeine, it is a great option any time of day and is quite calming as a bedtime treat.

A wonderfully sweet and tart blend of dried berries, apples, rosehips, and hibiscus. This tisane steeps to a beautiful deep red liquor and has just the right amount of apple sweetness to tone down the puckery tartness of the berries. You can't steep this tea for too long, it only gets richer. Great hot and excellent iced, especially served with some fresh sliced strawberries! Added bonus: you can eat the dried fruit after you're done steeping.

Rooibos is a member of the legume family with needle-like leaves, native to South Africa. Named after the South African capitol, our rooibos capetown gives you a perfect caffeine-free pick-me-up for any time of day. The sweetness of passion fruit accents the earthy flavor of the rooibos, while wildflowers add an aromatic and flavorful perk. While this offering is excellent when sipped hot, it makes a truly refreshing and stimulating iced tea as well.

A blue willow specialty, world peace is a caffeine-free herbal blend that surprises with its subtle, soothing flavors. Breathe freely and cultivate inward peace with the help of this blend of all organic herbs and spices. The freshness of peppermint is complimented by the soothing sweetness of licorice root and accented by the spice of cloves. World peace is an excellent treat anytime, but is especially comforting to those suffering from colds, flu, or allergies. The scent penetrates and opens the lungs. Sipping world peace coats the throat with soothing herbs and comforts the stomach. For an added perk and immune-boost, add fresh, finely-sliced ginger.

Wu wei is a complex blend of herbs and spices that creates a flavor best described as naturally sweet, tart and spicy with an orange twist. The name wu wei is from the Chinese, meaning "peaceable energy". Spoken with a different inflection, it means "five flavors". The overall effect of wu wei is relaxing and calming while treating your taste buds to an upbeat progression of flavors. The blend includes stevia, a natural sweetener; lemon balm, which is said to calm nerves, aid digestion, and promote sleep; clove, reputed to be a natural antiseptic and analgesic; relaxing lavender; and licorice root, legendary in Chinese herbal medicine and as an aid to promote digestion respiratory health. These herbs and spices are blended together skillfully with hibiscus and orange zest to create a unique mélange bursting with flavor. The liquor is a rich, amethyst infusion and makes a fantastic iced tea.