Description

The CLUBBOX @ Siam Tea Shop

The SiamTeas Club Box is a flexible format for bundling several types of tea in generously proportioned tasting size on a monthly basis at prefential price. At this, the selection of teas compiled in the box can either represent a specific topic, sample the most recent new introductions at Siam Tea Shop or simply offer a random choice of personal favorites of mine.

Edition January ’22 – Tuyet Shan

The THIRTEENTH edition – January 2023 – offers a representative cross-section of SiamTeas’ offer of “Tuyet Shan” teas from Northern Vietnam. This is, where the tea tree variety of the same name is at home in Ha Gian province’s “Tai Con Linh” mountains, bordering Yunnan. In our local producer partner’s tea garden, the “Ancient Snow Shan” teas made from it thrive in their natural environment. At this, many of the genuinely seed-grown trees are already several hundred years old. For most of these teas, the time-consuming picking, often involving climbing the trees, falls in April. At this, the tea leaves’ flawless picking and processing quality stands out as a special feature. This, the natural cultivation and the special properties of the “Tuyet Shan” tea tree make our Ancient Snow Shan teas one of the finest gems that the world of tea has to offer, also in terms of taste.

picture courtesy of Stephan Kockmman – Teesuche.de

Accordingly, the January Clubbox 2022 (“Tuyet Shan”) offers 10g each of the following 7 “Ancient Snow Shan” teas, differing in picking standard and type of processing:

1. Ancient Snow Shan Tra Pai Hao

Ancient Artisan Snow Shan Tra Pai Hao Tea is a Vietnamese black tea specialty yielded from leaves of the ancient “Thuyet Shan” (= “Snow High Mountain”) tea trees. The Thuyet Shan tea tree is native the central Vietnamese province of Ha Giang. There, at altitudes of 1400+ meters, the biodiverse and health and environment-friendly operated tea plantation of our producer partner for Vietnamese Snow Shan teas is located. The “arguably best teas in the world” convince with meticulously realized picking standard (here: 1+1) and highly diligent processing. Tra Pai Hao Black Tea combines the deep sweetness, cocoa notes and malty character of black Yunnan tea with the benefits of unparalleled quality processing and the special features of the Thuyet Shan tea tree.

2. Ancient Snow Shan Green Tea

Ancient Artisan Snow Shan Green Tea – handpicked from 100+ years old “Thuyet Shan” (= “Snow High Mountain”) tea trees in Ha Giang province, Vietnam. Our producer partner in Vietnam picks this tea every year in spring with a picking standard of 1+1 from the tea trees of their biodiverse and health and environment-friendlyally operated tea plantation. Even today, large parts of the processing are done manually, forming a true “artisan process”.

3. Ancient Snow Shan Black Tea

Handpicked black tea from 100+ years old “Thuyet Shan” (= “Snow High Mountain”) tea trees in Ha Giang province, Vietnam. Our producer partner in Vietnam picks this tea from March to midst of May and from September to November every year with a picking standard of 1+2 from the tea trees of their biodiverse and health and environment-friendly operated plantation, located at altitudes of 1400+ meters. Until today, a large part of the processing is done manually and in form of a true “artisan process”.

4. Ancient Snow Shan Trang White Moonlight Tea

Ancient Snow Shan Trang White Moonlight Tea (spring picking) from 100+ years-old Tuyet Shan (“Snow High Mountain”) tea trees in north Vietnam. Our local producer partner’s tea garden, located at altitudes of 1400+ meters in the Tai Con Linh mountain range in Ha Giang province, follows close-to-nature cultivation principles. This way, the tea trees benefit from the input and the regulating mechanisms of a natural, biodiverse environment. A pronounced almond note on the gum combines with a sweetness that is unusually intense for a white tea to a taste of finest marzipan.

5. Ancient Snow Shan Red Oolong Tea

The Wuyi-style multi-roasted, medium-oxidized oolong tea comes from leaves of over 100 years old “Tuyet Shan” tea trees thriving in their natural forest environment in the northern Vietnamese province of Ha Giang. The delicately spicy and intensely sweet fragrance of the dry tea leaf reflects in the complex taste profile of the crystal-clear transparent, bright red infusion in a composition of ripe fruits, aromatic woods and spicy roasted notes.

6. Ancient Snow Shan Sheng 1 +2

Ancient Snow Shan Sheng Pu Erh Tee 1+2 is an unripened “hei cha” from ancient tea trees in Vietnam’s northernmost province, Ha Giang. Only the young buds, each with two leaves attached to it, qualify for this tea’s (hand) picking. Like all teas from our producer partner in Ha Giang, the processing of their pu erh teas is rooted in ancient local artisan traditions. This, along with a genuine passion for producing tea, leads to a level of picking and processing excellence that is about unprecedented in the industry.

7. Ancient Snow Shan Shou 1 + 2

Ancient Snow Shan Shoung Pu Erh Tea 1+2 is a ripened “hei cha” from ancient tea trees in Vietnam’s northernmost province, Ha Giang. Only the young buds, each with two leaves attached to it, qualify for (hand) picking. Like all teas from our producer partner in Ha Giang, the processing of their pu erh teas is rooted in ancient local artisan traditions. This, along with a genuine passion for producing tea, leads to a level of picking and processing excellence that is about unprecedented in the industry.

For more information on the origin and background of Siam Tea Shop’s Thai Oolong Teas please also read the following blog article:

Ha Giang, Northern Vietnam – Home of the Tuyet Shan Tea Tree