Alder Oolong
The world of tea has corners to get lost in and rabbit holes to go down. The seemingly endless variations of type and style can leave one's head spinning. But even with the vastness of this territory, the longer you spend in it, the fewer surprises there are. So, when something new comes along that changes your perspective entirely, you sit up and take notice.
For more than a decade, our friend Balazs Henger has dedicated a considerable amount of time to study the art of tea making. From traveling to China and Vietnam to learn picking and processing, to spending each spring in Salem, OR, harvesting from tea bushes that were planted there in the 70s, as a joint research project by Oregon State University and a university in Japan.
As Balazs's confidence grew in his ability to control process and how it affected the tea leaves, his curiosity led him to see if he could apply these same techniques to plants growing indigenously in the region. What followed was five years of trial and error before Alder Oolong was born.
By adding oolong processing techniques, Balazs elevated this leaf from tasting bland and herbaceous to something any tea enthusiast should have in their collection. Unlike other herbal teas, this tea can stand up to the rigors of gongfu brewing. Notes of blackberry, red cedar and granny apple come through in cup after cup.
Welcome to the revolution.
Teamaker - Balazs Henger
Location - Chehalis, WA
Harvest Time - May 2024
BREWING INSTRUCTIONS
- Gong Fu - This tea works great in both porcelain and semi porous vessels. Since it is lightly twisted leaf, we recommend filling half of the vessel with dry leaf.
- Western - Use 1 large pinch of tea per 8 oz of water. Add 212F water and steep for 4-6 minutes. Can be re-steeped a second time, adding 2-3 minutes to the original steep time.