This is a trial set of seven types of black tea, all grown naturally (without fertilizers or pesticides). Since all the teas in this set are pesticide-free, you can drink them with peace of mind.
This set is also suitable as a small gift for friends who love black tea!
Only Pesticide-Free Black Tea Selected
The teas selected for this trial set are all naturally grown. Choosing naturally grown teas is not only for safety reasons but also because tea grown without nitrogen fertilizers takes time to grow slowly, resulting in dense cells. This leads to a tea rich in components, with a deep and lingering aftertaste.
The Quality of Chinese Black Tea
When people think of black tea, they might imagine Darjeeling or Ceylon tea, but the origin of black tea is China, where there are also exceptionally high-quality black teas. You cannot talk about black tea without tasting high-quality Chinese black tea.
However, there may be concerns about fakes and food safety in China. In reality, China is a country with a mix of extremely high-quality and poor-quality products.
Surprisingly, many top-class teas in China are grown without pesticides or fertilizers. Producers understand that the quality improves without fertilizers, and pests are less likely to attack the plants, thus reducing the need for pesticides. For producers, pesticides are an expense, so they avoid using them if there is no pest damage.
To encounter truly good quality tea, objective measures of quality and knowledge, and experience related to those quality factors are necessary. At HOJO, we manage everything ourselves, from purchasing directly from producers who own tea gardens to handling export from China and import into Japan. By not using intermediaries and dealing directly with producers, we accurately manage and monitor the use of pesticides and fertilizers.
Contents of the Black Tea Trial Set
Formosa Black Tea
Tong Mu Shui Xian Black Tea
Lapsang Souchong Qi Zhong
Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea Apricot Honey Aroma
Yunnan Kung Fu Black Tea
High Mountain Purple Black Tea
Wild Black Tea
Formosa Black Tea/ Red Jade Tea
This is a representative black tea of Taiwan. It is made from the TTES No. 18 variety and is grown around Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County, Taiwan. It is sometimes called TTES No. 18 or Sun Moon Lake Black Tea based on the variety name and place of origin. Its characteristic is a menthol flavor reminiscent of Ceylon tea's Uva.
Tong Mu Shui Xian Black Tea
This black tea is made from the Shui Xian variety, following the traditional method of Lapsang Souchong (Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong). We would really like to call it Lapsang Souchong Shui Xian. However, Lapsang Souchong is by standard made from seed-grown tea in Tongmuguan, the growing area, and that is where the name Xiao Zhong comes from. Since this tea uses the Shui Xian variety, it is called Tong Mu Shui Xian Black Tea.
Its flavor recalls sweet potato and peach, with a hint of mango. There is also a note of dried longan, and the overall flavor is sweet.
It has none of the smoky aroma of typical Lapsang Souchong.
Lapsang Souchong Qi Zhong
Lapsang Souchong Qi Zhong is a legendary tea with a very floral and fruity aroma reminiscent of tropical fruits, honey, and peaches. Unlike ordinary black tea, which is completed by drying after fermentation, Lapsang Souchong Qi Zhong is roasted for a long time over charcoal at around 100℃ after drying, enhancing its maturity and fruity aroma. Qi Zhong is made from old trees grown from seeds at an altitude of 1200 meters, resulting in a rich aftertaste and long-lasting finish due to the high-quality raw materials.
Other teas in the same category include Lapsang Souchong Xiao Chi Gan and Tongmu Shuixian Black Tea. While all are excellent, Qi Zhong has been selected for this set.
Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea Apricot Honey Aroma
This black tea is made from naturally grown tea leaves from Lincang, Yunnan Province, China, at an altitude of 2100 meters. It is processed in the typical Yunnan black tea style, which involves very light withering to create a gentle, mild flavor. It has a faint honey aroma and also carries a menthol flavor similar to Uva. It is delicious both straight and with milk.
Yunnan Kung Fu Black Tea
In contrast to the Yunnan Ancient Tree Black Tea Apricot Honey Aroma, which is made with almost no withering, this tea is processed with significant withering, similar to Darjeeling. The withering process creates a floral and slightly spicy aroma, resulting in a bright and elegant black tea. It is made from naturally grown, seed-grown old trees over 100 years old in Lincang, Yunnan Province, at an altitude of 2100 meters. This tea has a rich aftertaste and a deep, lingering finish that penetrates deeply into the body.
High Mountain Purple Black Tea
In the tea gardens around 2000 meters in Lincang, Yunnan Province, there is a type of tea called purple tea. This purple tea is popular as a raw material for pu-erh tea due to its distinctive aroma, similar to perilla leaves. HOJO has custom processed this purple tea into black tea. High Mountain Purple Black Tea has a faint perilla aroma and a sweet potato-like sweetness. It has a broad flavor profile and a richness characteristic of purple tea. It is also delicious as milk tea.
Wild Black Tea
This black tea is made from wild tea, Camellia taliensis, that grows naturally in the mountains of Lincang, Yunnan Province, China. Wild tea, as the name suggests,
