Black Pearl Oolong

The key difference between green, oolong, and black teas is not the ingredients, but production techniques.  Look specifically at the process of oxidization.  Green teas are not oxidized at all, black teas are 100% oxidized, and an oolong can run anywhere in between.  Black Pearl is a heavily oxidized oolong tea, also known as red oolong in the East; showing off the qualities of the best black teas, yet still retaining the multi-layered complexity of an oolong.  This tea is a must try for brewers looking for a whole-leaf brew that is clearly a cut above black teas.

Notes include baked apples and grapes, with a molasses-sweet aftertaste.  The 2016 harvest of Black Pearl is also a bitten oolong which imparts a special and highly sought after flavor that is difficult to describe… both honeyed and herbal at the same time.  We found this flush mouthwatering, yet comfortable and particularly well-suited to sipping between meals.

Steeping Instructions:

Prepare 4 grams of tea leaf (one teaspoon) per 100ml of water(about half a cup).

For the first two steeps, 98°c water for no longer than 60 seconds will provide plenty of flavor.  From the third steep onward it is fine to add up to thirty additional seconds per steep.  This should provide between four and six re-steeps depending on the quality of the tea.  For larger vessels (teapots of over 500ml) re-steep potential is usually lower.