The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep “Slumbering Grove,” a pu'er tea. “Slumbering Grove” is another Trident-custom pressing from the Yiwu mountains in southeast Yunnan. It was made from old tree material gathered in the spring of 2017 and pressed into 200 gram cakes in 2021. Being stored as maocha (unpressed loose tea) in humid Guanzhou, it tastes remarkably far along in the aging process for being less than five years old. Its flavor is mellow, deep, and woodsy, with classic Yiwu stonefruit, floral, and wet earth ar ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a Tie Guan Yin, one of the most popular teas in China, and perhaps its most popular oolong tea. Our fall harvest Tie Guan Yin is made from 4-year old tea bushes. It is very lightly oxidized, and brews a bright green tea soup. Made from very high grade material, it has surprising depth and complexity. The body is light and fluffy, the aroma suggests spring wildflowers and tropical fruits, as well as saltier and earthy flavors akin in sea vegetables and metals. The name Tie Guan Yin ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a bug bitten tea, a Gui Fei Oolong. This 2020 silver medal winning Gui Fei oolong comes to us from Mr. Chen, who also produces our Long Feng Xia oolong. Gui Fei is a bug-bitten oolong, like Oriental Beauty, meaning that insects are encouraged to nibble on the tea leaves while they are still on the plant. This damages the cell walls of the tea leaf and causes them to release terpenes, which contribute to the honey-like sweetness of the brewed tea. It is a remarkably smooth tea, ric ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, steeps a green tea known as Anji Baicha with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. Anji Baicha (安吉白茶) or just “Anji White” is a popular and newly developed green tea from Zhejiang, China. Though called “white” it is in fact a green tea. Its long, needle-like leaves brew a sweet, complex, and highly refreshing tea suitable for drinking any time of the year. This especially high grade batch was acquired at great expense, but was well worth it. The lightly green liquor bursts with spring-time floral and garden aromas. Its taste is ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a hard to find Japanese green tea knows as Exquisite Gyokuro. This high quality Gyokuro is a blend of young spring tea leaves from the Uji area in the Kyoto prefecture of southern Japan. Historically famous for its high quality green teas, this Gokujou, or “exquisite” Gyokuro lives up to its name. It brews a thick tea soup, rich in umami and sea vegetable notes balanced by sweet honeydew and cantaloupe. Additionally, this Gyokuro feels to us to be especially high in L-theanine, wh ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, steeps an award wining Tie Guan Yin from Taiwan with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. Tea was first brought to Taiwan’s Wen Shan district in Taipei city over 300 years ago by Chinese immigrants from Fujian. This Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin is an authentic and traditional Taiwan oolong through and through, grown in the birthplace of Taiwanese tea and processed in the traditional manner. Unlike the majority of Chinese Tie Guan Yin oolongs, which are lightly oxidized and bright green, Mu Zha Tie Guan Yins are darker and roasted. The ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep Huo Shan Huang Ya, a yellow tea (not green or white!) from Anhui, China. Plucked in the very early spring, it is made entirely from the young buds of the tea bushes. The pedigree of this tea extends back to the Ming Dynasty when it was offered as a tribute tea to the emperor. Our Yellow Buds tea is very delicate and sweet, suggestive of chestnuts and almond blossoms. It has a classic Chinese green profile but is less grass/vegetable forward than true green teas. Yellow tea is prod ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a Dan Cong Oolong known as, “The Honey Orchid.” Mi Lan Xiang, translates to “Honey Orchid Aroma,” and is a popular oolong from China’s famous Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong Provence. Our Honey Orchid Oolong was painstakingly processed in multiple stages to bring out its rich and complex character. Two years of resting have also really brought its character into focus. Thick, sweet, and fragrant, it is difficult to find another tea quite like this. It is a good choice for fans of st ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a two decades old, this white tea cake made from shoumei (larger tea leaves harvested late in the growing season) is something you won’t come across every day. Aged white teas are purported to have numerous health benefits, and are prized for their unique flavors and chaqi (tea energy). Because white teas aren’t de-enzymed as greens, oolongs, and blacks are, they oxidize naturally over a gradual period. Their flavors are rich and complex. In this cake, we taste ..read more

The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep one of the most renowned teas in China, Dragonwell (longjing 明前龍井) from the West Lake (Xi Hu) protected area has a recorded history going back over a thousand years. The unique microclimate and pure spring water running into the tea fields help to create one of the most clear and mineral rich brews available in the tea world. Almost always processed into a green tea, this rare and very high grade black Dragonwell was masterfully withered for hours in order to encourage oxidat ..read more