Ben's Pick of the Best

This high grown, hand picked tea is grown on the Ali Mountain in central Taiwan. The special processing that increases the health giving Gamma Amino Butyric Acid content also changes the flavour of this tea too. It is very soft and mellow with a honey like quality that, health benefits aside, make it worthwhile drinking. To qualify as being a 'gabaron' tea and to give the required recommended dosage it must have 150mg per 100g of GABA, this contains over twice that amount.

A real speciality, this rare tea has a smooth, malty character and richness reminiscent of the finest Assam with a very elegant leaf, edged with silver and gold. The sweet honey-like aroma, with tones of apricot and exotic flowers, lifts Precious Jewel above the ordinary realm of Ceylon teas. The honey character transfers into the cup, enhancing the full and well-balanced creamy flavour, which also carries nuances of chocolate, vanilla and blackcurrant.

A luscious, silky infusion made from Yunnan golden buds tea and fresh bergamot. The buds are produced in Yunnan and have a complex flavour with notes of caramel, sweet tobacco, malt and warm honey.

This very rare tea grows wild in the woods of Georgia, near the Mtirala National Park, just a few kilometres from the Black Sea. These hand-produced teas have the quality of some of the finest teas in the world grown in Taiwan and are similar in complexity. The soft, infusion almost without any bitterness has nuances of wild berry, maple, pine, malt, raisins, honey, cocoa, caramel, apple, chestnut and spice. The long, wiry matt black leaves also look like those of Taiwanese teas, the larger leaf size reflecting the fact they are produced on tea trees rather than bushes. Many of these tea trees were planted in the 19th century and until recently were not harvested. The rich forest soil, the surrounding trees offering shade mean that these wild trees produce naturally high quality material for artisan tea makers to express.

I had often imagined a tea being made that could combine my two favourite oolong teas into one. I also imagined it would be impossible. I'm sure you will imagine how thrilled I am that someone has done it! Our supplier in Taiwan made this tea in the summer as an experiment. Needless to say, it is a resounding success! Whilst, not an 'Oriental Beauty' tea it has much in common, sharing the need for insects to bite the leaves. Naturally, it too has the beautiful honey, fruit and floral character found in 'Oriental Beauty' but also some of the buttery, green and cooler flavours found in a top 'Jade' Oolong. It differs from other 'Oriental Beauty' teas for some important reasons. Firstly, it is grown in a different place and much higher up the mountain at 1500 metres.

This prizewinning tea from Taiwan was as a result of a tea cultivar breeding scheme started over fifty years ago. I have to say it has the most complex flavour I have come across in a black tea and has become my equal favourite type. It is a broadleaf tea cultivar yielding a tea infusion with a natural cinnamon fragrance and a rich, malty flavour. As with all Taiwanese teas, this manages to combine complex floral and fruit flavours with the rich, malty body to make every sip taste different to the last.

Thailand is a relative newcomer to the world of tea production but due to the use of fine Taiwanese tea stock and expertise is making big waves in the high-quality tea market. This rarity has a fruity, caramel-like bouquet with a cup that shines in amber tones. It is very aromatic with a subtle sweetness and hints of honey on the palate.