Now that we finally have some processed tea to share, it was time to make a site for the tea side of our farm. It’s still very simple, just a beginning, but here it is: Ahualoa Tea Farm
Our second harvest, as an orthodox black tea, turned out great. Slightly sweet, no harsh tannins, and keeps giving flavor over 4-5 steepings. Experienced tea tasters tell me that it’s unique, somewhat like other Hawaiian black tea but unlike tea from anywhere else in the world.
We brewed it a couple different ways, and just for fun, did a side-by-side comparison with a “normal” commodity black tea in a bag:
There’s no comparison – they are completely different things. I almost hesitate to call what we’ve made “black tea”, as it brings up entirely different associations for most people.
I visited San Francisco a week ago, and visited the nice people at Samovar Tea Lounge. They have a little Hawaiian tea to sell (not ours, yet) and really nice ambiance and food to complement it. I met the owners and we brewed up 10g of our tea for them and their staff to try.
From their positive reaction, it seems likely that connoisseurs of hand-processed teas will ‘get’ our tea right away.
I love Hawaiian teas. There’s a great site where you can find teas from all over the world
I’ve been trying them all — working on herbal teas now since the weather is so horrid where I’m at.
I bought and tried the second harvest tea. It is indeed a little sweet, very mild and not at all harsh. It almost has a little citrusy or flowery flavor that I can’t quite identify. It feels very Hawaiian — like strong rocks made lush with a soft island breeze. This is not a wake-up-kick-you-in-the-butt black tea. It’s a gentle reminder to sit back and savor what you’re drinking tea. Thanks for it.