At the start of each new tea growing season, our tea tasters here at Simpson & Vail are evaluating the various selection of loose leafed teas that have been received from tea gardens around the world. After appraising their qualities of aroma, leaf style, color in the cup and taste, some of these teas may be added to our already vast section of quality black, green, oolong, white, flowering and decaffeinated teas.
All our flavored and blended teas are manufactured here at S&V and each year some new selections may be added. From our original 17 blends offered by Mr. Vail in the early 1900's, we now offer over 50 aromatic and blended teas, earl grey and floral selections, along with many "special" blends that we have available to some of our wholesale accounts.
Like our flavored blends, we also offer many herbal "teas", both blended and regular, like chamomile, ginseng, honeybush, lemon myrtle and rooibos, to mention just a few. We carry our own line of unique Yoga "teas" and a large selection of flavored Rooibos beverages.
This small bio-dynamic tea estate is found in a remote area of the Uva region of Sri Lanka at an elevation of over 5,900 feet above sea level. High winds that blow through this garden result in teas with distinctive tastes. These large twisted black leaves brew to a copper colored cup with a heady light floral aroma and a slightly sweet apricot taste. A great afternoon tea!
High in the mountains of the Nuwara Eliya district of Sri Lanka, at an elevation of 6,200 feet, resides the Mahagastotte Estate. The name Mahagastotte translates to "place with large trees". Their medium broken brown-black leaves brew to a golden cup with a smooth and slightly sweet earthy taste that is reminiscent of the musky taste of raspberries.
This unique black sencha tea is grown in the Zhejiang province of China. The leaves are oxidized and then processed in the same manner as our classic green sencha. The long, straight toasty-brown leaves brew to a light golden cup with a delicate roasted taste that is mild and pleasant.
High up in the Himalayas in the Ilam Valley of Nepal, at the base of Mt Kanchanjunga, and bordering the renowned Indian tea growing area of Darjeeling, grows this exquisite tea. Their medium well-formed green-brown leaves brew to an ecru cup with superb floral notes and a light smooth and flavorful taste.
This delightful spring-picked tea comes from the Wen Shan growing area in northern Taiwan around the small town of Pingling. Carefully hand-rolled, these lightly oxidized large, twisted dark green leaves brew to a pale golden cup. The light, delicate and refreshing notes tantalize the taste buds with a smooth and sweet jasmine flavor. A great ending to a meal!
A refreshing all-day sipper for lovers of green tea! Grown at over 6000 feet on the high plateau of Nuwara Eliya the large, curled, olive-green leaves produce a pale ecru cup with a smooth, clean taste and no astringency.
The Guranse Estate offers exquisite organic tea from the verdant hills of Eastern Nepal in Hile, Dhankuta. Grown at altitudes between 3300 and 7200 feet above sea level, their tea bushes enjoy the same soil and climatic conditions as Darjeeling. The medium-sized twisted leaves produce a pale greenish cup with a fresh garden aroma and a light vegetal taste.
This heavenly blend brews up to a golden color with a sweet fruit taste and an undertone of chocolate that will elevate your taste buds. Inspired by Shelley's eloquent words in Frankenstein, "I feel my heart glow with an enthusiasm which elevates me to heaven…".
Imagine sitting at Walden Pond enjoying a quiet, peaceful moment with a cup of this caffeine free tea. The vibrant herbal blend has a fresh garden aroma that brews to a delightful red color. The cup imparts a mint and rose floral aroma and a taste that is slightly tart with earthy undertones and notes of rose and oats.
This Assam tea from clonal bushes has been blended to create a hearty brew with traditional Assam characteristics. The dark amber colored cup yields a flowery, malty cup with a smooth taste.
An original Assam Company estate, Doomur Dullung means the “fisherman’s bridge” and is referred to as the “Jewel in the Crown”. From this lovely garden, comes this CTC (cut, tear, curl) processed BPS (broken pekoe souchong) leaf. It brews to a deep copper cup with a smooth, malty flavor. Perfect on its own or you can add some to your favorite teas to create your own breakfast brew.
Grown from a clonal bush, this distinctive and delicious TGFOP black tea comes from the Tinsukia district of north eastern Assam. The well-formed tippy leaves brew to a deep amber cup with a smooth taste that has a natural hint of raspberry. Enjoy a delightful cup with breakfast or afternoon tea.
From the Guizhou district in China, at an altitude of 1400-1900 feet, comes this steamed green tea. Picked between May and June, the forest-green leaves brew to a delicate green cup with a fresh vegetal aroma, and a light citral taste.
The Banaspaty Estate is known for producing high quality orthodox teas. We're thrilled to offer this FTGFOP1 tea that brews to a copper colored cup with a brisk, malty taste that is full flavored and smooth. Destined to become a favorite, you'll love sipping this delightful Assam throughout the day.
Similar to China's Lapsang Souchong, but not as strong, this tea is smoked with local Indian woods instead of the Chinese pine wood. These long, well-formed TGFOP1 leaves brew to a copper colored, smooth cup. The smoke aroma and taste are delicate allowing for the distinctive malty Assam taste to shine through. As the cup cools a slight sweetness can also be found in the brew.
This tea comes from a garden located in the south west area of Georgia. The abundant rainfall, fertile soil, fresh running water and clean air, make exemplary growing conditions for this tea. This small-leafed black tea yields an amber colored cup with a forest aroma and a smooth full flavor with a slight oaky taste and a touch of sweetness in the cup. Perfect at lunchtime or as an afternoon pick me up.
This exceptional tea is produced in a distinctive way that results in the leaves tasting reminiscent of being freshly harvested. The tea brews to an olive-green cup with a very aromatic fragrance and a taste that is unique with soft buttery notes and full smooth flavor.
This outstanding tea is produced in northern Taiwan in a small village near Pingling, close to Wen Shan. The tea leaves are bitten by a cicada, a non-harmful insect, thus producing a high degree of sweetness in the oxidation process. No insecticides are used on these uniformly styled jet black, tightly woven leaves that yield a copper colored cup and a smooth, full-bodied hint of honey taste. Amazing!
(EU Organic) Treat yourself to this sweet, creamy concoction of tea, exotic spices, sugar & milk. This chai powder blend is based on classic chai (tea) masala (spice) blends from India. (Click on the image to see ingredients and preparation information.)
(EU Organic) Smooth and creamy with the heady taste of vanilla! This chai blend of black tea, exotic spices, sugar & milk is sure to please. This chai powder blend is based on classic chai (tea) masala (spice) blends from India with added vanilla. (Click on the image to see ingredients and preparation information.)
(EU Organic) Do you like spice? Try this zingy ginger & chili chai blend of black tea, exotic spices, sugar & milk. This chai powder blend is based on classic chai (tea) masala (spice) blends from India with added ginger and chili spices for an extra zing. (Click on the image to see ingredients and preparation information.)
Picked in mid-April, when the temperature is cool and the leaves are slowly growing, this tea captures the special flower flavors of Springtime. The resulting brew has a bright amber cup with a slight malty taste and a hint of sweetness. The fresh aroma that emanates from the cup is quite enticing!
This delightful sweet Keemun tea comes from the province of Anhui in the eastern part of China. Careful production of the tea and the jasmine flowers creates a deep golden cup with sweet, floral taste.
cl_tn.jpg "Assam - Broken TGBOP")
