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.
Jim Sr. loved all types of tea; however, this interesting blend that he concocted became his favorite, and one that always jump-started his day! The rich flavors of Assam and Pu-erh meld together into a dark amber cup with an earthy, malty and smooth tasting tea that can be enjoyed, as he did, not only in the morning, but throughout the day.
Simple and scrumptious! This tea resembles a classic vanilla birthday cake mix. With the aroma of sweet buttercream frosting and the taste of creamy vanilla cake, it will bring back favorite birthday memories and hopefully create new ones!
Behali was established in 1988 under the Majuli Tea Company. Located between the foothills of the Himalayas and the Brahmaputra river, Behali is in the Sonitpur district of Assam. This beautiful estate hosts remarkable scenic beauty. The black OP styled tea is interspersed with golden tips and brews to a full-bodied amber cup with a deep malty flavor.
From the Yunnan province in China comes these 100gram cooked (Shou) pu-erh cakes. Harvested in the Spring, the tea is fermented 45-50 days and then compressed into cakes in July/August. This smaller sized cake is perfect for traveling or home consumption. To Brew: Break off enough tea to measure roughly 2 teaspoons, rinse the leaves in hot (but not boiling) water, then steep in boiling water for approx. 4-5 min. The deep amber cup emits a delightful musky aroma, with a strong peaty and earthy taste.
From the Wuyi Mountains in northern Fujian, located at an altitude of 2900 feet, comes this enchanting organic tea. The black elongated leaves yield a light amber cup with a delightful sweet earthy taste and a touch of smoke.
Golden Yunnan Black Tippy is a bright, coppery, full-bodied tea from the famous Yunnan province of China. This tea brews into a soft, rounded cup with pleasant, slightly peppery notes, and is a wonderful example of a high-grade Chinese black tea with abundant golden tips. The twisted leaves give a light, clean mouthfeel, with notes of pepper, tarragon, and mint and a dry, astringent finish.
Kanchanjangha Noir is a brisk Nepal black tea with fruity and floral aromas and a hint of caramel. Flavor notes of raisins, cherry, and dark chocolate are prominent in this unique tea.
This tea comes from the region of Sunon in the province of Anhui in China and has beautiful, elongated dark-green leaves. The tea produces a delicate yellow liquor with a nutty aroma and a light, smooth buttery flavor.
This box of celebratory teas will thrill your tea loving Birthday friend. This box contains Birthday Blend, Crème Brulee and Carrot Cake Cupcake. (Click on the photo for more information.)
“With the coming of spring, I am calm again.” – Gustav Mahler Spring is in the air and we're welcoming it with this Spring Bouquet tea collection. Included in this tea box are favorites: Lavender Lace, Spring Blossom, and Violet. (Click on the photo for more information.)
A Mother's work is never done ... but when she wants to take a much needed break, she can choose one of these lovely teas: Victorian Earl Grey, Mother's Day Blend, and Women's Tonic. (Click on the photo for more information.)
Show your love for Dad with this flavorful collection of teas. This box contains Father's Day Blend, Earl Grey, and Men's Tonic. (Click on the photo for more information.)
Send a gift of relaxation! This lovely box contains three soothing herbal blends: Moonlight Snooze, Calm, and Venetian Sunset.
(Click on the photo for more information.)
Our Father's Day tea is a bold blend of smoky black teas combined with orange blossoms and bourbon whiskey flavoring to create a unique and delicious taste. We made quite a few versions of this blend and then taste tested them on Jim. This was the blend he declared to be his favorite. "This brew reminds me of evenings around the campfire with my family on our annual trips to Maine." We hope you enjoy this smoky, whiskey tea that has delicious notes of burnt caramel. And if you're like Jim you might say "drinking this makes me feel more like a Father" but we can't guarantee that!
