Check out my coverage of both Day 1 and Day 2 of the 2011 World Tea Expo.

The World Tea Expo is such a fantastic event that even after only a few times through I can’t imagine not attending every year. I spark wonderful conversations with people, make new friends and contacts and come out knowing more than ever about tea in all its forms. This year really was no different in this respect. From a Tea Anthropologist I met at breakfast on Day 2 to time spent hanging out with my new buddy Ankit Lochan of Lochan Tea (we went to the Hoover Dam) I really had a great time this year.

But, without further ado…

Day 2

I spent some quality time with a few of the larger brands on Sunday. A wonderful but short visit over to the Harney & Sons booth showed Michael Harney’s lighter side and let me reconnect with the brand which first exposed me to loose tea. I always enjoy speaking with the Harney’s. They have great business sense to be sure, and they know their teas but they’re also great to talk with and learn from. You should drop in on their SoHo store if you’re in Manhattan.

Michael Harney & I

Michael Harney's Lighter Side

Moving along, I spent some time with some new friends with World Tea Media, purveyors of the World Tea News (WTN) industry publication and the World Tea and World Tea East expos. George and Kim Jage started the expo some number of years ago and it’s really grown into something wonderful! Dan Bolton, editor of the WTN articles and I had a nice long chat as well. It was a pretty awesome chance to connect with some of the larger names in the industry at the moment.

Some Tea from Rishi Tea

International Tea Importers is one of the larger wholesale groups around and they have some mighty fine product. They had a couple of the more unique items I was able to check out this year. Amongst my favorite activities at the expo are speaking with ITI’s purveyor, Mr. Devan Shah as well as venerable Tea Luminary Mr. James Norwood Pratt (to whom I always wish to bestow the title of Sir.) I hope next year I’ll have the opportunity to share a meal with these gentlemen.

Sir James Norwood Pratt and I

A stop over to Teas Etc yielded a great opportunity to chat up Beth Johnston and new friend Sherri Miller of Moonrise Tea Garden out of Hawaii. I reviewed Sherri’s crop from last year if you care to check it out. I also had a chance to speak with Newman Johnston and am always super excited after talking tea, business and happy things with these folks. There’s so much to go over and one expo isn’t nearly enough time, let alone a short conversation within an expo!

Beth Johnston, Myself and Sherri Miller

Newman Johnston and I

Another group from Hawaii whom I didn’t get the chance to review but did say hi to last year was Naliko Tea Gerden, now known as Tea Hawaii. It seems like Liam Ball of Naliko hooked up with a neat crowd. Tea Hawaii offers some neat products, an interesting brewing method where water is poured over the leaves and sifted into a drinking vessel. They also offer custom made tea cups made of clay which are all unique. The uniqueness is by virtue of a ‘slap’ to the clay as the potter is finishing spinning it which gives the cup its unique ‘wobble.’

Tea Hawaii Brewing to a Vessel

Another stop was made to a standby of mine. You can find Stash Tea products in nearly every grocery store in the United States. They’re a HUGE brand. However, they’re mostly known for their bagged teas. This is mighty unfortunate because their loose tea quality is actually pretty high. I always enjoy good conversation with Stash. I hope to cover more of their loose teas soon.

Stash Tea Products

I did also run into Wendy Weir of Libre Tea whose brewing vessel I reviewed some time ago and pit against other tea mugs in a showdown last year. This was her first World Tea Expo exhibiting. Honorable mention to my friends at Honey Stix whose products I hope to review soon. A shout to my buddies at Eastrise Trading who handle distribution for Foojoy in North America. Another honorable mention for the folks at Nucha, and David over at Gorreana Portuguese Teas.

I was disappointed not to see some of my favorite exhibitors from the past two years. Notable absences included Puripan Tea Garden, TeaGschwendner, PeLi Teas, Tavalon Tea, Village Tea Company, SAFA Himalaya and Catalyst Tea Enhancers. I missed you guys!

That’s pretty much it for Day 3. Feel free to go back and check out Day 1 and Day 2 of my 2011 World Tea Expo coverage.

Eastrise Trading Company

The leaves of this tea remind me more of a Darjeeling than those of a fluffy white tea. They’re a mixture of green, brown and white leaves with some stems in. The aroma is lighter and sweeter than most earl grey teas and reminds me of vanilla with some light floral tones.

When brewed the leaves produce an orange-red liquor which effuses an aroma primarily of bergamot. There’s a hint of a light spiciness as well.

On the palate I note smooth vanilla notes, though I don’t think there’s any actually in the tea. I alsorecapture the floral notes from the dry aroma. Of course, the bergamot is present throughout but not at all overbearing.

There’s only a slight astringency to this brew. Less than most any earl grey I’ve ever had. It’s quite refreshing and relaxing.

I recommend this Winter White Earl Grey to all fans of earl grey teas, fans of white teas and fans of lightly flavored teas.

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This tea literally looks like grass. The mixture of deep and bright greens is a stunning visual. This is especially captivating when paired with the sweet grassy aroma which contains notes of baby spinach and artichoke.

This tea seems to be shade grown and the loose material does have lots of smaller leaf particles amongst the larger leaves. When brewed the tea produces a lightly cloudy bright green liquor.

The steeped aroma equally light and fresh, containing less astringency than when dry and this seems to allow the sweeter notes to emerge in greater force.

When drinking this Kagoshima Sencha it’s important to note the swirl of sweet and bitter on the tongue. This convalescence makes for a wonderful palate pleasing brew.

While the aromas and the flavor are both sweet, the bitter in this brew provides sufficient enough bite, but there’s no drying of the tongue or palate.

Fans of Japanese green teas, especially shade grown (Fukamushi) style teas such as Gyokuro will really enjoy this brew. Fans of softer green teas such as a Chinese Dragonwell may find this brew a bit harsh.

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I was first introduced to this blend maybe four years ago by a friend and coworker at a previous job. I enjoyed it so much, I ordered some. FYI, I’ve continued ordering it.

The leaves of this tea are broken grade and very dark. I don’t visually note the presence of actual cranberry pieces but they’re there, along with orange peel which I can pick out scattered throughout. The aroma is pungent and wonderful, eluding to a deeper level of subtlety not seen.

Once brewed the leaves produce a deep, dark colored brew Harney & Sons notes as mahogany. The aroma is lighter once brewed with notes of citrus tart and a light sweetness you feel begging you to consume it.

When drinking I noted this brew’s relatively smooth liquor where I’d anticipated something a bit brisker. A pleasant surprise. The sweet and tart flavors seem to swap places in the mouth as they battle for prominence. It’s at once energizing and calming.

I recommend this brew as an every-other day beverage for fans of breakfast teas, Earl Grey teas and Keemun teas. Fans of fruity blends may find this tea less powerful than they’re used to, but could find it a welcome change.

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This is one of the more interesting green teas to look at. A jagged bancha blended with sesame seeds provides a visual more natural than I thought at first. The aroma is roasty and sweet with hints of a more savory flavor profile.

When brewed the leaves produce light yellow liquor partially clouded by some dusting from the loose blend. The steeped aroma is lighter, slightly sweeter with more prominent nutty tones and a more subdued roasted profile.

On the palate everything comes alive. Clear spinach and artichoke flavors pair with the roastiness of the sesame and the nutty flavors to create a well balanced and nuanced flavor profile.

While there is a slight bit of vegetal astringency it’s only on the initial part of the sip and is quickly balanced by the other pieces of this teas’ profile.

I recommend this tea to fans of nutty and savory teas with heartier brew characteristics. Fans of darker senchas and banchas should also find this brew more than palpable.

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