Plucked from wild growth this beautiful hand rolled black tippy tea has notes reminiscent of lychee and malt producing an incredibly soothing and comforting cup of tea.
We last had the pleasure of enjoying this in our cup from the Spring 2018 harvest and I had been asking whether this beautiful tea was made each year since. When Jeni and Buddha called me to say there was 3kg available, I said I would take whatever they would be happy to share....and here we are.
Whilst we think this tea is a beautiful representation of a Nepali black tea it also has the most remarkable story that makes the decision to bring this tea into our catalogue so very simple.
This story is shared in Jeni Dodd’s, our sourcing partner, words below.
“About 5 years ago, a plan was hatched! The third-generation tea farmer and the woman from Kansas would build a factory in his small village in Nepal. Without the ability to finish tea, Bardu was at the mercy of green leaf buyers. The price for green-leaf went down 50% from 2013-1014, then another 30% from 2014-2015. For a small community already living on the edge of survival, losing their livelihood was not possible.
However, we gambled that with the ability to finish their tea, the village would be able to survive. So, we brought tea-processing to Bardu. You are tasting the first tea processed in that factory! We hope you enjoy it and that it is the means for these hard-working people in a remote village of the Himalayas to find long-term economic sustainability through access to the global market”.
Origin: Bardu, Ilam, Nepal
Flavour profile: Smooth | Fruit | Malt
Processing highlights: Plucked from wild growing bushes that have been in the Yonjan family for three generations and coincidently, on the day of the full moon. Withered overnight and then hand-rolled with love and dedication.
Harvest: April 2023
Plucking standard: Bud and two leaves
Tea Maker: Buddha
This tea is deliciously fruity, reminiscent of lychee, and a malt and woodsy finish without any astringency.
Bardu Honeymoon pairs well with milk chocolate, goats cheese, smoked fish and meats, spiced desserts and eggs.
This tea will make an excellent breakfast style tea served plain and would also be delicious with a couple of squares of good quality milk chocolate.
Leaf appearance: A tippy black tea of a bud and two leaves
Aroma: A semi-sweet aroma of malt, wood and citrus notes.
Liquor colour: Brilliant golden-red
