Ming Qian An Ji Bai Cha Green Tea (Organic) 2010 20% off
Mo Gan Huang Ya Yellow Tea (Organic) 2010 20% off
Shui Jin Gui (Golden Water Turtle) Light Roast Rock Oolong 2009 20% off
High Mountain Tie Guan Yin Anxi Oolong 2009 20% off
Old Style Tie Guan Yin Anxi Oolong 2009 20% off
Gong Fu Yunnan Black Tea 2009
Tea Tastings
Our free tea tastings occur every Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. The tastings will usually offer two teas side by side for sampling. Each tasting will last about one hour and will involve some discussion about the teas, their history, and their special qualities, followed by the tasting. This is a very fun and interactive way to introduce yourself to the broad range of Chinese teas.
Below is the schedule. Check back each month for further schedules. We look forward to tasting some teas with you.
August Tea Tastings
6th: Whites. Silver Needle and Bai Mu Dan (White Peony). We start August with our recently received 2010 white teas. Whites are particularly high in antioxidants and oh so delicious!
13th: Rock Oolongs. Imperial and Premium Meizhan. We’ll try two different grades of the same rock oolong to see what a difference the imperial grade makes.
20th:Blacks. Shou Gong Qimen & Gong Fu Dian Hong. We have a new kind of Keemun (Qimen) this year to try. We’ll see how it compares with the sweetness of a Yunnan black.
27th: Puers. Two Palace Puer. We have also received new versions of all of our loose leaf black puers. Today we will compare the older and newer version of our palace puer, one of the smallest and lightest black pues available.
July Tea Tastings
2nd: 2010 Tai Ping Hou Kui & Liu An Gui Pian: Two large leaf and rich greens. Learn how Tai Ping Hou Kui is pressed between screens, giving it an imprint on the leaves.
9th: 2010 Mo Gan Huang Ya & Imperial Huang Shan Mao Feng: So far we’ve all been enjoying this year’s Mo Gan Huang Ya. While we’ve always enjoyed it, this year’s crop surpasses last year’s. And the Mao Feng is as delicious as ever.
16th: 2010 Da Fo Long Jing & Yu Qian An Ji Bai Cha: Two of our favorite green teas. Come see if this year’s An Ji Bai Cha has the same aroma of baked chicken dinner as last year’s!
23rd: 2010 Meng Ding Gan Lu & Premium Xin Yang Mao Jian: One of the most western green teas combined with one of the northernmost greens. We’ll explore the terroir of these two vastly different greens.
30th: Shou Mei White & Jasmine Pearls: And finally a change from greens and yellows. Here we will revisit the old standby’s Shou Mei white and the ever-popular Jasmine Pearls.
June Tea Tastings
4th: Shi Feng Long Jing & Ming Qian Anji Bai Cha. This month we are focusing on our new 2010 crops, all of which are particularly tasty. We start with two of our favorite green teas. Come learn why Shi Feng, or Lion’s Peak, makes such a uniquely delicious Dragonwell tea, and why Anji Bai Cha, while literally called “white tea,” is in fact a green tea.
11th: Imperial Bi Luo Chun & Jun Shan Yin Zhen. There is nothing quite like opening the bags of freshly picked green teas and savoring their fragrance. This year’s Bi Luo Chun really surprised me with its robust, fruity fragrance. We will compare that with the best of the yellows, Jun Shan Yin Zhen.
18th: Gu Zhu Zi Sun (Purple Bamboo) & Imperial Xin Yang Mao Jian. Purple Bamboo has been a tribute tea for centuries and was first mentioned by Lu Yu in his “Classic of Tea.” And for good reason, as it has an exquisite taste. Mao Jian is one of the more unique green teas, partly due to the fact that it is grown in a much more northerly area than most other greens.
25th: Meng Ding Huang Ya & Meng Ding Cui Zhu. Next are two teas grown in the Meng Ding region of Sichuan, where tea was first cultivated 2000 years ago. One, the Huang Ya, is a yellow tea with a rich mouth feel and herbaceous flavor. The other, Cui Zhu or Green Bamboo, has a flavor that is best described as bright green.
April Tea Tastings
2nd: Green Puers. We’ll start the month out by sampling our featured Puer of the Month, Jing Gu Run Ling 8545 next to one of our best green puers, Ma Guo Tou. Join as to see how the new comer stands up to tea royalty.
9th: Premium Greens. While Imperial grade teas are the “best” we shouldn’t forget about the Premium grades, which tend to taste a little stronger. Bi Luo Chun and Huang Shan Mao Feng taste amazing in either of their grades, so today we’ll let the premiums have the spotlight.
16th: Dark Oolongs. A couple of months ago we featured the “green” oolongs, so this month we’ll take a walk on the dark side. Bai Ji Guan is one of the four ancient rock oolongs, and has a complex flavor that hints at cocoa. Huang Zhi Xiang, or Yellow Sprig, is a Dan Cong oolong cultivated from a 700-year-old bush and has a sweet mellow flavor.
23rd: Black Puers. Since last month’s featured Puer wasn’t included in the tasting schedule, we thought we’d give you one more chance to try it. Jing Gu 520 Shu Zhuan may be young, but it has an amazingly rich taste and Jennifer claims it might even be one of the best Puers she has tried. Little Rose Tuocha is a lighter, mellower puer with a hint of sweet rose to the taste.
March Tea Tastings
March 5: Yellows. Mo Gan Huang Ya (Yellow Buds) and Meng Ding Huang Ya. We start the month with two of our three yellow teas. Meng Ding Huang Ya comes from Sichuan province in the west and has a lightly sweet flavor with a rich, velvety texture, while Mo Gan Huang Ya grows in the east, near Hangzhou, and is a little more similar to green tea. In this tasting we will discuss what makes a yellow tea so unique.
March 12: Whites. Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) & Shou Mei. Next we will try to different kinds of white teas. Whereas Bai Mu Dan is made with a bud and a leaf, Shou Mei is all leaves, including some rather large leaves.
March 19: Rock Oolongs. Shui Jin Gui (Golden Water Turtle) Light and Medium Roast. Rock oolongs are traditionally roasted over a charcoal fire in order to finish them and stop the oxidation process, a step that adds a wonderful toastiness to their complex flavor. For this tasting we will focus on one particular type of Rock Oolong and try two different levels of roasting, a medium and light roast, so we may discover what a difference the level of roasting can make on a tea.
March 26: Blacks. Imperial Lapsang Souchong (light smoke) and Premium Keemun. Finally we end with two rich black teas. The Imperial Lapsang Souchong is only lightly smoked over a pine wood fire, giving it more nuance and subtlety than the strong smoke version. And the Premium Keemun is wonderful for those looking for a taste similar to English or Irish Breakfast teas.
February Tea Tastings
5th: Big White Tea Bush. Today we will sample two teas whose leaves come from the same bush. Bai Mu Dan is a midgrade white with a fuller flavor than some of it’s higher end counterparts and Silver Dragon Pearls is a midgrade Jasmine with a headier flavor than a standard Jasmine pearl.
12th: Green and Puer of the Month. Yin Gou Mei, or Silver Fish-hook Eyebrow is a robust green tea with a deep jade color and heavy fragrance. Our Puer of the Month, You Le Ancient Tree, is a green or uncooked puer with a soft aftertaste and a high fragrance.
19th: Complex Blacks. Come and test your palate this week with two of the more complex black teas, Dian Hong Jin Ya or Golden Buds and Spring Dawn Keemun. Both are sweeter teas with hints of flavors that may be familiar.
26th: Toasty Green Oolongs. Taiwan and the An Xi region of Fujian province are known for producing rolled oolongs that are less oxidized; that is, closer to a green than a black. Qilaishan Long Wu and Old Style Tie Guan Yin are two of these teas, but with a more roasted flavor than other green oolongs.
January Tea Tastings
1st: CLOSED FOR NEW YEAR
8th: Puer of the Month & Black Tuocha. Jing Mai Gao Shan Shu Bing, a rich black puer with many golden tea buds will be paired with a Black Tuocha, a great everyday puer with perfect fermentation control and a clean pure taste.
15th: Lapsangs. Today we will be tasting the light and strong smoke versions of the most familiar Chinese black tea, Lapsang Souchong. Coming directly from the original Lapsang farm in Wu Yi, the strong smoke Lapsang is the tea made famous by the British royal family and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
22nd: Shui Xian Oolongs. Premium Shui Xian is a robust tea great for new rock oolong drinkers that earned its nickname, Narcissus, for the wonderful floral aroma reminiscent of newly blooming Narcissus flowers. Lao Cong Shui Xian, or Old Bush, is a light roasted oolong milder than its premium cousin, with an aroma of dried dates and a slippery feeling similar to good Puer.
29th: Seven Cups Puer Cakes. These two cakes, one black and one green, are a special order Puer that only comes to Seven Cups teahouse! Austin and Zhuping, our founders, helped in the selection of the maocha, the cooking process, and even the wrapper design. We here at Seven Cups Denver are very much looking forward to trying these brand new teas with you!
December Tea Tastings
4th: The Lost Yellow. Last year, we ran out of Mo Gan Huang Ya so fast we could barely believe it. It’s finally back in a brand new year’s crop, and it’s delicious. We will be tasting it beside another of the rare and fantastic Yellow teas, Meng Ding Huang Ya.
11th: Dan Cong Oolongs. Jin Jiang Mi Lan Xiang, or Gold Medal Honey Orchid, is a highly prized tea from Guandong with a very complex flavor and interesting aftertaste. Ye Fang, or Wild Bush, has a rich heavy flavor and a strong aroma. This is a great tea to replace coffee and help you wake up.
18th: Taster’s Choice! Last year, as a little Christmas gift to our tea-tasting patrons, we let you pick the teas for the final December tasting. This year, we’ve decided to do it again! When you show up, you can request any tea you’d like to try and we’ll try to do as many as we can before we float away.
25th: Closed for Christmas!
November Tea Tastings
6th: The Return of Big Red Robe! Yes it’s true, Da Hong Pao is finally back. The 2009 crop is in, and we are very excited to share one of our favorite teas with you. Da Hong Pao is the most famous of the four ancient rock oolongs; it has a robust taste and sweet aroma, plus it cures headaches! We will be sampling both the traditional medium and the light roasts.
13th: Jasmines. Imperial Yin Hao is a tea we have not had in a while. Made with gently shaped tea buds and very fresh young leaves, this tea is a wonderful way to appreciate the mild and fresh character of the white tea bush along with the pleasant fragrance of young jasmine flowers. It will be paired with the new years crop of our most popular Jasmine Pearls.
20th: An Xi Oolongs. We just received a new An Xi Oolong, and we are just as excited to try it as you are. High Mountain is a mystery to us, so come and compare it side-by-side with the ever-popular Monkey Picked and see what you think.
27th: Greens. The rest of the 2009 green teas have finally arrived! We feel bad that we didn’t have Misty New Top in time for last months scheduled tasting, so we’ve put it back on the schedule along with Taishan Fo Mei, a certified organic tea that grows near a local Buddhist temple and is drank daily by its monks.
October Tea Tastings
2nd: Green Puers. We’re starting this month off with a bang by sampling a special Puer we don’t normally offer for service. The 2007 Jing Gu Run Ling Mo Gu Sheng Tuo, or Green Puer Mushroom Shaped Tuo Cha, is hand-fired and has a long aftertaste, and yes, it really is shaped like a mushroom! This special puer will be paired with one of our favorites, Golden Melon.
9th: Blacks. Gong Fu Dian Hong is a wonderful and very affordable Yunnan black, with more sweetness than most other black teas. Premium Keemun is manager Jennifer’s favorite black tea. It has a full, smooth flavor that lingers pleasantly on your tongue.
16th: Battle of the Popular Greens. Two of the most popular everyday drinking green teas, both from China but one a Japanese style tea, will go head to head this week in a battle for supreme regard. Misty New Top is one of our best sellers; made from the same bush as the infamous Long Jing teas, Misty New Top produces a clean jade green color and a rich taste similar to fresh cooked vegetables. Genmaicha is one of the most popular teas in Japan, made from a mix of green Sencha leaves and roasted brown rice. It is a refreshing tea with a toasty aroma and smooth, mellow flavor.
23rd: Two NEW NEVER-BEFORE TASTED Puers! It’s we’re-crazy-for-Puer month, and in honor of that we will be breaking in to two of the new Puer bricks we do not normally offer for service. Jing Gu Run Ling Shen Zhuan is a green puer made with leaves from tea tree gardens that are over 100 years old. It has a heavy, rich flavor with a lightly sweet aftertaste. Jing Gu Te Ji Shu Zhuan is a special grade black Puer made with the most carefully chosen leaves. It has a smooth, slippery feeling on the tongue and becomes deeper and more complex as it is aged. The Seven Cups staff is just as excited to try these puers as you are!
30th: Herbal Blends. Since there are five Fridays in October, we’ll have an extra special final tasting of herbal blends. Come and see what the addition of rose buds does to the flavor of Gong Fu black tea, and how osmanthus flowers change the experience of Li Li Xiang Oolong.
September Tastings
4th: A Black and a Puer: Premium Lapsang Bohea was the world’s first black tea, made from young buds and fresh leaves it produces a deep amber liquor with a sweet flavor similar to longan fruit. Little Tuocha is a travel-sized black Puer made from young leaves and some buds, producing a lightly sweet taste.
11th: Two Premium Oolongs: This week we’ll sample Premium Meizhan and Premium Rou Gui, two great rock oolongs for everyday drinking. One smells a little like roasted chestnut, and the other like Chinese cinnamon, both are lightly sweet and have a lingering full-bodied flavor.
18th: Mao Feng Greens: Premium Huang Shan Mao Feng is famous for it’s fresh green color and strong flavor, and Meng Ding Mao Feng has a rich flavor without the heaviness associated with common green tea. Both are great choices for everyday drinking.
25th: Taiwanese Oolongs: The Taiwanese, also known as Formosa, oolongs are the lightest oxidized teas of the Wulong category. Famous for their rich fresh smell and buttery flavor, they are a great transition into oolongs for a green tea drinker. Today we’ll be sampling Alishan Jin Xuan, the more everyday Taiwanese oolong, as well as Gao Shan Cha, or High Mountain, which is thought to be the very best of the family.
August Tea Tastings
7th: A Black and an Oolong: Imperial Lapsang Souchong is a lighter smoke version of the famous campfire-smelling tea. Certified organic, this tea produces a fruity flavor. Lao Cong Shui Xian, or Old Bush, is a medium roasted Oolong from Fujian that smells like dried dates.
14th: 2009 Greens: This week we’ll sample another pair of the new 2009 green teas, Meng Ding Gan Lu and Liu An Guan Pian. These teas have very different appearances from one another, and very different tastes.
21st: Everyday Teas: Monkey Picked Oolong and Taishan Fo Mei Green are both great choices for an every day tea. Both are certified organic, but the tastes vary greatly. While Taishan Fo Mei is robust, Monkey Picked is mild and slightly sweet.
28th: An Oolong and a Puer: Palace Puer is one of the most popular sellers, producing a rich red tea color with a mildly sweet flavor. The Light Roast Shui Jin Gui has a nice floral aroma and a light pure taste with a mild sweetness that never goes bitter.
July Tea Tastings
3rd: Oolongs: We’ll start the month with two teas from opposite sides of the Oolong spectrum. Huang Zhi Xiang Yellow Sprig is a Dan Cong Oolong, one of the darker, more heavily oxidized teas from Guangdong. It has a sweet, mellow flavor and a fragrance that hints at gardenias. It is also Greg’s favorite of the Dan Cong Oolongs. Alishan Tong Fang Mei Ren, or Oriental Beauty, is a lightly oxidized tea from Taiwan that produces a bright golden tea color with a honeyed flavor. This tea is processed in a very unique and interesting way that you will enjoy finding out about.
10th: Jasmines: Our Meng Ding Snow Drop Jasmine is on special this month, and you will want to take advantage of it. Snow Drop is the highest grade of Jasmine, it is a delicate and richly fragrant tea that you will fall in love with. We will be sampling it along with Jasmine Pearls, which is a nice every day Jasmine tea with a stronger flavor.
17th: 2009 Greens. This week we’ll taste two more of the new 2009 Green Teas, Tai Ping Hou Kui and Premium Xin Yang Mao Jian. Tai Ping Hou Kui is an organic tea made from long thin leaves and Xin Yang Mao Jian is a dark green tea with a robust flavor.
24th: Silver and Gold: The 2009 crop of both the Silver Needle White tea and the Yunnan Golden Buds black tea are in! Come and enjoy the light floral taste of the highest grade white tea as well as the dark rich flavor of a decadent black tea that is one of the most in demand teas we have.
31st: 2009 Rare Teas: As some of you may have heard Jennifer rave at the anniversary, the yellow tea this year is exceptionally fantastic. Come and sample Jun Shan Yin Zhen, a tea that used to be reserved only for the Emperor, alongside the new years crop of the rarest of the four Ancient Rock Oolongs, Bai Ji Guan, a lightly sweet tea with a complex fragrance and flavor.
June Tea Tastings
5th: New Greens! We’ll start the month off right with Greg’s favorite Green Teas; Shi Feng Long Jing and Ming Qin An Ji Bai Cha. For those of you who have had the pleasure of tasting these teas before, come in and experience the difference of the new year’s crop! For those of you who are new and looking to explore the world of Green Tea, these are two of the best you could possibly begin with.
12th: Rock Oolongs: Greg and Jennifer agree that these are two of the best Oolongs in the world. Tie Luo Han, or Iron Arhat, is one of the four famous Ancient Rock Oolongs, and has a unique floral fragrance and a soft lingering aftertaste. Imperial MeiZhan has a strong heady fragrance of dried plums, and a flavor that hints at plums and nuts.
19th: 2009 Meng Ding Teas. This week we’ll taste two teas from Meng Ding, where tea was first cultivated, one green and one yellow. Meng Ding Cui Zhu, or Green Bamboo, is made entirely of tea buds and has a clean fresh flavor. Meng Ding Huang Ya is a yellow tea, also made from buds, but going through a very different processing leading to a rich flavor, with some floral and fruity hints.
26th: Black Puers: For the first time, the highly sought after Ma Guo Tuo Black Puer cake is available on our menu for service. Ma Guo Tuo is one of the teas we use in our Puer Tea Ceremony; it is dark, robust, rich and wonderful. We’ll be comparing it with Big Leaf, the darker and more robust of the loose Puers. Come and see the difference between a Puer that has been kept loose as opposed to one compressed into a traditional tea cake.
May Tea Tastings
1st: Blacks: We start the month with two black teas which are both superb but very different. Dian Hong Jin Ya Cha, or Golden Buds, is a rich decadent tea that is the famous Yunnan red color and tastes a little like caramel. Premium Keemun is a smooth, full-bodied black tea that is certified organic and smells a little like orchids.
8th: Rou Gui: This week we’ll be doing a side-by-side comparison of Imperial and Premium Rou Gui Oolongs. The Imperial, or first-pick, has a cinnamon fragrance and a mineral flavor with a sweet aftertaste. The Premium, or second-pick, is the traditional roast with a stronger, more full-bodied flavor and a lingering sweet aftertaste. The Premium is also on special this month!
15th: Rare Greens!: The rare Bi Luo Chun teas from Jiangsu Province have been a tribute tea since the Qing Dynasty. Famous for its curled shape when dry, Bi Luo Chun has a mild sweet flavor and fruity aroma. The Imperial has a gentler flavor and a stronger aroma, while the Premium has a stronger flavor and more mild aroma.
22nd: An An Xi and a Taiwanese Oolong: These are what are referred to as “green” Oolongs. Lighter in taste than the Rock Oolongs, the Oolongs from Taiwan and An Xi are both rolled into delicate little balls. Qilaishan Long Wu, or Dragon’s Fog, is a Taiwanese Oolong that has a warm toasty flavor and Li Li Xiang is an An Xi Oolong with a fruity aroma.
29th: A White and an Herbal: Shou Mei is an organic cooling tea with a soft rich taste, which is great as a hot or an iced tea. An infusion of rosebuds makes a nice mild tea that is high in vitamins C, A, D, and E and has many health benefits you will have fun learning about.
April Tastings
3rd: Imperial Greens: Join Seven Cups Manager Jennifer for a tasting of two of her favorite Imperial grade green teas which are polar opposites; Xin Yang Mao Jian is a dark green with a rich taste and heavy floral fragrance, whereas Huang Shan Mao Feng is a lighter green tea with a mild sweetness hinting at apricots.
10th: A Puer and a Black: We go for a little sweetness with Preferred Puer, a perfect introduction for new Puer drinkers, and Spring Dawn Keemun, a lovely amber-colored black with some golden buds mixed in with the mature leaves.
17th: Oolongs: This week we’ll sample two Oolongs in the traditional twisty black dragon shape; a Rock Oolong called Imperial Lapsang Qi Zhong and a Dan Cong Oolong called Xue Lan Xiang, or Snow Orchid. Lapsang Qi Zhong is a smooth medium oxidized tea with a light sweetness, whereas Snow Orchid is a heavier tea with an undertone of ripe peaches.
24th: A Jasmine and a Display Tea: A first at Seven Cups Denver, we will be tasting one of the flowering display teas. The Jasmine Fountain ball is a treat for the eyes and mouth, but has a much lighter taste than a standard jasmine, so we will follow it up with Jasmine Pearls so you can be sure to get your Jasmine fix!
March Tea Tastings
6th: A White and a Jasmine: We’ll be starting the month with two teas that start as early spring pickings processed into white tea, Bai Mu Dan (Organic Preferred Peony) and Yin Zhu Silver Dragon Pearls. Come learn how both of these mild fragrant teas begin in the same fashion, before becoming very different.
13th: A Rock Oolong and a Black: Eight Immortals and Organic Lapsang Bohea are both dark, heavier teas with a hint of sweetness that come from Fujian Province. Come try them side by side and explore the differences of an Oolong and a Black grown in the same soil.
20th: Two Greens, or is one White?: Meng Ding Gan Lu (Sweet Dew) and Ming Qian An Ji Bai Cha are both sweet Green Teas….or are they? Come find out why Ming Qian is often mistaken for a white tea, and taste the difference in the grades of green.
27th: 8 Treasures, two ways: We will wrap up the month by exploring 8 Treasures, the oldest and best known Chinese Herbal Tea. Traditionally, 8 Treasures is made with Green Tea, but ours comes tea-free so you can have a caffeine-free alternative. As a special treat, we will be preparing 8 Treasures with and without green tea. Come and taste the difference that a little green tea can make.
February Tea Tastings
6th Oolong: Lao Cong Shui Xian (Old Bush). We start the month by comparing two different Lao Cong Shui Xian teas. We will learn just old these bushes are and how that leads to its unique flavor.
13th A White and a Green: Bai Mu Dan (White Peony) and Gu Zhu Zi Sun (Purple Bamboo). Next we return to comparing two different categories of teas with a white and a green. Come learn about their differences and find out which you like better.
20th Special Blended Teas: Osmanthus Long Jing and Wild Chrysanthemum Puer. We haven’t done a tasting of any of our blended teas, so it’s about time we get to it. We will learn about the health benefits of both of these herbals and the teas they blend well with.
27th Oolongs: Bai Ji Guan (White Rooster Crest) and Xing Ren Xiang (Almond Blossom). We end the month comparing two highly prized oolongs from two different regions, Wuyishan and Dancong. Both will be served in yixing pots to maximize their flavor.
January Tea Tastings
9th: A Rock Oolong and an Anxi Oolong: Shui Jin Gui (Golden Water Turtle) and Old Style Tie Guan Yin. We’ll start the year with two delicious but very different oolongs, both coming from Fujian province. We’ll explore what makes these two so unlike each other.
16th: A Yellow and a Green: Jun Shan Yin Zhen (Jun Shan Silver Needle) and Da Fo Long Jing (Big Buddha Dragonwell). We continue with trying a classic yellow tea with a classic green. Come see if you can blindly taste the difference between them.
23rd: A Black and a Green Puer: Ma Guo Tou and Tuocha. Next we will try something that we normally save for the puer tea ceremony: cooked puer. Along with the green Ma Guo Tou, we will cook a black tuocha using one of our yixing stoves. Cooking the puer brings out all sorts of flavors that you won’t want to miss.
30th: Herbal Teas: Sichuan bitter tea and Chrysanthemum buds. We will end the month with a couple very different herbal teas. Pucker up for the Sichuan bitter tea, a tea that lives up to its name, but is very good for you, especially in flu season. And the chrysanthemum buds will be a nice contrast to it.
December Tea Tastings
5th: Greens: Meng Ding Gan Lu (Sweet Dew) & Meng Ding Cui Zhu (Green Bamboo). We start December by trying two different Meng Ding green teas. Meng Ding mountain is the area where tea was first cultivated over two thousand years ago by a Taoist monk. Meng Ding teas are known for their robust characteristics and rich flavors.
12th: Dan Cong Oolongs: Ye Fang (Wild Bush) and Huang Zhi Xiang (Yellow Sprig). These two oolongs are a great and very affordable place to start when trying Dan Cong oolongs. We will discuss the different bushes that make these teas, as well as what red edges on an oolong tea leaf means.
19th: Blacks: Premium Keemun and Breakfast Keemun. Both of these hearty black teas are certified organic and absolutely delicious. Come find out how black tea moved from its origins in Fujian province north to Anhui province and how it developed into one of the most well-known black teas from China.
26th: Taster’s Choice! As a little Christmas gift to our tea tasting patrons, we will let you pick our teas for this tasting. When you show up, you can request any tea you’d like to try and we’ll try to do as many as we can before we float away.
November Tastings
7th: Rock Oolongs: 2007 and 2008 Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe). I know we just did Da Hong Pao a month and a half ago, but we just got the 2008 crop in and it is divine! We thought we would do a side-by-side comparison against last year’s crop. You don’t want to miss this.
14th: Greens: Tai Ping Hou Kui & Liu An Gua Pian. Here are a couple more delicious 2008 teas. These two teas have leaves larger than most other greens, with rich tastes. Come and watch the tea leaves dance.
21st: Yunnan Blacks: Golden Buds Dian Hong and Gong Fu Dian Hong. While these have been in the Seven Cups catalog before and are now back by popular demand, they are brand new to Denver. We can’t wait to get these in (they should be arriving any day now) and try them out. [These are so new we don't have any pictures of them yet!]
28th: Taiwanese Oolongs: Qilaishan Long Wu (Dragon’s Fog) and Alishan Tong Fang Mei Ren (Oriental Beauty). We move back to the world of oolongs, this time to the greener realm of Taiwanese teas. We’ll explore two popular tea-growing regions, as well as two very poetic names.
October Tastings
3rd: Lapsangs: Premium Lapsang Bohea (black tea) and Imperial Qi Zhong Lapsang (oolong tea). We will start the month trying two different kinds of Lapsang tea, neither of which are the familiar smoked flavor of Lapsang Souchong. This will help show how the differences in processing can lead to very different flavors.
10th: Dan Cong Oolongs: Xue Lan Xiang (Snow Orchid) and Jin Jiang Mi Lan Xiang (Gold Medal Honey Orchid). This will be our first time tasting some of our Dan Cong oolongs. These are similar in look and style to the rock oolongs, with their long twisty leaves, but more floral and fruity.
17th: Puers: Big Leaf and Little Rose Tuocha. We venture back into the world of puer with a loose leaf and a small flavored tuocha.
24th: Scented and Herbal: Yin Hao Jasmine and Eight Treasures. After so many dark, heavy teas, it’s time to lighten up. We will give one of our four jasmine teas a try, as well as a signature herbal blend from China, Eight Treasures. Find out the health benefits of each of the eight treasures in this delightful and refreshing tisane.
31st: No tasting due to it being Halloween.
September Tastings
5th: Whites, Silver Needle and Shou Mei. We start September with two fresh 2008 teas. White teas have received a lot of attention recently due to their health benefits. We will discuss those benefits and talk about what makes white tea white.
12th: No tasting due to the Grand Opening the next day.
19th: Rock Oolongs, Bai Ji Guan (White Rooster Crest) and Da Hong Pao (Big Red Robe). These are two of the four most famous rock oolongs and with good reason, as they are two of the most complex and distinctive teas in China. As with the first two rock oolongs we tasted, we will be tasting these using the Taiwanese fragrance and drink cups.
26th: Greens, Imperial Mao Feng and Meng Ding Mao Feng. To end September we will try two different kinds of Mao Feng. With this we will explore the concept of terroir, how the soil, environment and climate of the region in which a tea is produced effects the overall character of a tea.
