--Get a Jump on Mother's Day----
Get a jump on Mother's Day by giving Mom one of our great gift baskets. The baskets include a celadon tea pot with infuser, 2 cups, and 1/4 lb of either our Organic Green or Organic English Breakfast tea. All specially priced at 10% off the retail price. Buy now and we'll add a pack of our famous peanut tea-cookies to go along with your gift for free! Or, if you'd really like to treat Mom to tea all year long, sign her up for our Tea of the Month Club! Each month she will receive a tea specially selected by our tea master, Roy Fong. That is a gift that truly gives all year long.
--Our Green Tea Sale Has Been Extended----
The 1/4 lb. green tea sale has been extended to April 30th. This is the perfect opportunity to try some of the great green teas you've always wanted to taste. As always, these teas are kept in vacuum sealed bags to retain freshness. But the sale ends at the end of the month, so don't miss out!
--New Teas----
As far back as 1066 AD, warring tribes in the Sichuen and Yunnan (southwestern China) areas demanded tributes of tea from the loser. Since then, it's a long established fact that the best Puerh teas comes from Yunnan Province. Wild big leaf variety teas from Yunnan are most suitable for pressing into "cake" or "Beeng Cha." These "cake" or "Beeng" teas are collected and aged by tea merchants and puerh tea lovers alike. The best Puerh materials comes from the Liu Da Cha Shan (Six Tea Mountains) region and the most noted of the six tea mountains is called Yi Wu Shan or Yi Wu Mountain. Imperial Tea Court is proud to offer two Puerh Beeng Cha from the 2003 vintage.
Green Yi Wu Shan "Wild Tree" Puerh Beeng Cha, vintage 2003
In ancient times, great teas were harvested from wild tea trees rather than from the carefully trimmed tea bushes seen on modern tea farms. The overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in 1911 ushered in years of war and upheaval during which many tea farms were neglected and the tea bushes grew into magnificent wild tea trees. Imperial Tea Court is proud to offer from Yi Wu Shan this wonderful "Wild Tree" Puerh. A refreshing smokiness enhances the complexity and full bodied nature of this young puerh tea. The slight floral and fruit aromatics are uncommon and little known, as most people's experience with puerh starts and stops with the "black" or "finished" Puerh. Yi Wu Green Puerh is best brewed at a lower temperature, like a fine green tea. Try it! Taste a tea like the ancients drank. This will be the beginning of a whole new world of Puerh tea for you! And it's reasonably priced to help you begin your collection.
Yunnan "Chi Tse" Beeng Cha, vintage 2003
"Chi Tse" means "seven sons" or "bountiful." This tea brews up full bodied, with a clean full bodied earthiness and a good clean finish. This 2003 vintage puerh, although ready to drink now, is certainly worth laying down to let it mature. In several years this puerh will start to develop and mature into something special. Store in a cool dry place in it's original packaging. Avoid major fluctuations of temperature or humidity and this tea will amply repay the care you give it and will make a great beginning for your own collection of puerhs.
Imperial Green Oolong (winter harvest) We have finally finished firing our winter-harvest green oolong. This forgiving tea yields a lovely pale-gold infusion with the usual rich, chewy, mouth-feel and sweet floral finish. A true example of a good high-growth Oolong. Very limited quantity, so please hurry.
2003 Winter Harvest Monkey-Picked! We are excited to offer the 2003 version of our flagship oolong. This high-fired tieguanyin oolong has a complexity and richness beyond description. The light floral hint and the unique "peachiness" combined with rich toasty and almost chocolate-like nose is unequalled in any other Oolong.
Orchid Oolong Due to an inventory error, we thought we had sold out of this great floral oolong. We hate to admit it but yes, we were wrong! We have one more chest of this unique Oolong to share with you--but don't wait too long!
--Imperial Tea Court's "Connoisseurship of Tea" Class----
Want to get the most enjoyment out of your favorite tea? We'll show you how! Sign up for Imperial Tea Court's "Connoisseurship of Tea" class. Class is scheduled on April 25th from 9:30AM to 11:30AM. Sign up at either one of our stores or call us at 415-788-6080. Email reservations are also accepted at imperial@imperialtea.com. Class is to be held at our Chinatown store (1411 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94133). Space is very limited so sign up now! $35/person.
--Lunch at the Imperial Tea Court----
We are now serving lunch! Drop by our Ferry Building store for a wonderful tea and food experience. Great organic meat stew, vegetarian curried tofu, green-tea shrimp dumplings, baked vegetarian spring rolls, fresh hand-made cold noodles and various mouth watering dim sum dishes, coupled with Imperial Tea Court's excellent tea service. How can anyone resist the urge!
--Let Us Help You Explore the World of Tea----
Do you like Chinese tea but are overwhelmed by the number of teas to taste? Let us help! Join one of our tea clubs and let our tea master, Roy Fong, select the teas for you. Our "Four Seasons" tea club provides you with a different tea four times a year, while our "Six Month" tea club sends you a new tea every other month. But the best deal is clearly our "Year of Tea" club, which gives you a new tea every month. If you join any of our clubs, you will receive a free gift with our compliments. But if you join our "Year of Tea" club you will not only receive a free gift, you will get a free month--thirteen months for the price of twelve! You may begin your subscription from the month you join, or you may receive all of the teas due you from the beginning of the year--just let us know what you want to do. But join now so as not to miss a single wonderful tea this year.
