Two leaves and a bud Orange Sencha

By tealover / in Uncategorized / November 12, 2008

An Organic Green Tea with Italian Orange
East meets West in this Japanese green tea blend which has all the taste of a full leaf green tea. (Good green tea is green, not brown!) We add the flavor of famous Italian red oranges, which adds a tanginess to this Japanese favorite. Sencha is the most consumed tea in Japan. It is long leafed tea, finished in the sun. (Other Japanese teas are covered at the end of the growing season.) Our Orange Sencha includes sunflowers, orange peel and just a hint of Italian red orange flavor to add just a hint of sweet & spicy to this classic green tea.

In August, Trent of Tea Views reviewed our tea...
Two Leaves and a BudÃs Organic Orange Sencha marries Italian red oranges with full leaf Japanese green tea in this harmonious fusion of Eastern and Western flavors. The second I opened my tea tin, I was greeted by a strong tangy aroma, followed by rich floral notes. However, I thought that the tangy aroma overpowered the more delicate florals. The loose tea leaves were comprised mainly of rather large and long leaves, with a fair amount of sunflower petals and the occasional twig.

On to the tea liquor itself, it was somewhat of a finicky brew, but tasted amazing when prepared correctly. First, I used a gaiwan to brew 5 grams of tea with 8 ounces of water at 175F for 90 seconds. I was unimpressed with the subdued, lackluster flavor this brew yielded. Second, I brewed a fresh set of leaves with an increased steep time of 120 seconds. These parameters produced a superb liquor - a slightly tangy top note, followed by a smooth yet light body, and a refreshing floral aftertaste. The second infusion (for 130 seconds) yielded a cloudy liquor with a more pronounced sencha taste and subdued orange accents.

Overall, I would rate this tea 8.5/10 - a harmonious blend of a smooth yet light sencha and refreshingly tangy Italian red oranges.

Two Leaves and a Bud Fair Trade Teas

By tealover / in Uncategorized / November 10, 2008

Two leaves and a bud is Fair Trade Certified. We are looking to increase our range of Certified Fair Trade Teas every day. We are also a founding member of the Trust Organic Small Farmers Initiative. In the global market, small family farms are at a disadvantage, even if they are certified Fair Trade, because they produce on a smaller scale. If they compete with large Fair Trade Certified farms, they can not be as cost effective.

The TOSF initiative builds markets for these farms. We support small family run tea gardens. Many small farmers are not able to make a living, unable to make enough to cover the costs of growing their own tea. It is of the utmost importance that we as a company support the preservation of traditional farming methods and help to overcome the disadvantages for small organic farmers. In doing so we will all benefit from higher quality teas, raising the bar for premium quality Organic and Fair Trade teas. Two leaves and a bud has taken action towards this cause and actively participated in initiating and partnering in the Trust Organic Small Farmers. We are interested in pushing forward our new common alliance by trying to implement innovative grass-root projects for sustainable development.

Two Leaves and a Bud Assam Breakfast tea

By tealover / in Uncategorized / November 8, 2008

Assam is a black tea named after the region of its production: Assam, India. This tea, most of which is grown at or near sea level, is famous for its body, briskness, malty flavor, and strong, golden color.
Two Leaves and a Bud has chosen a traditional, orthodox full leaf tea. Full bodied, deep gold in color, Assam tea is the perfect breakfast tea. The region of Assam in north-east India, is the oldest of India's tea growing regions.; where low, rolling hills create a great environment for a rich tea. Hot days combined with cool nights bring out the fullest flavor.

We don’t just do Tea…

By tealover / in Uncategorized / October 25, 2008

Share the gift of tea with your favorite tea lover! two leaves and a bud offers various tea gift items and tea ware for tea drinkers of all kinds.Loose tea, tea sachets, tea travel tins, tea pots, bamboo presentation boxes, and more! All of our tea gifts feature great two leaves and a bud whole leaf organic tea. (We don't skimp on the tea!)