Episodes
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, drinks an old arbor pu’er from the Bulang mountains harvested in 2015 with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. The Bulang mountains in Southern China are renowned for the powerful, bittersweet teas they produce. One of the most famous terroirs for raw pu’er, this blend of old tree material from different villages has aged beautifully in wet Guangzhou storage. This sheng style pu’er tea was made from a blend of old arbor material harvested in the Spring of 2015 from different villages across a somewhat wide area. At 7 years of age, this tea has mellowed considerably. There is still some background astringency which should age out in a few years. Otherwise the character is rich and woodsy, with characteristic tobacco and dried fruit notes. This is a very good value for this quality of material with a good head start aging. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, steeps a green tea known as Anji Baicha with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. Anji Baicha (安吉白茶) or just “Anji White” is a popular and newly developed green tea from Zhejiang, China. Though called “white” it is in fact a green tea. Its long, needle-like leaves brew a sweet, complex, and highly refreshing tea suitable for drinking any time of the year. This especially high grade batch was acquired at great expense, but was well worth it. The lightly green liquor bursts with spring-time floral and garden aromas. Its taste is almost unbelievably sweet and coating. This is a true tea lover’s tea with a classic Chinese green tea profile, though its natural sweetness should make it approachable for almost anyone. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, steeps an award wining Tie Guan Yin from Taiwan with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. Tea was first brought to Taiwan’s Wen Shan district in Taipei city over 300 years ago by Chinese immigrants from Fujian. This Mu Zha Tie Guan Yin is an authentic and traditional Taiwan oolong through and through, grown in the birthplace of Taiwanese tea and processed in the traditional manner. Unlike the majority of Chinese Tie Guan Yin oolongs, which are lightly oxidized and bright green, Mu Zha Tie Guan Yins are darker and roasted. The tea undergoes a long process of withering, rolling, sorting, and baking, which takes a true master to execute well. This tea was awarded “Fine Grade” in the Mu Zha Tea Farmer’s Association Competition of 2022. It tastes remarkably balanced, with sweet honey and red cherry notes, complemented by a medium level charcoal roast. We imported a very small amount, so get it while it’s here. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep Huo Shan Huang Ya, a yellow tea (not green or white!) from Anhui, China. Plucked in the very early spring, it is made entirely from the young buds of the tea bushes. The pedigree of this tea extends back to the Ming Dynasty when it was offered as a tribute tea to the emperor. Our Yellow Buds tea is very delicate and sweet, suggestive of chestnuts and almond blossoms. It has a classic Chinese green profile but is less grass/vegetable forward than true green teas. Yellow tea is produced similarly to green tea, but with an added step of “sweating” the leaves with steam prior to the final firing which arrests oxidation. This sweating process causes the leaves to oxidize very slightly and slowly, which removes some of the enzymes responsible for green tea's very grassy taste. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a two decades old, this white tea cake made from shoumei (larger tea leaves harvested late in the growing season) is something you won’t come across every day. Aged white teas are purported to have numerous health benefits, and are prized for their unique flavors and chaqi (tea energy). Because white teas aren’t de-enzymed as greens, oolongs, and blacks are, they oxidize naturally over a gradual period. Their flavors are rich and complex. In this cake, we taste medicinal herbs, wildflower honey, and cereal grains. This tea is an experience not to be missed, highly recommended for collectors. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep one of the most renowned teas in China, Dragonwell (longjing 明前龍井) from the West Lake (Xi Hu) protected area has a recorded history going back over a thousand years. The unique microclimate and pure spring water running into the tea fields help to create one of the most clear and mineral rich brews available in the tea world. Almost always processed into a green tea, this rare and very high grade black Dragonwell was masterfully withered for hours in order to encourage oxidation in the leaves to make it into a black tea. As a black, this tea loses nothing in terms of complexity. We taste complex floral and herbaceous flavors atop a base of sweet malts and lychee fruit. This tea was made from the world-renowned Qunti cultivar, the original cultivar from which Dragonwell was historically made. It was crafted by a tea maker with over 30 years of experience creating Dragonwell. This is a rare and exquisite tea with an authentic pedigree, we recommend this highly. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep an experimental oolong from the high-elevation tea gardens of Darjeeling, Red Thunder. This tea is one of Trident Cafe’s most popular teas. It’s withered and dried in multiple stages, resulting in a thick and heavy-bodied tea which abounds with traditional Darjeeling muscatel and floral aromas. Striking a balance between a more delicate first-flush and heavier and fully oxidized black Darjeeling, our Red Thunder has something for everyone. It is a highly enjoyable, infusable, and unorthodox tea not lacking in feeling or complexity. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep Da Wu Ye, translating to “Big Dark Leaf.” This is an exceptionally smooth and fragrant oolong from the Phoenix Mountains in Guangdong. Its large, darkly colored leaves brew a bright and refreshing tea soup which suggests pungent flowers, tropical fruits, and sweet gourds. It is a very sweet, pungent and full bodied tea which leaves a lasting aroma after drinking, and is a very fine example of Dan Cong oolong. Renowned among connoisseurs, Phoenix, or Dan Cong, oolongs are distinctive for their emphasis on the character of the specific tea-bush they are harvested from. The older-tree material our Da Wu Ye is made from adds to its depth and character. It is highly infusable and leaves a lingering sweetness and fragrance on the palette. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep “Slumbering Grove,” a pu'er tea. “Slumbering Grove” is another Trident-custom pressing from the Yiwu mountains in southeast Yunnan. It was made from old tree material gathered in the spring of 2017 and pressed into 200 gram cakes in 2021. Being stored as maocha (unpressed loose tea) in humid Guanzhou, it tastes remarkably far along in the aging process for being less than five years old. Its flavor is mellow, deep, and woodsy, with classic Yiwu stonefruit, floral, and wet earth aromas. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a Jin Jun Mei, or “Golden Eyebrows” (names for the fuzzy golden buds which comprise this tea), a newly famous and highly sought after black tea from the Wuyi Mountains in Fujian China. Harvested early in the Spring, this tea is both oxidized and roasted. It is a highly unique black tea with an especially viscous mouthfeel and complex malty flavors. Our Jin Jun Mei is honey-sweetness forward, with mouth-filling malts and leaves and lingering piney aftertaste with lots of tingling-sensation. This is really one that has to be experienced to be believed; there’s no other tea quite like it. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, gently steep a Yabukita, the most ubiquitous tea cultivar in Japan. In addition to being a hearty crop, it is renowned for its powerful umami. A delicate and sophisticated tea, this Yabukita Sencha is best steeped at a lower temperature. When brewed properly, it has remarkably clear floral notes, as well as a crisp herbaciousness and soft, pleasing umami. Japanese green teas such as this are steamed, rather than baked or fried, in order to arrest oxidation and lock in their green flavors. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a Tie Guan Yin, one of the most popular teas in China, and perhaps its most popular oolong tea. Our fall harvest Tie Guan Yin is made from 4-year old tea bushes. It is very lightly oxidized, and brews a bright green tea soup. Made from very high grade material, it has surprising depth and complexity. The body is light and fluffy, the aroma suggests spring wildflowers and tropical fruits, as well as saltier and earthy flavors akin in sea vegetables and metals. The name Tie Guan Yin translates exactly to “Iron Avalokitesvara” who is the Bodhisattva of compassion in Buddhism, and refers to the varietal the tea is made from. Tie Guan Yin is almost always tightly rolled, and can have a varied level of oxidation or roast. It is grown mainly in Anxi County, in Northern Fujian Provence. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a rock oolong, Qi Dan. Qi Dan is a direct clone of one of the four original legendary Da Hong Pao tea bushes. Our Qi Dan was grown in the tian xin yan or “heavenly heart rock” area. It is powerfully mineral driven with subtle fruity and floral top notes. It is slightly drying and unmatched in terms of raw rock-feeling. Teas from Wuyishan are highly sought after; the pristine and mineral-rich soil in which they grow, as well as the rich artisanal tradition which has developed around their crafting and consumption has led them to be considered one of China’s most famous teas. Because of the aggressive roasting that goes into creating these teas, it is best to let them rest for at least one year before consuming them. These teas may also be aged in dark and dry conditions in order to improve their flavor. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a bug bitten tea, a Gui Fei Oolong. This 2020 silver medal winning Gui Fei oolong comes to us from Mr. Chen, who also produces our Long Feng Xia oolong. Gui Fei is a bug-bitten oolong, like Oriental Beauty, meaning that insects are encouraged to nibble on the tea leaves while they are still on the plant. This damages the cell walls of the tea leaf and causes them to release terpenes, which contribute to the honey-like sweetness of the brewed tea. It is a remarkably smooth tea, rich and with a deep, lasting sweetness. There is a persistent, balanced charcoal character from the roast. Initial steepings are heavy in chocolatey and honey-like stone fruit flavors. Later steepings are full and warming with a strong charcoal character. It is a great choice for true connoisseurs who will appreciate the subtlety, depth and balance of this very fine oolong. This Gui Fei was awarded the silver medal in the Lugu Gui Fei Tea Competition for 2020. Supplies are very limited. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a Smoked Lapsang Souchang. This Lapsang Souchong is smoked over a pine fire in a special split-level room for about 15-20 hours. The leaves are then rolled and withered until they are almost completely oxidized. The large dark leaves plucked from a Wuyi cultivar outside Fujian’s famous Tong Mu Guan Village are much higher in quality than most Lapsangs on the Western-facing tea market. The wild harvested tea leaves are from trees around 80 years old. The smoke is very balanced with the tea’s natural sweetness. The taste is suggestive of hickory-smoked bacon or ham, with a strong piney and honey sweetness which round it out. This is a highly comforting, highly warming black tea which strikes a very nice balance between sweet and savory. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a hard to find Japanese green tea knows as Exquisite Gyokuro. This high quality Gyokuro is a blend of young spring tea leaves from the Uji area in the Kyoto prefecture of southern Japan. Historically famous for its high quality green teas, this Gokujou, or “exquisite” Gyokuro lives up to its name. It brews a thick tea soup, rich in umami and sea vegetable notes balanced by sweet honeydew and cantaloupe. Additionally, this Gyokuro feels to us to be especially high in L-theanine, which is one of the psychoactive components in tea which produces a calming effect and may improve cognition and attention. Gyokuro is made by casting a net (kabuse) over tea bushes as they grow. The net restricts the amount of sunlight allowed to the bushes and forces them to produce much more chlorophyll than they otherwise would. This results in a deeper, greener color than sencha, as well as a richer and more umami-forward flavor. It is preferable to allow Gyokuro to rest for a number of months in order to let the steaming settle. Being vacuum sealed and refrigerated until now, it is currently in its prime drinking condition. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a second Flush Darjeeling black tea known as the “Black Thunder” of flavor. Black Thunder is a particularly malt-forward second flush Darjeeling from Rohini Tea Estate in Darjeeling, India. Second flush teas, meaning teas harvested in the summer after the tea bushes have regrown their leaves from the first spring harvest, are traditionally given a full oxidation and made into black teas. This very nice whole-leaf Darjeeling is everything one should expect from a quality second flush Darjeeling. It is highly infusible and contains strong notes of dark cherries, fennel, and wild honey. This is a very comforting tea appropriate for any style of tea brewing. Recommended for fans of Indian black teas. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, and filmmaker, Josh Hyde, steep a Dan Cong Oolong known as, “The Honey Orchid.” Mi Lan Xiang, translates to “Honey Orchid Aroma,” and is a popular oolong from China’s famous Phoenix Mountain in Guangdong Provence. Our Honey Orchid Oolong was painstakingly processed in multiple stages to bring out its rich and complex character. Two years of resting have also really brought its character into focus. Thick, sweet, and fragrant, it is difficult to find another tea quite like this. It is a good choice for fans of strong floral aromas and flavors. Renowned among connoisseurs Phoenix oolongs , also called Dan Cong, are distinctive for their emphasis on the character of the specific tea-bush. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, drinks a Taiwanese high mountain oolong, Li Shan, with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. Li Shan is a famous tea mountain in Taichung County in central Taiwan. Grown at over 6,500 feet, the cold winter nights and lack of oxygen cause the tea plant to pack the most amount of nutrients and flavors into the tea leaves, yielding and intense, sweet and richly floral tea soup. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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The host and one of the tea importers from Trident Cafe and Teas, Jake Dirnberger, samples an old bush first flush darjeeling, Himalayan Moonlight, with filmmaker, Josh Hyde. This is an exceedingly rare and high-quality Darjeeling from the high-elevation Gopaldhara tea estate in Northern India. It is harvested from the sinensis varietal tea bushes left by British estate owners over 100 years ago. The combination of the high-mountain growing conditions (e.g. thinner atmosphere and colder nights) along with the age of the tea bushes and their complex, interlaced root systems, and classic Darjeeling terroir makes this an extremely special tea. Find the highest quality teas at Trident Cafe and Teas. Trident Cafe and Teas sources directly from tea farmers and maintains long term relationships with their farmers worldwide. These relationships have created one of the highest quality tea supply chains in the U.S.
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