American HARNEY & SONS Blend Magnificent International Teas

(Roberta R. Deen, writer/stylist) The impeccable packaging was the first thing that impressed me about Harney & Sons when the gift box of sample teas arrived. The elegant black and gold gift box, with its embossed gold logo, emerged from the humble cardboard shipping carton.  The sample box contained four black and gold tins, brimming with exotic teas from China and Japan.  Each little tin was printed with a bit of history and source information and complete instructions, down to the proper temperature of the brewing water (distilled, please) for that specific blend.

I carefully broke the seals on each container and savored the exotic fragrances, colors, and textures of all the tins. I was not familiar with any of the tea flavors so I repaired to Harney & Sons website. It is as carefully prepared as their teas.

I was surprised to learn that this is a completely American company.  John Harney, owner of the White Hart Inn in Salisbury, Connecticut, became a tea enthusiast.   He began blending teas in his home basement to serve at the inn, which began his business at the same time. There were only eight original blends, now blossomed into a full 300 blends. He brought in his sons and a relative from France to help as the company grew to 600 employees. Their success is now global.  They even supply the English Crown with their tea blends, even creating special blends for the recent wedding and Queen’s birthday.

An excellent introduction to rare white tea, Mutan White, has an abundance of silvery white buds and green leaves. It is light and sweet with vegetal flavors, sourced from Fuan in northern Fujian Province, China. Please take note of the absolute clarity of the tea in the photo above. The fragrance and flavor of Mutan White are not assertive, making it a perfect centering cup first thing in the morning or before a meditation.

Kagoshima Green Tea

One of the best Senchas (green teas) from the Kagoshima area in southern Japan,  in Kagoshima. This brew is light in the cup with a good balance of sweet and bitter flavors. It is still considered a morning tea, though it is a bit more assertive than the Mutan White.  Green tea was originally from China but the Japanese came to prize it highly in the 1800s. Kagoshima is a prized tea-growing area in the southern-most Japanese island, which grew into a popular tourist retreat because of the tea.

Top Ti Quan Yin, according to Harney & Sons,  is the best tea out of northern Fujian Province.  They aim for the finest aroma and body is what Harney & Sons aims for and feels it achieves in this blend. The heady but light aroma and flavor is soothing and quieting to me. Ti Quan Yin is an oolong tea, hand-twisted into tiny balls or strands that can be rebrewed one or two times.

This gorgeous, deeply red blend, Hao Ya “B” is Keemun black tea from China, made in late spring. It is a more familiar flavor and fragrance than the other selections. One can imagine the English in their summer whites, windows open on the exotic gardens, humming as they lingered over their cups.  Because Hao Ya “B” is a brisk and satisfying cup for afternoon tea,  it can hold its own against the sweets and savories.

I would highly recommend a leisurely visit to the Harney & Sons website //www.harney.com for its wealth of information, history and explicit instructions.  The company thoughtfully offers a catalog to download, which is beautiful, thoroughly descriptive and entertaining.

The lively section “Tea 101”, for example,  is an in-depth dissertation on the company history, the history of tea and instructions on brewing the best cup possible.  Harney & Sons also offer “Des-tea-nation” tours to a wide variety of tea-producing countries and of places where tea is held in high esteem.

The teas are available in many formats: loose in tins and bags, in bags of 50 sachets and in sample sizes. Prices vary according to the blends and sources but remain reasonably priced and come with free shipping.   New blends are added to the catalog seasonally.  Harney & Sons have also assembled thoughtful gift selections.

I have had a delightful experience trying out each of the teas Harney & Sons sent.  I look forward to sampling and gifting many more.