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unique origin-sourced
old world teas

recent arrivals

2021 Raw Pu'er

verdant thickness from new and interesting terroirs

2021 Taiwanese Oolongs

choice April and May harvests from the island

Aged White Teas from Zhenghe County, Fujian

teas, medicines, & treasures in various styles

Mu Dan Wang "King Bai Mu Dan" Zhenghe White

fresh fujianese imperial bai cha

recent words

Dimensions of White Tea, an Introduction

You might have heard of White Tea: "one year tea, three years medicine, seven years treasure.” But what allows white tea to transform so remarkably — into medicine, and then treasure as they say — after just a few years?

Yiwu Part I: At a Glance

Not just a township, but a larger area and even a mindset, we look at why Yiwu occupies an inimitable cornerstone of the pu'erh experience. Series by Gus

Tea as Ritual

Tea scholar, educator, and Rivers & Lakes community guest writer Miles Cramer pens an essay providing a tasteful glance at tea's journey through time as a ritual communion.

riversandlakestea

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking?

Season’s change — what tea are you drinking? Y’all have about sold us out of 2021 Da Hong Pao Light Fire Oolong otherwise I would be drinking that 😙

change of seasons is upon us 🍁 My normal leani

change of seasons is upon us 🍁 My normal leanings toward oolong and sheng will make way for a brief foray to darker, fruitier curiosities. Taking these opportunities to break out some shou pu and experiment with more conventional ‘western’ brewing styles or larger more dilute batches common at a dim-sum restaurant setting. This incredible pot by @maggieboydceramics fits the bill perfectly for this approach. With the change of season, what teas outside of your usual habit have you found yourself reaching for?

Dá É is harvesting tea flowers in Nannuoshan tod

Dá É is harvesting tea flowers in Nannuoshan today. I hope you are having just as beautiful of a day!

Pu’er tea tells the unfettered story of the land

Pu’er tea tells the unfettered story of the land and its humans. Imbibing it is an entry point into this vivid ecology x ethnography, yet also an invitation for your imagination to set flight into its own lush landscape of the subjective. I think that it’s in that space — not through the tedium of knowing its marketed details — that we have the best chance at truly connecting to Tea. We’re now in the last remaining couple of hours of this Cha You campaign in which these 5 teas, representing distinct terroirs and its people are 22% off. I hope you’ll take this opportunity to join us in some righteous sips and fuel for the imagination. Ending midnight EST. This is also the last chance to make @m.e.cotterman stoked to give one of her last remaining wood fired teapots a home! It’s featured in the last slide and the kiln created wood ash glaze on it is one of the best. Enter the code CHAYOU on her site; no need for a code on rivers and lakes’ site. Take care,
Gus

Last set of images from the session with @m.e.cott

Last set of images from the session with @m.e.cotterman —
featuring her wood-fired pebble teapot and Rivers & Lakes Tea Yibang Mansong sheng pu’er produced by the Hé family. This is the last chance to catch this delightfully biscuity pu’er cake harvested in March 2021 at such a discounted rate. Did I mention Mary’s almost sold out of her wood-fired pots?? Nice work y’all!

Some special chá yǒu茶友 tea friends as of lat

Some special chá yǒu茶友 tea friends as of late! @jamesatyr in the first slide. A rambunctious crony that you may know from @enthea_teahouse @dobrateanc or @hiddenpeakteahouse Slide 2&3: the famous sheng salamander. Our most beloved spirit animal, finding warmth in the recently spent leaves of old growth leaves. Everyone knows him. Me with fellow dobrá staff at our party in slide five: @eight_mana + @itsstilloctober Slide 6: the coolest most solid granddad around Jeff of @spiceoflifenc who will likely start another @westchinatea branch in Greenville, SC. He’s pouring an @m.e.cotterman gaiwan as a recently christened ‘Shilohwan’ by @nuev_orden resides in the foreground. @m.e.cotterman and I having tea the other day in the woods by the stream in the last slide. She came up with the name of our 22% off campagin CHAYOU to commemorate tea friendship. Here’s to the simple and elemental process of water, fire, leaves, and clay bringing people together 🙂

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