From Mauna Kea Tea comes this 2010 first flush oolong tea, a Hawaiian-grown, organic tea. This oolong reminds me of a cross between a bai hao oolong and a traditional green-style ti kuan yin, like Chicago Tea Garden’s tie guan yin (review here). It has a markedly faint dry aroma which blossoms with plum-like notes upon infusion.

The leaves yield a golden infusion that combines flavours of sweet potato and honey with a lemony finish. The aftertaste is mildly astringent, with a sharpness similar to what you find after chewing some fresh lettuce leaves.

At $20 per 10 grams, this is a very expensive tea. But it’s rare, too. Tea enthusiasts who are interested in sampling Hawaii’s finest should give this a try.

Click here to go to Mauna Kea Tea.

If you’re interested in Hawaiian tea, also check out my reviews of Mauna Kea’s 2010 first flush green tea and Narien Teas’ Kilinoe.

Disclaimer: I received this tea as a free sample from Mauna Kea Tea.

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | 2010 First Flush Hawaiian Oolong Tea from Mauna Kea Tea | No comment |
Post categories: Oolong tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: First flush 2010, Hawaii tea, Hawaiian tea, Mauna Kea Tea

In Hawaii, 2010′s first tea harvest has come. The kind folks from Mauna Kea Tea, a small family-owned and operated tea company in Hawaii, sent me a sampling of this year’s first flush teas, as well as their sweet roast green tea. Today’s tea is their first flush green tea.

Right off the bat, I should note one thing: this tea doesn’t come cheap. At $20 for a 15-gram bag, each cup is costing a few dollars (depending on how many steepings you can get out of your leaves). But there are a few good reasons for this: the tea is organic; the cost of labour in Hawaii is higher than in India or China; and the tea is in short supply. This is the kind of tea you buy out of curiosity, to see what Hawaiian tea tastes like.

All that aside, let’s focus on the tea. We have lent out our photo camera at the moment, so I have borrowed a photo from Mauna Kea’s website to show you what the dry leaf looks like. It has a lovely appearance, with the kind of meticulous quality you would expect from a hand-harvested and hand-processed tea.

The tea infuses into a pale green brew, but surprises with a full-bodied flavour. A shot of lemon, underpinned by the vegetal flavours of steamed spinach or kale and accompanied by the taste of walnuts. There’s hardly a hint of sweetness to this, though there is a note of roasted sweet potato in the aroma.

2010 First Flush Hawaiian Green Tea is available from Mauna Kea Tea.

Related posts:

• Kilinoe: Hawaiian Green Tea (review)
• Big Island Tea: Interview with a Hawaiian Tea Farmer
• 2010 Shincha: Pre-Order Now with a 10% Discount

© Eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2010. | 2010 First Flush Hawaiian Green Tea from Mauna Kea Tea | 2 comments |
Post categories: Green tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: First flush 2010, Hawaii tea, Hawaiian tea, Mauna Kea Tea

The tea is grown in volcanic soil and is shaded by koa trees

At the right time, the pekoe leaves are plucked…

and the leaves destined for green tea are fired

‘A’a is a fully oxidized, hand-rolled black tea made from Hawaiian tea leaves. It is not fired

Kilinoe is the garden’s limited edition green tea

It is mild and refreshing, with a hint of citrus and leafy green vegetables

Thank you to Eliah Halpenny of Big Island Tea, who allowed me to use her photos. You can learn more about Big Island Tea on their website.

Read more

• Review of Kilinoe green tea
• Interview with Eliah Halpenny, Hawaiian tea farmer
• Buy Kilinoe green tea from Narien Teas

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Tea: A Photographic Journey from the Garden to the Cup | 2 comments |
Post categories: Miscellaneous, Organic tea
Post tags: growing tea, Hawaii tea, Hawaiian tea, Kilinoe Green Tea, tea production

It’s been a long time since I sat down and reviewed a tea, which can largely be blamed on the fact that we’ve been down with some sort of flu for most of August and a good chunk of July. But the sinuses are cleared and the taste buds are active again, so today Bec and I sat down to enjoy a cup of Kilinoe green tea — the first Hawaiian green tea to be sold in the mainland USA, thanks to Narien Teas.

Narien describes Kilinoe as “a mildly-sweet and fragrant tea that never over-steeps”. I haven’t tested the last claim, but I can certainly agree with the first two. This is a mild but surprisingly complex tea. Between us, Bec and I picked out a wonderful array of qualities. Bec was struck by the tea’s floral perfume, whereas I picked up a slight tanginess in the aroma, lending it a citrusy quality. I noted a faint sweetness after the first taste. Bec found the taste refreshing and strongly reminiscent of a leafy green vegetable.

Since this was the first tea from Hawaii I’ve ever enjoyed, I tried to pick out similarities between it and others I’ve tried before. Strangely enough, the first tea that came to mind was the Bai Mudan (also known as White Peony) I reviewed earlier this year. The Kilinoe’s savoury character reminded me of the white tea, though I don’t think it was quite as smoky as the Bai Mudan.

Kilinoe green tea is available from Narien Teas for $9 for a sample. There’s limited stock, so if you want to try some fine Hawaiian tea, be quick. Remember to quote “teafinelybrewed” to receive a 10% discount.

Other bloggers’ reviews of Kilinoe:

• Brett reviewed it on Black Dragon Tea Bar
• Lainie reviewed it on Lainie Sips

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Kilinoe: Hawaiian Green Tea (review) | 4 comments |
Post categories: Green tea, Tea reviews
Post tags: Hawaii tea, Hawaiian tea, Kilinoe Green Tea, Narien Teas

Reminder: For a chance to win some free tea, leave a comment on this post with some ideas for what you’d like to see more of on Tea Finely Brewed.

A few weeks ago I wrote about Kilinoe Green Tea, a Hawaiian-grown tea sold by Narien Teas. Today, I’m really pleased to publish an interview with Eliah Halpenny, the tea farmer running Big Island Tea, the small eco-organic tea farm producing Kilinoe and other tea varieties. Eliah has a busy life — as you’ll gather from reading the interview — so I’m very thankful she took the time out to share about her personal journey towards becoming a tea farmer, and her thoughts on the future of the Hawaiian tea industry.

When did you start drinking tea?

My first memory of drinking tea was at my Scottish grandmotherʼs. She served us tea and toast for breakfast. The toast was slathered in butter and dunked into black tea sweetened heavily, white with milk. Mmmmm–such a treat.

During my late teens I found herbal teas and still sip peppermint and other herbal infusions for late in the day.

“Tea…is the drink of Gods!”

But my first really delicious cup of tea was tasted in Holland.

When I spent time in Holland in my early twenties, (my childrenʼs father is Dutch) my father-in-law introduced me to fine whole leaf tea. I remember him standing poised with his bone china teacup, having just ceremoniously savoured a sip of tea declaring, “Tea…is the drink of Gods!”

What did you do before you grew tea?

I was a single mother for 11 years. In that time frame, I sold advertising for a newspaper in Vancouver, Canada. That career was 100 % commission based! With good instincts for demographic trends, a love of the visual/graphic arts, a gregarious personality and a keen desire to offer my daughters a role model for developing healthy social skills, I found a successful niche in marketing and advertising.

During my 11 year stint at the newspaper I imagined myself eventually having my own product to sell. I knew who my market was even before I knew that I wanted to grow tea. The Baby Boomers.

I knew that tea was the plant for me — a plant that does not need pesticides — a sustainable commercial crop!

I know a fair bit about this demographic bulge in our population — I am a Baby Boomer. (One who does not take myself too seriously—enough of the navel gazing already! ) I knew that if I could find a product that captured the whim of this group, it would be a guaranteed success. I had witnessed the rise of so many “health food products”. What kind of product could I produce to fill the need of this aging demographic group?

I floated with this fantasy for 10 years while I worked the trenches of print advertising. I should mention that I have been an avid backyard horticulturist most of my adult life. I studied landscape architecture, geography, soil and plant science at university. Before having children, I also worked as a commercial gardener and did a summer stint as a soil surveyor for Agriculture Canada.

When my new found love/ husband was offered a job at the University of Hawaii-Hilo in 1999, I realized it was time to start my own business. My husband, Dr. Cam Muir, is my partner in Big Island Tea as well as a geneticist/professor in the Biology department at UHH.

In the fall of 2001 (I had just moved to Hawaii to join Cam) I read an article in a local newspaper profiling a Hilo-based USDA researcher who was announcing his findings about a 5 year project studying the viability of growing tea in Hawaii. I practically jumped off my seat knowing that I had found my muse.

What inspired you to grow tea in Hawai`i?

When I first arrived in Hawai`i I could not work, as I am a Canadian citizen. I had decided that I wanted to start a flower farm and then ship flowers to Vancouver. I did an orchid growing course. I learned quickly that I was unwilling to spray neuro-toxin pesticides on the flowers, nor did I want pay another to do the deed.

Long ago I became an organic farmer because I witnessed the direct effects of an application of chemical fertilizer on our vegetable garden and the immediate reaction to the worms, our friendly soil builders. I chose the worms over chemicals. You can observe, healthy soil is alive with microorganisms and a healthy soil grows healthy plants, a basic green thumb fact.

When I read that article about teaʼs viability in Hawai`i, the researcher mentioned that Camellia sinensisʼ had a resiliency to known pests in Hawai`i, that it thrives on Hawai`iʼs acidic volcanic soil and crazy amount of rainfall on the east side of Big Island. I lived near Volcano where one of the research stations was having success with tea. I knew that tea was the plant for me — a plant that does not need pesticides — a sustainable commercial crop!

I called the researcher, he sent me 9 seeds, they all germinated and I knew that I could grow the plant. I now have ~6000 plants.

Over 8 years, we have selected plants that are best suited to the 3000 feet slope of Mauna Loa volcano. It is an on-going project, how to grow healthy tea plants and process the most delicious tea possible.

I am inspired by my love of the tea plant. It is beautiful to look at, so hardy, yet requiring many hours of care and attention. Everyday I get to work outside on the tea, I cannot believe my luck at finding myself creating such a fulfilling project!

When I finish hand-picking, hand-rolling each batch of tea, I know that drinkers will taste the amazing taste of this upland tropical paradise. My hands smell like tea after each processing, I am intoxicated by the smell without even drinking it. I recently brought a sample of our green tea to Canada to share, the comment made was it smells like your farm, sweet, light and citrussy.

Hawaiian tea.

What would you compare your tea to?

I cannot compare our tea although a few years back a group of Big Island Tea farmers had a tea party to share our brews. Although each had their own finished taste and look, there was an underlying taste throughout everyoneʼs sample. I think it is the soil, sunshine, rain and air — the light, citrussy taste of paradise.

What have been the biggest challenges setting up our tea farm?

The biggest challenge getting our farm going has been acquiring plant material. Initially it took many months surfing the web until I found a source for excellent viable tea seed. I met a contact from Darjeeling, India; these seedlings are my best plants. We were given and sold cuttings from the USDA/Hawaii. Our wish is to grow tea sustainably, we veto the idea of solely a clonal crop.

Another challenge was learning how to grow plants organically that can survive within our micro-environment. Apart from a small pamphlet documenting the limited tea research done on the Big Island, we have had to re-invent the wheel. I have used the internet and books to educate but I think our on-going learning curve has slowed down the whole process.

Being a 56 year old woman (with no working capital) starting up such an ambitious tea project has been a stretch. My husbandʼs work load at the university is minimally 60hrs/ week. He helps on weekends and for the first time this summer, he worked full time on the farm.

So, I have had to work like an ox to get all of the tea in the ground. We now harvest and process –another dimension of our goal. I have had to get our accounting and marketing in place…wheww! I definitely wear too many hats. I wish that I had started this when I were younger or that I had an army of children to enlist on our farm!

Are there many other tea farms in Hawai`i?

There are approximately 6 farms that are now processing tea. There are new farmers joining the ranks but everyone has the same obstacle, acquiring plant material. The agricultural outreach centre and the Hawai`i Tea Society offer clones to those who can wait as they are distributed in a limited fashion. There are also now farms on the other Hawaiian islands starting up. This is a pioneer industry.

What sets your tea farm apart from the other tea farms?

In truth, I have a vague idea but do not know what the others are doing on their farm. I do believe we are the only farm that is re-foresting our land with native trees. We are farming on 16 feet of volcanic soil in an area which was forested in the 1960ʼs for pastureland. Endemic koa trees are nitrogen fixing and cast just the right amount of shade for our tea. We are planting these trees and many other native varieties to enrich the soil and to recreate a mid-elevation rainforest canopy.

As well, we have a 100,000 gallon pond which are teeming with koi and Asian catfish — we use this nutrient rich water to irrigate our crop. I do not believe anyone else has this fertilization system.

My husbandʼs knowledge is paramount in expanding our vision for sustainable agriculture. We are researching new farming practices, meshed with aquaculture for local farmers to utilize. The gap left on this island when the cane industry died can be filled with a new crop, Camellia sinensis.

Lastly, we have satellite growers. These farmers are growing tea that we have supplied them and we are mentoring them with their projects. We have learned a bit about growing tea in Hawaii over the past 8 years and share our expertise freely. We love to help other tea farmers get started because we know there is a great opportunity for many.

How do you hope to see the Hawaiian tea industry develop over the next decade? Is there a lot of room for growth?

There is sooooo much room for growth that it is giddy-making. Think of it, tea is the most consumed liquid in the world next to water and right here in North America, there are only a handful of growers!!! How much more opportunity could one need?

Cam and I talk to people all the time, encouraging them to get on-board, to get some tea growing. More farmers growing tea will help launch the Hawai`i tea industry. Tea is a crop that is a good fit for Hawai`i. The market is perfect for the introduction of a new specialty tea; the growing conditions are perfect in Hawai`i; everybody worldwide loves Hawai`i; we are producing a unique taste; the media educates everyone with the health benefits of tea; and there are only a few small farms in North America.

I see the Hawaii tea industry as a success story in the making. It is important for Hawai`i that diversified agriculture fills the gap left by the ending of the

sugar cane, pineapple, macademia nut industries. The tea we are planting today can be harvested over the next multitude of generations if grown with healthy farming practices. The current marketing opportunity to produce a specialty tea is one that we encourage all farmers to embrace.

The burgeoning Hawai`i tea industy is wide open for development, investors and entrepreneurs.

You can buy Big Island Tea through Narien Teas

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Big Island Tea: Interview with Eliah Halpenny, a Hawaiian Tea Farmer | 2 comments |
Post categories: Interviews
Post tags: Hawaiian tea, tea farmer

I was surprised a few months ago when Billy from Narien Teas told me where he was going on his latest tea finding mission: Hawaii.

Apparently the island state known for ukuleles, great surf and volcanoes is now dipping into the gourmet tea market. Kilinoe Green Tea is a hand-harvested, hand-rolled and hand-fired tea grown on a small eco-organic tea estate on Big Island, Hawaii. According to Narien Teas, it’s “a mildly-sweet and fragrant tea that never over-steeps.”

At $9 for a sample, Kilinoe Green Tea isn’t cheap. But it’s also very rare. I’m picking up a sample of it and will post a review in a few weeks.

Kilinoe Green Tea is available from Narien Teas. Remember to quote “teafinelybrewed” for a 10% discount.

© eric for Tea Finely Brewed, 2009. | Kilinoe Green Tea: Hawaiian Grown Tea | 3 comments |
Post categories: Green tea
Post tags: Hawaii tea, Hawaiian tea, Kilinoe Green Tea, Narien Teas