KINGDOM OF COLCHIS - GEORGIAN BLACK TEA

Tasting experience:  rich and bold (like Himalayan Assamica blacks), with notes of orange zest and cinnamon.

Georgia (the country) has almost two centuries of tea growing traditions, and it’s barely on North America's radar.

In the early 19^th century, demand for Chinese tea was at a record high in the Russian Empire.  As boatloads of (legally and illegally) traded tea reached Russian ports, a few visionary entrepreneurs decided to take a shot at growing tea plants in some of the (arguably few) suitable locations within the Empire. 

Back then, Georgia was part of the Russian Empire; with access to the Black Sea, relatively mild weather and fertile soil, it became ‘home’ for the 200 tea bushes in the Caucasus, in 1847.

Organic grower and craftsman:  David Tenieshvili

Harvest:  May 2021

Process:  oxidizing, rolling and firing 

Origin:  Bakhvi, Guria, Georgia

GPS:  42.0 N, 42.1 E

Fun fact: We named this tea ‘Kindom of Colchis” because that was the ancient name for this region in Georgia.

About the Grower:  Mr. Teniesvili farms 10 hectares of beautiful land in Western Georgia, close to the Black Sea.  Since he started, 20 years, he has practiced ONLY organic agriculture and sustainable foraging (the valleys and hills have may wild tea plants, some 3m high and 100 years old). 

Brewing Guide