These quality genuine Yixing teapots have been hand made using traditional methods. Each pot contains an authenticating stamp imprinted on its base showing Yixing origin. In additon these pots have the Gray & Seddon trademark "Cha Yuan Xian Ren" in Chinese characters to show that the pots were comissioned by us. The literal translation means "Immortals of the Tea Garden"

YUNNAN GOLD THREAD
This exquisite tea is in very limited supply as only a small quantity is produced each year. In dry leaf, the tea appears almost gold because of the very high percentage of golden tips present. The tea has less "earthiness" than most Yunnans and the liquor is a superb burnished gold in colour - all in all a rich, smooth "malty" tea with a firm astringent finish.

YUNNAN ROYAL
A delightful drink exhibiting a smooth, rich "malt and pepper" on the palate; this premium Yunnan tea has a high percentage of fragrant golden tips in dry leaf. A great introduction to premium Yunnan black teas and a splendid afternoon tea.

FUJIAN GOLD NEEDLE
FUJIAN GOLD NEEDLE is a top grade black tea from Fujian Province. In dry leaf the tea has narrow shiny pointed black leaves with touches of gold, & gives of a rich toasty/nutty aroma which is very appealing. When infused for 3 minutes using freshly drawn boiled water, the resulting beverage has an intense black "sparkling" colour, with pleasing mouth feel and lifted malty aromas. This is a very fine black tea & it will happily take milk and or sugar if so desired. Makes superior breakfast tea! FUJIAN GOLD NEEDLE 200g (7.06oz) $14.95.

BLACK ROSE
BLACK ROSE MEI HUA is no delicate flower, but rather a rich black tea from Fujian Province infused with exquisite sweet "mei hua" or rose blossoms & rose essence. The variety of rose used has been specially bred to be blended with Fujian tea. This is undoubtedly an outstanding addition to our scented tea range, and offers a generously flavoured & somewhat exotic tea for all fine tea drinkers. The base black tea used in this rose blend is of high quality & produces a deep black infusion which has a natural sweetness, without any bitterness. The rose blossoms used are famous throughout China for their sweet aroma and deep pink petals. An exceptional herbal-black tea for after-dinner BLACK ROSE MEI HUA 200g (7.06oz) $12.95.

BLACK JASMINE
BLACK JASMINE selected by G&S is a deeply flavoured Fujian black tea, infused with jasmine blossoms. The teamen in Fujian Province are famed for their ability to make quality flower-scented teas, and the Black Jasmine is a fine example of their tea producing skills. Most "jasmine" teas are made using a green tea base, but this tea caters to the black tea drinker who would like to try the combination of jasmine with a premium black tea. The jasmine influence is quite subdued here, so this tea would suit the black tea drinker looking for a more subtle scented tea BLACK JASMINE 200g (7.06oz) $7.95.

LAPSANG SOUCHONG
Lapsang Souchongselected by G&S is a richly smoked Fujian black tea. Lapsang Souchong is quite possibly the most famous "undrunk" black tea in existence! And many people would ask why it still exists at all! Yet it is revered by statesmen and admired by characters of fiction. It is a tea that has acquired 'intellectual' qualities. Nevertheless, its virtues bewilder a great number of dedicated tea drinkers, equally delighting those who take pleasure in its robustness and somewhat harsh character. Zheng Shan Xiao Zhong means Zheng Mountain small tea variety. This name was anglicised to Lapsang Souchong some time in the early years of the nineteenth century.

The tea evolved from the smoky off-flavours that accompanied wood-fired wok roasting of black and oolong teas of the period. At the request of English merchants this smoking was to a large extent managed & refined. Very little has changed in the manufacture of Lapsang. The initial processing follows procedures common to other Chinese black teas. The leaf is allowed to achieve a lengthy oxidation before roasting, rolling and drying. Much of the work is still performed by hand. In the smokehouse Lapsang blacks are hung from bamboo baskets above smouldering pine-wood ash: a process that takes several hours & needs constant attention. Originally made from a Fujian oolong tea clone, today Lapsangs are manufactured in several of China's black tea regions. Lapsang was made for the British markets & supplied in increasing amounts after the 1840s for use in blending. The export of Lapsang to Britain peaked around 1870 when increasing volumes of British Indian teas started to dominate the trade in black tea. Tastes changed and the coarseness of Lapsang was resigned to history. These days it is possible to find high quality Lapsang made from fine oolong leaf, which has been smoked properly & carefully stored. Such teas are very, very rare!