This is our busiest time of year here at Discover Teas. Sometimes it’s easy for me to get wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of keeping things running smoothly. So busy that someone else had to remind me that it was our one year anniversary after opening our shop in Newport News. Really? One year already? Holy cow!

In that case, I’d like to say Happy Anniversary Discover Teas 2.0! As well as take this moment to sit in gratitude and reflect on the year that has passed. Many emotions surface for me while thinking of the growing pains we had to endure. But mostly, my thoughts go to great appreciation for those who have supported us in our journey—my heart fills to overflowing with gratefulness. A few were so instrumental, our Port Warwick shop wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them really stepping up and pulling through. Special thanks goes out to Bryan my ever supportive husband, Ken my best friend and business cohort, as well as more-than-employees Mary, Jacob, Kristi, and Mike.  

Looking forward, as we head into another year, we are eagerly planning some new developments for our Newport News location. We’re not done yet and have a lot in store to implement. Stay tuned!

In brushing up for our recent Puerh Tea Tasting in September, I came across some interesting tidbits to include in the presentation. We had our good friend, Steven join in who is our resident ‘Puerh Expert’. He modestly doesn’t agree with the title, but he is one of the most knowledgeable people I know on the subject.  He added such intriguing stories about tea to the tasting discussion! During the course of the event, each member of the Discover Teas team had a bit of information to put in to paint a rather comprehensive view of aged teas. Fascinating indeed! Here are a few things I learned:

1. Black puerhs are relatively new to the industry, coming onto the market in the early 1970’s. Traditionally only green puerhs were produced and naturally aged to a vintage. Black puerhs incorporate an ‘artificial’ aging method to speed up the process and meet the increased demand for puerhs. Black puerhs go through what’s called ‘piling’ in order to increase fermentation over a shorter period of time.
2. Tea leaves for puerhs are typically picked from tea bushes that are of the broad leaf varietal, and will include not only the bud and first two leaves, but also the third and fourth. These older leaves from further down on the plant lend to puerh’s unique flavor characteristics.
3. Along with being used for weight loss and increasing metabolism, in the Orient, puerh is believed to counteract the effects of heavy alcohol consumption and quicken recovery from intoxication.

Puerh and Dark Teas are truly a category of their own. You may be surprised that terms such as earthy, musty, briny, sweet, floral, and rich can all be delightfully used to describe tea from cup to cup. If you are looking for a different kind of adventure in your tea journey, consider trying an aged tea.