Sourcing and Storage
Reading a Tea Label and Asking the Right Questions
Harvest date, origin and cultivar are the three things that matter, and most packets give none of them.
26 January 2026
8 min read
Buying and keeping
Sourcing and Storage
How to tell an informative packet from a decorative one, why picking date matters as much as region, and how to keep leaf from deteriorating once you have it.
Sourcing and Storage
Harvest Seasons: Why Picking Time Changes the Tea
The same bush picked in April and in July produces markedly different tea. Season is as informative as region.
14 March 2026
8 min read
Sourcing and Storage
Storing Tea: The Four Things That Destroy It
Most tea that disappoints was stored badly rather than bought badly.
21 April 2026
8 min read
Sourcing and Storage
Tasting Notes: Building a Vocabulary That Is Actually Useful
Descriptive vocabulary is a tool for remembering, not a performance. Yours only needs to work for you.
9 June 2026
8 min read
No shop recommendations
We name no sellers, because our position depends on having no commercial relationships and because the right seller depends enormously on where you are. The guides describe what to ask instead.
Storage matters more than people think
A great deal of disappointing tea was bought well and stored badly. Four conditions — light, heat, moisture and odour — account for nearly all of it, and all four are cheap to control.