Julian, a software architect from Austin, Texas. His passion isn’t just drinking tea; it’s a daily ritual of focus and contemplation. He practices Gongfu style, using a generous 10 grams per session to explore the full depth of each infusion, 4 to 5 times a day.
Julian’s passion came at a steep price. His daily consumption of 40-50 grams of high-end Oolongs and Lapsang souchong meant he was spending a fortune at local tea shops. “I was paying a premium for beautiful packaging and a tiny tin,” he explained. “My habit was outgrowing my wallet, and I felt like I was only scratching the surface of what was truly available at the source in China.” He needed access to the source, but the idea of importing felt daunting and risky for an individual.
He found us through a tea forum where our name was mentioned for our quality and direct-from-farm sourcing. He sent a tentative email, expecting to be ignored as a “small fish.” Instead, he received a personal consultation. We didn’t just see a customer; we saw a fellow devotee. We talked terroir, processing methods, and his specific taste profile. We curated a “Connoisseur’s Starter Kilogram”—a split kilo of four different teas, including a wild-harvest Dan Cong and a 2018 aged raw Lapsang souchong, directly from our partners in Guangdong and Yunnan.
The first shipment was a revelation. For the price of a few tins locally, Julian now had a cellar’s worth of world-class tea.
