Gray and Seddon Premium Tea Home Page

Welcome to our partially revamped web shop. Our intention to launch a complete makeover web shop has taken much longer than anticipated, so we've decided to use our original format until the new design is completed & thoroughly tested. We have a completely new stock of Black & Pu'er teas now available, together with the ever popular Jasmine Pearl premium green tea. We will be adding more teas over coming months, so check back regularly if you can't find what you are looking for. Please note that all prices are in Australian dollars. You can contact us by email by clicking here

JASMINE PEARLS *One of Yunnan's premium Green Jasmines* This wonderfully fragrant green jasmine tea is from Yunnan Province. The name reflects the fact that the tea is rolled into small "pearls" of about 1/4 inch diameter. The beverage is quite delicate, being superbly complemented by an unusually sweet jasmine fragrance, which is not the least cloying or overpowering. Highly recommended.	qty:
*BLACK TEAS* YUNNAN GOLD BUD This exquisite tea is our top of the range Yunnan black and 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. After brewing, the leaves can be seen to be the short plump bud leaves at the very tip of the growing bush. This explains why this tea has less "earthiness" than most Yunnans. The liquor is a superb burnished gold in colour - all in all a rich, smooth "malty" tea with a mild astringent finish. Although this tea can be accompanied by milk and or sugar, it is best enjoyed on its own.	qty:
BLACK GUNPOWDER NEW! This marvellous top-of-the-range Yunnan Black Gunpowder tea is a twist on the more well known Green Gunpowder. Our Black Gunpowder is hand rolled from the finest grade Yunnan tea, with each leaf being rolled into a tight "curl". A measure of its quality is the high percentage of gold curls which indicate that a high number of the finest tips have been used. On the palate, the Black Gunpowder has a rich and smooth finish of mild astringency and moderate tannins. As with all our premium black teas this tea may be enjoyed with a little milk and or sugar, or savoured on its own.	qty:
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.	qty:
YUNNAN GOLD THREAD YUNNAN GOLD THREAD is a top grade black tea similar to the Yunnan Royal, but with a higher percentage of golden tips. This is a very fine richly flavoured black tea with a very smooth finish. It will happily take milk and or sugar if so desired. Makes a superior breakfast tea! YUNNAN GOLD THREAD 200g (7.06oz) $17.00.	qty:

IMPERIAL BREAKFAST IMPERIAL BREAKFAST TEA. Now an established G&S listing owing to its deep, malty character making this Yunnan tea one ideal for drinking at breakfast time. Imperial Breakfast Tea has a good 'malty' body with all the characteristics and refreshing qualities of our other premium Yunnan tea. Light infusions of Yunnan Imperial Breakfast served black will be outstanding. Longer infusions of this leaf develop 'heavier' but mellow teas which can be enjoyed with the addition milk if so wished. IMPERIAL BREAKFAST TEA: an outstanding breakfast tea, 200g (7.06oz) $8.50.	qty:
LAPSANG SOUCHONG Lapsang Souchong selected 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! Lapsang is a marvellous accompaniment to a rich peaty single malt whisky from Islay!! In addition to the fine Lapsang from Fujian Province, we are also lucky to have a version of ths tea made in Hunan Province. This fine black tea from Hunan has been smoked over pine wood giving the tea a distinctive, powerful yet "clean" pine smokiness. On the palate the tea is smooth and mellow, without any of the harsh astringency or roughness often associated with commercial versions of this famous tea.	qty:
*PU'ER LOOSE AND BRICK TEAS* LOOSE PU'ER Pu'er tea is a fermented and aged green tea, and exists in loose as well as compressed form, in a variety of grades. All pu'er teas tend to have a musty smell, somewhat reminiscent of old socks! The taste of our teas is much more pleasant, with the best grades possessing a sweet mellow flavour. They produce a strongly coloured liquor and the one serve of leaf is capable of many infusions. Some pu'er teas can be quite smoky. The best pu'er teas are made from ancient tea bushes (some of which are so old - over 1000 years - they are tall trees!). If good pu'er tea is stored properly it will improve with age, rather like a good wine. Very old pu'er is highly valued and can fetch enormous sums per ounce, making the "cellaring" of good pu'er at least as good an investment as cellaring red wine. In fact aged pu'er can improve over at least 100 years, whereas very few wines would last that distance! As enthusiastic consumers of both types of anti-oxidant, we recommend hedging your bets and cellaring both! Our loose pu'er tea has a rich earthy aroma with a smooth, deep and satisfying mouth feel and flavour.	qty:
BLACK BING CHA A traditional biscuit-shaped pu'er that has a mellow flavour, rich colour & texture. Bing Cha Pu'er is drinkable now but can be stored in a cool, dry cellar. This tea's colour and flavour will then improve with age; to the ultimate sweet liquorice flavours often acquired by very old pu'er. A collector's pu'er and a fine Bing Cha style. Only available in full cakes weighing ca. 357g.	qty:
BLACK BRICK TUOCHA This "brick" tea is a variation on the bingcha tea. Instead of being shaped into a disc, this tea is rectangular in shape and weighs approximately 250g. Another mellow, rich black pu'er which is very drinkable now, but will repay longer term cellaring in the right conditions.	qty:
GREEN BING CHA We have two Green Bingcha teas available - large (approx 357g) and small (approx 200g) The smaller bingcha is shown. Green Bingcha is lighter in colour and sweeter in flavour than the more common Black Bingcha. The Green Bingcha produces a light orange coloured beverage which is both refreshing and satisfying. Although Green Bingcha teas are quite different from other green teas, an advantage they have over more traditional greens is their ability to keep without deterioration. Highly recommended.	qty:
WHITE BING CHA Even more unusual than Green Bingcha is the White Bing cha - which is quite hard to find. Ours is a 200g disc with a light refreshing flavour. The White bingcha is an excellent introduction to the rather exotic world of pu'er teas, especially for the uninitiated novice pu'er drinker.	qty:
*OOLONG TEAS* GOLD KING At last! Our Spring 2010 Oolong teas have arrived, and we have a wonderful selection for you to choose from. An old favourite from Anxi District in Fujian Province is ANXI GOLD KING OOLONG This flavoursome & aromatic Anxi tea has a "honey" undertone and an attractive butterscotch flavour. A "drink every day" oolong.	qty:
ANXI HAIRY CRAB OOLONG This tea is a "cousin" of the Gold King. A wonderfully fragrant and refreshing oolong tea with a �fruity� finish and �moreish� flavor.	qty:
ANXI MOUNTAIN OOLONG Another marvellous tea from the Anxi district, which is one of the top oolong producing regions in China (& therefore the world!). This tea is a "green" oolong with a lifted flavour and delicate aromas similar in style to the other Anxi oolongs mentioned above.	qty:
ANXI PREMIUM TIEGUANYIN OOLONG Our top grade Anxi oolong. In addition to the distinctive honey & butterscotch notes this tea has a distinctive �toasty� aroma and great complexity. Wonderful!	qty:
PHOENIX PEAK OOLONG Unlike the Anxi oolongs listed above, this Phoenix Peak oolong comes from Shantou District in Guangdong Province, and is a quite different tea in appearance, taste and aroma. Shantou oolongs are Guangdong Province's gift to the world of tea!� They are characterised by a long uncurled dry leaf, and by a unique "orange peel' aroma & flavour, intermingled with toffee & butterscotch. Particular care must be taken when brewing the tea, as it has a naturally bitter finish which enhances the flavour. This bitterness can be overpowering if the tea is brewed for too long. Once the technique is mastered however (& it is easy) there is no finer tea to be had.	qty:
WUYISHAN BIG RED ROBE OOLONG This premium tea is grown on the WuYi Mountains in Fujian Province. Highly sought after by oolong tea connoiseurs, Big Red Robe is only available in limited quantities. Various explanations for the origin of the name exist, the most popular being that the Emperor had the tea bushes from which his favourite tea came clothed in red robes to signify their royal favour. BIG RED ROBE is a dark, heavily roasted oolong which is the tea drinker's equivalent of a strong "espresso" coffee. There is some debate about whether Big Red Robe is in fact an oolong tea or a "red" tea. Unlike other commonly available heavily roasted oolongs, the Big Red Robe has a multi-dimensional set of flavours, with a silky smooth finish.	qty:
WUYISHAN WATER SPIRIT This is another premium tea grown on the WuYi Mountains in Fujian Province. The bushes from which this tea comes are not the same as the Big Red Robe, and the price is accordingly lower. Like the Big Red Robe however, this tea also offers a strong "espresso" like flavour with a smooth finish, and is a more economical means of introduction to these special teas.	qty:

GOLD KING

ANXI HAIRY CRAB OOLONG

ANXI MOUNTAIN OOLONG

ANXI PREMIUM TIEGUANYIN OOLONG

PHOENIX PEAK OOLONG

WUYISHAN BIG RED ROBE OOLONG

WUYISHAN WATER SPIRIT