PROFILE: SMOOTH, GRAPEFRUIT, HONEY

ORIGIN: MOC CHAU, SON LA, VIETNAM

HARVEST: JULY 2022

Two Sisters is a stunning Gui Fei style 'partially bug bitten' oolong tea made from harvested leaves of the Thanh Tam (Qingxin) cultivar.   The tea is lightly floral, honey sweet with complex flavours that range from fruity (grapefruit and apple) to nutty (almond) over successive infusions.

Two Sisters comprise a standard pluck of bud and up to three leaves but contains a high proportion of leaves that have been attacked by Leafhopper insects (or Jassids). The Leafhoppers suck sap from the leaves, rather than actually biting, and in response the leaves release compounds that have an effect on the flavour volatiles produced.   Two Sisters can only be produced during the summer months and is approximately 30% oxidised.

Two Sisters is one of the teas produced on a 33 hectare farm on the rolling Moc Chau plateau at an altitude between 1100 and 1200 metres . The farm employees 65 people and can produce a total of 10 tonnes of finished tea each year. In addition to tea, Moc Chau is also well known for dairy farming and the growing of plums, apricots and various types of flowers, including orchids.