THE 2024 TEA Harvest
All loose leaf teas are hand-harvested and hand-processed and are offered in a 10 g envelope for $20 and shipped USPS for a $10 shipping/handling. This is enough tea in each envelope for 4-8 Eastern method brews (e.g. gaiwan). Brewing guidance is offered below for your reference, but please reach out if you need help navigating Eastern brewing methods in order to truly be able to enjoy these teas.
Contact info@perkinsharter.com to order - payment for teas is taken via Venmo by check.
SOLD OUT FOR THE 2024 SEASON - THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF SKYLIGHT TEA!
First Yellow (sold out)
A first flush tea with a pale gold hue and floral notes of jasmine, fresh grass. This tea has a delicate sweetness, with mild tannins on the finish.
Harvested: 4/28
Grams/Brew 2.5-3g
ML Water 150
Steep 175F 30 sec +
Re-Steep 3-4x
Summer Blue (sold out)
This tea has a blue-green hue, a grassy aroma and complex flavors of toasted rice, sweet gingerbread, buttery popcorn, and a fine tannin finish.
Harvested: 6/23
Grams/Brew 3-5g
mL Water 150
Steep 185F
Re-Steep 3-5x
Late Mugo Roast (sold out)
Last flushes of the season roasted in a horoku with tiny Mugo pinecones. A deep gold hue, this tea late-harvest tea is earthy and grounding. Limited avail.
Harvested: 8/8 + 8/27
Grams/Brew 3-4
mL Water 150
Steep 180F 30 sec +
Re-Steep 3-6x
Roasted Blue (sold out)
This brew has a deep golden hue and bold flavors of roasted corn, malt, umami, with a firm tannin structure to match its roundness on the palate.
Harvested: 7/4 + 7/15
Grams/Brew 3-5g
mL Water 150
Steep 185F
Re-Steep 5-6x
Dark Roast Blue (sold out)
This complex brew has a deep, earthen-gold hue with dry corn husk aromas, bold roasted oolong tea flavors and a solid tannin structure with a mellow finish. You can find this brew down at the crossroads of blue (oolong) and black tea.
Harvested: 8/8
Grams/Brew 2.5-3g
mL Water 150
Steep 180F (10-15 seconds)
Re-Steep 5-6x
TEA Terroir and BRACKEN
Our teas represent the first Camellia Sinensis to be grown in the Eola-Amity Hills. When we arrived at Bracken I was keen to experiment with growing tea, and purchased several dozen plants from Minto Island Tea Growers. Minto Island is generally known as the pioneering tea outpost of Oregon - planted over three decades ago. Their tea gardens are grown in the sedimentary soils along Willamette River, in a sheltered area amidst tall trees. Our site, of course, is quite exposed and windy, so these first plants I sourced from Minto expired within the first season. Totally unfazed by this sheer failure, and determined to tackle the challenge from a new direction, I purchased seedlings from yet another local nursery. These second set of seedlings were grown from seeds sourced from Korea - a variety with smaller leaves that is said to be more cold resistant than many other clones of the tea species. Sure enough, these plants have now endured four winters of ice storms, wind…and all sorts of hail. After winter has its way with them, these bedraggled little critters are quite amazing in that they regenerate. Their tender leaves of Spring and Summer surprisingly provide us with some beautiful, unique teas so I set to picking, working with much care and mindfulness through the plants - taking only the most tender buds and leaves. Then, after many hours of rolling and drying these leaves, I am able to brew these leaves in search of some consistent semblance of terroir. Tea processing is endlessly complex and interesting - and I can guarantee you that there is nothing efficient or cost-effective about this work - at all. Rather, it is a passion for something drives us to focus and improve. It is my hope these tea oddities, these labors of love that have captivated me, increasingly help inform my understanding of the uniqueness of Bracken. Each growing site has its individuality, as does each preparation.
A Loose leaf PRIMER
Obviously, the United States does not have an established culture of loose leaf teas to the extent that societies in Asia have built. Some teas have affinities for certain conditions, I offer here some basic pointers towards a tea brewing methodology that I hope will bring you much enjoyment and fulfillment in steeping our teas - a means to bringing out their noblest qualities. There are a range of tools and equipment that can improve, refine, and heighten the tea making experience. However, all you need to begin is tea, a teapot, a cup, and a way to boil water. Do not despair if you do not have a teapot, then an infuser, clean French press, or pitcher and mesh strainer can work. From there, I would suggest using a digital scale (preferably accurate to 0.1 g) and an electric kettle. These will go a long way to make your tea brewing faster, more accurate, and more consistent. Then, I would recommend acquiring a high-quality, all-purpose teapot, such as a well-built kyusu or gaiwan. Using proper teaware will make the tea taste better and elevate your experience.
Measure out your tea and water
If you have no scale, then you can get by with using a scoop or spoon, as has been done for centuries. Each tea has a different density, but a tablespoon of loose green or oolong style tea is about 2.5 grams. I recommend starting with around 2-4g per 100ml of water to begin. Once you work out how much tea you need, add it into the teapot.
Adjust your Water Temperature
Different teas brew best at different temperatures. While many black teas and oolongs prefer boiling water, most green teas prefer a milder temperature, around 160-176°F. If you have no means to measure water temperature, just pour boiling water into your cups first, and then into the teapot. Pouring boiling water into a cold piece of teaware cools the water by roughly 10°C, while heating up the teaware. So, by pouring it into the cup, then into the teapot, not only is the water the right temperature, but you’re also using just the right amount of water for your service.
Managing Infusion TimE
It is critically important to time your steeps and pour out all of the tea until the last drop. Leaving any tea in the teapot with the leaves will cause it to over-steep and become bitter. If you have brewed more tea than your cup can hold or you are making tea for multiple people, pour the tea into a small pitcher first - and then serve with a consistent strength and temperature.
Resteep
All Camellia Sinensis teas can be re-infused, often many times. Typically, green teas are good for at least three infusions. The second should only be for a few seconds, and the third should be for around 30-45 seconds. Basically, the subsequent infusions tend to need more time than the first to extract. If you feel the flavors are absent after a few steeps - then go for it - brew for 10 minutes and you’ll be surprised how much flavor is still contained in the leaves!
Brewing SKYLIGHT TeA
Yellow or Green Tea
2-3 Level Teaspoons of Leaf
(2.5-3 grams)
160°-175°F Water
30 seconds - 2 Minutes
Re-steep 3-4x
Yellow and Green Teas are very sensitive to being over steeped and can taste just awful if brewed improperly. We do not recommend exceeding any of the listed parameters for green teas. Most people who have a major aversion to green teas have actually never had one brewed properly. The first brews should be short and time can be increased with successive brews.
Spring Green (sold out)
This pale green brew is intensely floral and pure in flavor with classic green tea notes of fresh grass and umami, with moderate tannin on the finish.
Harvested: 5/17 + 6/5
Grams/Brew 2.5-3g
mL Water 150
Steep 175F
Re-Steep 3-4x
Blue Tea (aka “Oolong”)
3-5 Heaping Teaspoons of Leaf
(3-5 grams)
175-185°F Water
30 seconds - 3 Minutes
Re-steep 3-6x
Blue Teas tend to be more heartier, more complex teas and the time and temperature parameters can be pushed a little further than listed for heavier more flavorful brews. All forms of oolong are excellent for steeping multiple times. For multiple steeps begin with 30 second steeps and gradually increase the steep time. These teas undergo light to moderate roasting for complexity.