From the Kemper cultivar, this black tea for spring 2024 was produced in Ustaritz in the heart of the Northern Basque Country in the Pyrenean foothills by Mikel Esclamadon who created Ilgora herriko tea in 2020. Herriko means "from the country" in Basque, because for Mikel one of the motivations for his tea project is to offering the Basques local tea also means enriching the agricultural diversity that the Basque Country offers, proving that it is possible to make a living from 1 hectare of land, and reconciling agriculture and biodiversity. Currently its tea garden includes some 5,500 tea trees.
In a cup, it is a tea with silky tannins, with woody, honeyed and pink floral notes giving it freshness and delicacy.
In a completely different spirit, I recommend that you test the Zairai black tea coming from the same producer, same harvest period and completely different due to the cultivar and the way Mikel processed it.
Prefer preparation with gong fu cha leaving 2-3 min during 1st passage of water, then extend the time by 1-2min over the passages.
Harvest date: April 4, 2024
Very limited quantity!
90°C
4 min
all day
Producer
Ilgora Herriko Tea
Mikel Esclamadon
Mikel discovered tea growing on a trip to the Azores Islands in 2019. As the local climate was suitable for the plant, he decided to plant his first seedlings in 2020 in the Basque country near the family home. A winning bet! In 2023, he launched his first high-quality tea bags under the Ilgora name which means "rising moon" in Basque language.
