This vintage comes from tea plants grown from seeds, hence its Japanese name Zairai used by Mikel which means that the tea comes from tea plants grown from seeds and not from cuttings. This black tea from early spring 2024 was produced in Ustaritz in the heart of the Northern Basque Country in the Pyrenees 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 offer the Basques local tea , it is also to enrich the agricultural diversity that the Basque Country offers, to prove that it is possible to make a living from 1 hectare of land, and to reconcile agriculture and biodiversity. Currently its tea garden includes some 5,500 tea trees.
In the cup, it is a tea with soft tannins, woody and honeyed notes with a delicious fruity note.
In a completely different spirit, I recommend that you test the Kemper black tea coming from the same producer, same harvest period and completely different due to the cultivar and the way Mikel processed it.
Also discover its manufactured version in green tea: Zairai Green Tea
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 11, 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.
