Tea Embassy is a family-owned business operating out of an 1872 Texas Victorian house in downtown Austin. Local or online customers can select from a menu of 200 premium, loose leaf teas.

Product Description: Rare and delightful artisan tea, hand made by a woman who has been making tea her whole life in the Georgian foothills of the Caucasus Mountains near the Black Sea. The tea from this high altitude plantation has a distinctive aroma--notes of apple, citrus, honey and rose with a higher tannin but lower caffeine content. It has been likened to an Oriental Beauty oolong, thus the name, Georgian Beauty, yielding a rich honey flavor with a beautifully refreshing finish. Because of Georgia's geography and meterology, the teas in this region contain microzones, which add more depth to the character of the tea. Steeps nicely for at least two infusions, at boiling temperature, 212 degrees Fahrenheit, for 4-6 minutes.

My experience: Aroma is very subtle, delicate, somewhat surprising in a black tea, with faint traces of peaches, rose and honey. From the name, I was expecting a dark and hefty tea that you’d find brewing in a silver samovar. The reference to oolong helps me understand that Georgian teas can be significantly more subtle than the standard Russian Caravan. My taste buds don’t perceive a higher tannin content. Beautiful large leaves unfurl slowly, good for multiple infusions. Honey and rose taste more pronounced in second infusion. I think the subtlety of this tea could grow on me.

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