Leafhopper’s tea sample auction
Welcome to Leafhopper’s first tea sample auction! I accumulate a lot of tea by writing this newsletter and it’s time to let some of it go. These teas offer a chance to taste a diverse cross section of the market at a fraction of retail prices. Sample a region, find a new style, and taste multiple harvests over time. There’s a lot of good stuff in here I’d keep if I had the room.
All winning bids will be paid by way of donation to the Kentucky Health Justice Network. I won’t make a dime off this auction and will ship teas to winners out of pocket. KHJN provides abortion access and trans healthcare in a state with few options for either. I donate to them monthly and encourage you to check out their programs.
How it works
There are four lots available below. To bid, email me at max.falkowitz@gmail.com with Tea auction in the subject line. Include your bid in US dollars and the lot number you’re bidding on. If you’d like to be notified about where your bid stands relative to others, tell me in the email and I’ll keep you updated.
On Tuesday, April 15th, I’ll update each lot on this page with the current high bid. You’ll then have one more week to place additional bids. Bidding will close on Sunday, April 20th at 11:59pm ET.
Winners will be contacted by email. They will have 48 hours from the time of that email to send me a screenshot with proof of donation for the amount of their bid to KHJN. If I don’t receive proof of donation within 48 hours, I’ll contact the next highest bidder for that lot.
Most of these bags have been opened and sampled from. Since then they’ve been stored sealed in clean conditions. If that’s a problem for you, don’t bid.
Weight measurements on individual teas are best approximations.
You cannot mix and match teas from different lots. You can only bid on an entire lot. However you can bid on multiple lots if you like.
Once a bid is emailed to me, consider it binding. Don’t place a bid unless you’re willing to donate that amount. We’re going by the honor system here.
In the event of a tie, tying winners will be contacted separately for a lightning round.
Packages will be shipped within 1 week of donation confirmation. Boxes will be packed in an eco-friendly manner, by which I mean you will likely receive a repurposed box and packing material based on what I have on hand.
Lot 1: Fermentation and friends
Approximately 353 grams
High bid as of April 15: $125
An assortment of puer and other fermented and aged teas, plus nice green, white, and yellow teas from unusual origins. Daily drinkers, premium tea, and some odd finds.
Boutique puer label sampler, 7 teas, ~21g each tea
2021 Indian puer, ~20g
2023 Indian puer, ~20g
2023 yellow tea, ~15g
2018 tianjian, ~15g
2006 liu bao, 2 teas, ~8g each tea
Gyokuro, ~10g
Sencha, ~10g
Sichuan heicha, ~20g
Moonlight white, ~10g
Ripe puer balls, 5 balls, ~6g each ball
Smoked fu brick, ~20g
2023 Vietnam raw puer, 2 teas, ~10g each tea
Lot 2: Who longs for oolong
Approximately 330 grams
High bid as of April 15: $100
For oolong fans, a sampler of teas from China, Taiwan, and Thailand. Classic styles and experimental productions. This would be a good way to get a taste for different cultivars.
1998 aged tieguanyin, ~20g
2021 shui xian, ~50g
Thailand high mountain oolong, ~40g
Competition grade baozhong, ~30g
Competition grade Taiwanese oolong Wuyi cultivar, ~40g
Jin xuan, ~50g
Roasted jin xuan, ~50g
Taiwanese oolong qingxin cultivar, ~40g
Chaozhou tieguanyin, ~10g
Lot 3: Orthodox box
Approximately 330 grams
High bid as of April 15: $125
Orthodox tea processing was developed by gardens in India to approximate Chinese tea-making methods with industrial scale. Orthodox tea is now made all around the world and this lot includes some striking examples. Primarily black tea. Good with milk.
Nilgiri black tea, ~25g
Nilgiri stem hojicha, ~30g
Smoked Assam, ~20g
Colombian black tea, ~30g
Indian oolong, ~80g
African white steam tea, ~15g
Nepal black tea, ~50g
Georgian black tea, ~30g
Arunachal Pradesh purple leaf oolong, ~10g
Arunachal Pradesh tipply black tea, 2 teas, ~15g
Nepal oolong, ~10g
Lot 4: Himalayan heights
Approximately 730 grams
High bid as of April 15: $100
High elevation, fertile soil, and a long tradition of craft make Darjeeling and the surrounding Himalayas a hotspot for quality tea. Discover why in this assortment. A great way to get a taste of a region.
2023 and 2024 Darjeeling 1st flush, 10 teas, ~30g to 60g each tea
2023 Darjeeling 2nd flush, ~60g
2024 Darjeeling 2nd flush, ~100g
2024 Darjeeling 2nd flush yabukita cultivar, ~20g
2024 Darjeeling summer black tea AV2 cultivar, ~10g
Meghalaya 1st flush unknown vintage, ~10g
2024 autumn high withered 1st flush style, 4 teas, ~15g each tea
Darjeeling yellow tea unknown vintage, ~20g