Smith Teamaker Brand Book

InUncommon Knowledge

All tea — black, green, white, and oolong — comes from the same plant. Camellia Sinensis. Tea color is determined by oxidation, which begins the moment it's picked. The more oxidation, the darker the tea.

THE BOOK OF UNCOMMON TEA

An Introduction to STEVEN SMITH TEAMAKER with ( ABRIDGED ) CATALOG of TEAS and BOTANICAL INFUSIONS

The lexicon of tea is full of exotic terms. Oolong. Pu-erh. Matcha. Mao Feng. To these, we humbly add Smith . Handcrafted in wonderfully small batches at the Smith Teaworks in Portland, Oregon, these teas offer a drinking experience like nothing else in the world. Cheers.

Smith is the most uncommon name in tea. Next most uncommon: Buffy.

2022Issued

No.

Steven Smith picked up his favorite tasting spoon at a stall in Tinsukia, Assam. Nice big belly, good weight in the hand, slender lip to let slip more tea with each slurp. He used it to perfect each personal batch of his signature line at Smith.

STEVE SMITH demonstrating “cupping” in the tea lab with his favorite tasting spoon.

Our founder wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But he used one every day to change the way Americans drink tea forever. Quietly humorous and charismatic, Steve got his first taste of the world’s second-most-consumed beverage (after water) at his grandmother’s house in Portland, Oregon. After high school and Vietnam, he got into natural foods and co-founded Stash, the world’s first specialty tea company.

From Stash, he conjured Tazo — “the reincarnation of tea” — a mind-blowing mix of Merlin the Magician meets Marco Polo. Finally selling Tazo to Starbucks, Steve retired temporarily and moved his young family to France. But it wasn't long before he had another a-ha moment.

HAUTE TEA COUTURE.

Paperboy, Vietnam veteran, natural foods and herbs merchant, running partner, style king, visionary, entrepreneur, risk-taker, raconteur, great boss, philanthropist, son, brother, loving father and grandfather, beloved husband, loyal friend.

NEXT TIME YOU’RE IN DARJEELING

Take a spin down Steve Smith Route. It’s 3 kilometers of switchback through the legendary Sington Tea Estate, handcrafted in memory of a certain teamaker who blessed this region with his beautiful smile, his passion for tea, and his compassion for others.

Enchanted by the friendships he enjoyed with his neighborhood chocolatier, baker and perfumier in Avignon, Steve emailed his creative team back home: “I have an idea for another tea company. But this time, we’re going to do it small, buy only the best tea on the market and blend it with total transparency.”

And so, after a year of scarves and two-hour lunches, he moved back to Portland and once again picked up his favorite tasting spoon. With characteristic humility, he rejected the title of tea master, and chose to be simply “teamaker”. Which is how, in 2009, the signature blends of Steven Smith Teamaker were born in a Northwest Portland blacksmith’s shop.

Meet Steven Smith, Teamaker

Origin Craft Creativity

INSIDE THE SMITH SACHET (right)

The shape is not unusual, but the artistry inside is unique. Our roomy, relaxed fit sachet encourages greater full leaf expansion to give you better flavor and richer aromas. This makes it a sachet with serious cachet.

Every Smith blend begins with a moment of inspiration— maybe a nicely aged cask of merlot, or a simple scoop of ice cream—transformed by three essential ingredients:

ORIGIN, CRAFT and CREATIVITY.

Our Most UncommonApproach

As a Smith teamaker, you know — in the cup it’s all or nothing. So you start by sourcing the finest teas and botanicals directly from origin.

To protect every delicate leaf and blossom, you craft each small batch by hand, under one roof. And you constantly ask yourself: what could make this better? Trying fresh culinary ideas, you make the most of every chance to re-create tea time, each and every day.

How We Buy Tea

We buy tea the same way everyone should — from friends we’ve grown to trust over many seasons.

We go directly to origin at the right time of year. Walk the gardens with people who understand everything about their plants. Deepen our roots with farmers who believe in clean ingredients and enriching the lives of their workers.

We cup at the source — to be sure of the best taste — then cup again at home in Portland, with Portland water, for absolute consistency.

All year round, samples arrive daily at the Teaworks from tea gardens, traders and brokers. Some are purchased directly, others from auctions in the tea trading centers of Calcutta, Colombo, Mombasa and Jakarta.

A view over our tea estates in Darjeeling, India Captured by our Tea Buyer Sara Kaufman in 2018

How We Make Tea

Much like a modern French restaurant, to give classics new life. Everything is By us. In house. Every ingredient is single-origin. We don’t buy anything pre-blended. And we never rely on recipe.

Because tea is agricultural, its character changes from year to year, and re-formulating a blend is a high art. So we keep encyclopedic notes, and taste multiple test batches in our tea lab as many as ten times.

In fact — in the spirit of total transparency — you’re free to watch your tea being made any time you’re here. Just look through the big picture windows in our Tasting Rooms that see directly into production.

How We Sell Tea

Come for a tea flight in one of our Tasting Rooms. Unwrap a String-Tie box. Enjoy your own Matcha kit moment of zen.

In every case you’ll discover that re-creating tea time is a full-time thing with us. We design personalized tours, tea training and tastings, compelling merchandising and serveware, even custom menus. All to make better teamakers out of everyone.

To see more creative touches, immerse yourself in our cultu re at #thisisteatime.

We believe a single cup of tea is the ultimate small batch experience. Therefore, we formulate each blend to deliver the same rich experience in loose leaf form, or relaxed-fit sachets.

You’ll find comprehensive brewing guides to all of our black, green, white and oolong teas — including gaiwan service — at smithtea.com.

To wet your whistle, here’s how to enjoy a perfect cup of Bungalow,

How To Steep

BLACK TEA Loose Leaf BREW GUIDE

1. Bring spring or freshly drawn filtered water to a boil (212º F).

2. Preheat your vessels with boiling water, then discard the water.

3. Measure 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea for every 8-10 ounces of water.

4. Place the appropriate amount of leaves in the teapot and pour water directly over the leaves.

5. Allow the leaves to steep five minutes.

6. Place a basket strainer over your cup and pour so that any stray leaves will be caught.

7. Serve your tea and enjoy.

Note: Don’t leave the leaves in your pot too long. If you want to sip at your leisure, use a removable strainer.

Our Uncommon Offerings

STEVEN SMITH SIGNATURE COLLECTION

Our carefully curated Signature Teas include the thirteen blends originally concocted by Steven Smith, along with two more recent creations deemed worthy of signature status.

These are the teas that will never go out of style. The teas that are uniquely and classically Smith.

SMITH SINGLE ORIGIN VARIETY TEAS

Every Single Origin Variety Tea we sell is sourced to exemplify the quintessential flavor and drinking experience expected of its kind.

To be sure, we taste each lot at least four times before it reaches the customer. That’s a lot of little lots.

The life story of every leaf in your cup — including its origin, cultivar, harvest date, tasting notes, and more — is an open book when you click on Batch Lookup at smithtea.com.

No. 7

W hite & Green

even the most jaded palate. Through long-standing friendships in Asia, we have access to some of the best Jasmine Silver Tip, Mao Feng and Bai Mu Dan loose leaf world. Each is chosen with great sensitivity to season and picked for the way it present moment. See if you can guess which particular cup our Head

Yunnan

Oolong

Gaiwan Serving Set–

ABOUT OUR OOLONG and PU-ERH TEA OFFERINGS

A sophisticated flight of bold and complex teas for the connoisseur, sourced directly from friends in Fujian and Yunnan, China and Taiwan. Each, in its own way, offers delightfully subtle variations of flavor over as many as ten steepings.

PHOENIX OOLONG

Oolong Tea – Variety

Crafted by a family who has been making Phoenix Oolong for over 60 years, this tea is made using the Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid Fragrance) cultivar which is one of the most well-known and for good reason. It makes for an exceptional tea with balanced fruit and floral notes.

No.

BAI HAO OOLONG

Oolong Tea – Variety

Although this style of oolong tea originates from Taiwan, we currently source our Bai Hao from Fujian Province in China and it is one of our favorites. Oolong teas fall into a class between fully oxidized (black) tea and non-oxidized (green) tea. As one of the more oxidized oolongs, Bai Hao has large, tightlytwisted blackish leaves with an abundance of silver tips and a complex flavor profile and aroma.

No.

ALI SHAN OOLONG

Oolong Tea – Variety

This lightly oxidized oolong comes from Li Jia village in the Ali Shan range of Taiwan and is produced by the Fang sisters, 3rd generation tea farmers made with the Si Ji Chun (Four Seasons Spring) tea cultivar. Sitting at 1600M, this tea garden is surrounded by a forest of fir, and bamboo. The nutrient rich soil produces a rich and full bodied oolong with notes of orchid, peach and sugarcane.

No. 3

SHU CHA PU-ERH

Fermented Tea – Variety

A highly prized Chinese tea, this Pu-erh is fermented and aged for three years. Grown at around 5000 ft elevation in Feng Cheng, Yunnan, China, this tea produces a dark liquor with smooth and complex earthy flavor and sweet lingering finish.

Black

No. 33

BLEND:

Masala

ABOUT OUR BLACK TEA OFFERINGS

In the world of full leaf teas, Smith remains the new black. Signature teas include classic spoonbenders like Portland Breakfast. Our Lord Bergamot looks gently down its nose at prosaic Earl Greys, thanks to superior bergamot oils. And our single origin teas from Assam, Darjeeling, Sri Lanka, and Yunnan reflect the full spectrum of black strengths and astringencies with a depth of nuance that is unsurpassed.

No. 49

ASSAM

Black Tea – Variety

The legendary breakfast tea from the upper Assam valley of India. Full-flavored, rich and chewy with notes of caramel and malt, this tea is bright and coppery in the cup and makes a great wake-up any time of day.

No. 18

BRITISH BRUNCH

Black Tea – Blend

The perfect breakfast tea. But sophisti cated and delicious any time of day as well. A rich blend of full-bodied Indian Assam teas paired with succulent Ceylon Dimbula, intense and floral

No.

BUNGALOW

Black Tea – Blend

Grown in the foothills of the Himalayas, this blend of first and second flush organic Darjeeling teas produces a light, yet complex tea with the aroma and flavor of fruits, nuts and flowers complemented by rich, toasty, buttery notes.

SMITH NUMEROLOGY

No. 47: Steve’s age when he married Kim on the Makaibari Tea Estate.

SMITH NUMEROLOGY

Steve Smith’s birth year and number of times he spent per day looking for his glasses.

SMITH

This

No. 64

CEYLON DIMBULA

Black Tea – Variety

Ceylon Dimbula has a reddish amber color in the cup, with a medium to full body, slightly fruity flavor with minera notes. Often used in Earl Grey and other blends, the best pure Dimbulas like this one are magnificent on their own.

CEYLON UVA

Black Tea – Variety

Grown at 3500 feet above sea level on the eastern slope of Sri Lanka’s central mountains, this tea is intensely floral and slightly sharp, with a golden cup color.

In the Ceylonese grading system, means a well twisted, large leaf.

DARJEELING FIRST FLUSH

Black Tea – Variety

In Northern India, near the border of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan is the tea growing region known as Darjeeling.

During the first flush which lasts about 45 days beginning in mid-March, each bush is plucked of its new growth every seven days. Teas produced during this period are light in body, have nuances of pistachios, nectarines and freshly cut flowers.

No. 17

DARJEELING SECOND

FLUSH Black Tea – Variety

The second flush of Darjeeling tea begins high in the Himalayan foothills in late May and lasts about 45 days. Around this time, tea gardens produce teas of wonderfully complex flavors of butter, nuts, flowers and fruits with balanced astringency and a sweet toasty finish.

Teas produced during this period have a fuller flavor than teas from first flush.

No. 23

KANDY

Black Tea – Blend

Named after one of the most beautiful cities in Sri Lanka, Kandy brings together full and flavory Dimbula with highly aromatic and intense Uva and lightly scented high-grown Nuwara Eliya. A tea made for sipping with

KEEMUN HAO YA

Black Tea – Variety

Hao Ya is one of the finest grades of Keemun tea from the mountainous Anhui Province in China. It has a thin, wiry, tightly twisted leaf with a slightly smoky flavor and aroma. Excellent straight or with milk and sugar.

No. 55

LORD BERGAMOT

Black Tea – Blend

A flavor somewhat superior to traditional Earl Grey. Fragrant Ceylon Dimbula and Uva are artfully combined with select teas from India’s Assam valley, then scented with the flavor of bergamot from the realm of

MASALA CHAI

Spiced Black Tea – Blend

To Indians, chai means sweetly spiced tea served with foamed milk. Ours combines second flush Assam teas with pungent ginger root, cassia, black pepper, cloves and cardamom to create a rich and spicy brew.

PORTLAND BREAKFAST

Black Tea – Blend

Big, strong and assertive, with notes of malt, leather, spice, and a touch of peat. Not quite as astringent as other breakfast teas. Just rich, dark and perfect for a rainy Portland morning.

No. 9

YUNNAN

Black Tea – Variety

The best teas from Yunnan (known as the birthplace of tea) are wiry and tightly twisted with distinct golden tips. This exquisite variety brews up rich amber-red in color, has a lightly sweet, floral flavor and aroma, and brings welcome notes of smoke, spice and leather.

No. 92

ZHENG SHAN

Black Tea – Variety

The grandfather of Lapsang Souchong - this style of tea is the most sought after smoked tea in all of China. Delicate and wiry black tea leaves are smoked with horsetail pine

Herbal

No.

ABOUT OUR HERBAL INFUSION OFFERINGS

At least fifty-two different herbs and botanicals are currently on hand in our tea lab pantry for handcrafting herbal infusions. All are deeply flavorful, naturally caffeine free, and sourced in their prime from friends. It takes an uncommonly high number of ingredients to concoct our blends because we use certain things like osmanthus flower petals, not only for floral aroma, but the depth they add to the tea.

This tasting spoon designates a Smith signature tea

No. 24

BIG HIBISCUS

Herbal Infusion – Blend

The cabernet of hibiscus teas. We join luscious red hibiscus with Indian sarsaparilla, ginger, pink rose petals, and elderflowers from Europe. Deep red, complex, nuanced and caffeine free, this tea almost needs a corkscrew.

ADRIATIC

No. 97

CHAMOMILE FLOWERS

Herbal Infusion – Variety

Soothing and caffeine free, with a subtle taste and aroma that is applelike and toasty, Egyptian chamomile is an eternally pleasant infusion. These golden buds are harvested just for you

ADRIATIC

No. 19

HIBISCUS FLOWERS

Herbal Infusion – Variety

Hibiscus flower, or jamaica, as it is known in Central America, is cultivated as an herb for tea in China, Thailand and the Sudan. Our variety is exceptionally bright, fruity, tasty and high in vitamin C.

It is also beautifully caffeine free.

No. 16

HONEYBUSH

Herbal Infusion – Variety

Honeybush grows in the western Cape of South Africa and has a distinctly honey-like aroma. Hand harvested in September and October, it is naturally caffeine free with a sweet, peachy flavor and a pinkish golden hue in the cup.

botswana namibia

AFRICA

Western

No. MEADOW

Herbal Infusion – Blend

lesotho

A caffeine free blend of golden Egyptian chamomile flowers and mildly stimulating fragrant hyssop, joined with smooth Cape rooibos,

ADRIATIC

PEPPERMINT LEAVES

Herbal Infusion – Variety

It’s no secret that the world’s best peppermint comes from the Pacific Northwest. Gently hand-screened for perfect leaf size, it infuses a full, creamy flavor with distinct chocolate notes and an intense finish. A great after dinner treat or midday breath freshener.

Caffeine free.

No. 13

RED NECTAR

Herbal Infusion – Blend

A delicious, caffeine free infusion of rooibos, also known as red bush, from Clanwilliam in South Africa, paired with succulent honeybush and a bit of natural orchard fruit flavor. Lightly sweet, medium-bodied and highly quaffable, hot or chilled.

Holds up well to milk or cream.

No. 44

ROOIBOS

Herbal Infusion – Variety

Caffeine free rooibos, aka red bush, grows near the South African town of Clanwilliam. In mid-January to April, the tender, topmost leaves are carefully hand picked and processed for a sweet, creamy, tea-like flavor.

botswana

namibia lesotho

SOUTH AFRICA clanwilliam

Western Cape

INDIAN OCEAN

No. SPEARMINT LEAVES

Herbal Infusion – Variety

Highly aromatic, spearmint leaves taste lighter and more piercing than peppermint, and have a sweet minty character. Naturally, ours come from the Pacific Northwest, home of the best mint leaves on earth.

washington Oregon

PACIFIC OCEAN california

Iced Tea

No.

ABOUT OUR ICED TEA OFFERINGS

Every time Steve Smith opened a refrigerator, a light bulb went on over his head. That’s why all Smith Iced Teas are concocted for maximum chilled refreshment using the same premium leaves you find in our hot teas.

Our cartons contain ten full leaf sachets apiece, each making one quart of iced tea. Also available in three-gallon packets for restaurants, cafes, and the world’s coolest iced tea stands.

spoon

No. 24

BIG HIBISCUS ICED TEA

Herbal Infusion – Blend

The cabernet of hibiscus teas. We join luscious red hibiscus with Indian sarsaparilla, ginger, pink rose petals, and elderflowers from Europe. Deep red, complex, nuanced and caffeine free, this tea almost needs a corkscrew.

No. 46

EXCEPTIONAL ICED TEA

Black Tea – Blend

A highly invigorating blend of full leaf Assam and Ceylon black teas chosen for their ability to create a more elevated iced tea experience. Tastes especially cool in dark glasses.

No. 39

FEZ ICED TEA

Green Tea – Blend

Rare Mao Feng green teas from China are combined with aromatic spearmint grown in the Pacific Northwest and a hint of lemon myrtle from Australia. Fez artfully evokes old Morocco, and tastes best when shared with friends

can

red

cup of Big Hibiscus.

OnTap

notes

beverage making the

STRAWBERRY HONEYBUSH

Herbal Infusion – Blend

A light and refreshing blend of rooibos and honeybush, from South Africa, steeped in water that has been infused with whole fresh strawberries and Madagascar vanilla bean a process we call “fruitsmithing.”

Lightly sweet and caffeine free.

ABOUT OUR LIMITED-EDITION TEA OFFERINGS

We never let a good tea time get away. In addition to the perennial Smith favorites shown here, you can count on being pleasantly surprised all year long by our special Reserve Series releases and Maker’s Series collaborations — as well as impromptu inspirations that pop up on the spur of the tea moment.

Bouquet

Limited

No. 2/14

LOVER’S LEAP

Black Tea – Blend

A delicate, fragrant marriage of high grown Ceylon tea from Lover’s Leap Tea Estate, coupled with pink rose petals, hand-sorted chamomile petals and subtle citrus flavors. Complicated

BOUQUET

Herbal Infusion – Blend

A caffeine free gathering of fragrant hyssop, linden flowers, lemon myrtle, and chamomile petals. Fresh, light,

No. 95

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT PU-ERH

Fermented Tea – Blend

A decadent and complex offering blending Pacific Northwest peppermint leaves with rich cocoa nibs, aged pu-erh and orange peel. A perfect finale

No. 25

MORNING LIGHT

Black Tea – Blend

Awake to a festive gathering of delicious and highly sought-after teas, combining flavorful Ceylons, rich and caramelized North Indian Assams and high-grown Darjeeling teas with rosemary, black

this

SILENT NIGHT

Herbal Infusion – Blend

A caffeine free candy cane in a cup. Northwest-grown peppermint leaves waltzing in a winter wonderland of cinnamon, ginger, and sweet licorice. Tastes especially delightful when the weather outside is frightful.

No. HO-HO-HOJI-CHAI

Roasted Green Tea – Blend

For a moment of true delight, we bring you this toasty blend of hojicha and traditional chai spices with a happy hint of chocolate. Very lightly caffeinated, it’s brimming with good cheer.

SMITH NUMEROLOGY

opened his

Place.