Green tea is a new tradition in Georgia; historically, the country only produced black tea. And while a brand-new production region for IPOT, it’s not new to tea: the Georgian tea industry took hold at the end of the 19th century, grew rapidly over the next century, but collapsed with the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Plantations were abandoned, and plants left to grow wild. In 2018, a group of new farmers uncovered three promising fields in the western part of the country, resurrecting the old, seed-grown tea plants and experimenting with various styles while learning from established processing methods in Taiwan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Today, the Renegade Tea Estate lies in one of the northernmost regions of traditional production. The cold winters slow growth and kill off pests, helping the organic farm highlight the leaves' flavor and curb insect damage naturally.

Paying tribute to the garden which housed the mythical golden fleece—guarded by a sleepless dragon—that Jason and Argonauts sought in Colchis, an ancient kingdom in this area of Georgia, this green tea is the first in the category that Renegade produced. It’s also the only one in its catalog that been made consistently since the farm’s founding. The long, wiry leaves open with a sweet and savory aroma, calling to mind honey, linzer cookies, and seaweed. Reminiscent of a Chinese green, but with more fruitiness, it finishes with a round, full texture.

Country: Georgia
Region: Imereti
Tasting Notes: honey, hazelnut, savory
Harvest Season: Summer 2023

2 oz

Click here to order a small sample size of this tea.

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  180º- 185° F

  3-4 grams, 3 minute steep

  ¼ full, 30 second-1 minute steep