High Climate Tea Company

High Climate Tea Company - A High-End Shop and a Wealth of Expertise
Local Expert's Rating:
5.0 / 5
The Bottom Line:

High Climate Tea Company is a tea shop where you can learn all about the art of tea. From health benefits to flavor profiles, you can try a flight, stock up on wares, and get a crash-course on all things tea. It's an excellent place to discover your next favorite morning brew.

- The SmokyMountains.com Local Expert Team

High Climate Tea Company is a place to discover some of the best tea in the world. Stop by to sample one of their nearly 100 single-origin types of Chinese tea or buy a few of your favorite varietels. The shop offers tea flights, accessories, and loose tea to those who embrace and celebrate this beloved beverage. 

Started by a former English teacher, the inventory is sourced from Chinese and Taiwanese farmers who grow all-natural tea plants high in the mountains. Every year, the team visits China to meet with the farmers and learn more about the latest crops. Their dedication ensures that their customers receive only the purest teas in the world, grown without the help of pesticides or chemicals.

Walking into a shop with dozens of tea choices can be intimidating, especially if you’re used to drinking a single type. That’s why we recommend starting with a flight. These sessions are 30 minute guided tastings, hosted at the open and inviting tea bar. A tea flight can give you plenty of empirical evidence to help you decide your favorite flavors without being overwhelmed at the sheer range of choices. You can also talk to the shopkeepers, ask questions about where the tea comes from and what makes it different from the other options on the shelf.

The art of tea is more than boiling water and dunking a bag into it for a few minutes. Tea is one of the oldest beverages in the world and, as such, there’s been a lot of experimentation about how to brew the perfect cup. At High Climate Tea Company, you’ll find plenty of accessories to make a high-end cup without having to leave your house. With both imported and domestic tools, you can stock up on everything you need.

The mission at High Climate is to sell fresh, traditional tea and to educate people about both how tea is grown and what types of health benefits it offers to its many drinkers all over the world. Having studied at one of the most famous tea shops in the country, Vital Tea Leaf in San Francisco, the owner wants to help people balance their health with the help of tea. By forging relationships with the farmers and regularly traveling to see them, High Climate Tea Company sources and sells some of the freshest and most flavorful leaves from every harvest.

High Climate Tea Company offers the following types of teas: 

White
White tea is made from the bud and the top two leaves of the tea plant. It’s chocked full of antioxidants and alkaline but light on the caffeine. They’re good for relaxation and a quick immune system boost. 

Green
Made from mature leaves, green tea is excellent for helping you regulate your blood sugar and generally detoxing the body. 

Oolong
Grown high in rocky terrain, oolongs are semi-roasted and semi-oxidized. With a rich and complex flavor, they’re often used to help improve concentration. 

Black
Fully oxidized and fully roasted, black teas are malty concoctions that can help your digestion. Try them with heavily sugared or salted foods for a quick palate cleanse! 

Puerh
Puerh tea comes from Southwest China. The aging and fermentation process makes it especially good for digestion. 

Tisanes
Tisanes are herbal teas that don’t belong to the standard tea family. Each type comes with its own benefits and, for the most part, they do not contain any caffeine. 

There’s a lot to be said for people who take their craft seriously. Whether you drink tea every morning or you’re a devoted coffee-lover, you might find something you love here at High Climate Tea Company.

Insider Tips:
-Even if the shop is busy, we recommend sticking around for a flight and chatting up the store’s owners.
-Highly recommended for both tea aficionados and beginners alike.