17 Winners Named in NATC Hot Tea Evaluation

With categories including dragonwell, pan-fired green tea, matcha and flavored fruit blends, among others, the North American Tea Championship (NATC) named 17 first-place winners during its Hot Tea evaluation for spring 2013. 

The competition took place July 30 and 31 in Las Vegas at the headquarters of World Tea Media, organizer of the event. The championship is the only independent competition – evaluated by professional cuppers – to distinguish the highest-quality and best-tasting teas that are commercially available in the North American marketplace. 

Some of the winning companies will be featured at the upcoming World Tea East Oct. 20 to 22 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

NATC’s Spring Tea Class evaluation first-place winners, the product and the category are listed as follows:

• Black Tusk Trading, West Lake Dragonwell – Dragonwell
• Dethlefsen & Balk Inc., Reiki Herbs and Berries – Unflavored Herbal Blends
• Dethlefsen & Balk Inc., Golden Starfruit (Starfruit/Mango) – Flavored Green Tea
• Domatcha, Genmai Cha with Matcha Blend – Genmaicha
• Firsd Tea, Pu-erh – Puer Tea
• Glenburn Tea Direct, Glenburn Darjeeling Silver Needle – White Tea
• Haraki-Gordon Green Tea Inc., Okuhikari – Sencha
• ITO EN (North America), Matcha Love-Classic – Matcha
• ITO EN (North America), Hand Picked Yame Sencha-Competition Grade – Steamed Green Tea
• La Crème Coffee & Tea, White Peach Tea – Flavored White Tea
• OSULLOC, Sejak – Pan-Fired Green Tea
• QTrade Teas & Herbs, Green Fields – Blended Green Tea
• QTrade Teas & Herbs, Silver Spring – Blended White Tea
• QTrade Teas & Herbs, Pineapple Blues – Flavored Fruit Blends
• QTrade Teas & Herbs, Supreme Ceylon – Ceylon
• Tea & Beyond LLC dba TeaGschwendner, Bamboo Pomelo – Flavored Herbal Blends
• Tea & Beyond LLC dba TeaGschwendner, Darjeeling Soom First Flush SFTGFOP1 – Darjeeling

A complete list of first-, second- and third-place winners of the North American Tea Championship is available at www.teachampionship.com.

The next North American Tea Championship is scheduled for November 2013 for an evaluation of packaged single-service tea.