North American Tea Championship Offers Best Teas for 2015

Fourteen high-quality teas took first-place awards in key categories during the North American Tea Championship’s (NATC) evaluation of spring-harvest 2015 hot teas. The competition, conducted July 30 and 31 in Las Vegas, was hosted by F+W, creator and organizer of the NATC, World Tea Expo and World Tea on the Road. 

Some of the winning companies will be featured at World Tea Expo June 15-17, 2016, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. 

The North American Championship is the only independent tea competition – evaluated by professional cuppers – to distinguish the highest-quality and best-tasting teas that are commercially available in the North American marketplace.

During the competition, NATC evaluators reviewed every submission via blind and organoleptic analysis, including dry leaf, brewed flavor, brewed color, brewed aroma, brewed mouth feel and brewed harmony. An overall numerical value on a 100-point scale was then calculated based on the ratings of each characteristic, and winning teas were determined by rank.NATC’s Spring Hot Tea Class evaluation first-place winners include the following: 

Aiya America, Matcha Infused Genmaicha – Blended Green 

Garden To Cup Organics, Madame Yen Yen – Blended White 

Garden To Cup Organics, Vithanakande Estate Private Reserve – Ceylon 

Florapharm Tea-USA L.P., Darjeeling Castleton DJ 145 FTGFOP1, Second Flush – Darjeeling 

Eastsign Inc., Eastsign Dragonwell – Dragonwell 

Garden To Cup Organics, Maui Layover – Flavored Fruit Blend 

Florapharm Tea-USA L.P., Eternal Life – Flavored Green 

Alcheme of Tea LLC, Orange Appeal – Flavored Herbal Blend 

Garden To Cup Organics, Ceremonial Matcha – Matcha 

Osulloc (Amorepacific), Sejac – Pan-Fired Green 

Eastsign Inc., Eastsign Pu’er Tea – Puer 

Aiya America, Premium Sencha – Sencha 

Aiya America, Premium Gyokuro – Steamed Green 

Glenburn Tea Direct, Glenburn Darjeeling Silver Needle – White 

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

There were two additional NATC spring hot tea categories where no first-place prizes were awarded – Flavored White and Unflavored Herbal. However, each of these categories had second- and third-place winners.

The next North American Tea Championship will be Nov. 12  and 13 for an evaluation of packaged single-service teas, including K-Cup entries.