Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Black Tea Leaves
Flavors
Autumn Leaf Pile, Fireplace, Smoke, Smooth, Tannic, Fruity, Malt
Sold in
Loose Leaf
Caffeine
High
Certification
Not available
Edit tea info Last updated by Chi-Town Anglophile
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 15 sec 18 oz / 532 ml

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5 Tasting Notes View all

  • “This was super smooth without any bitterness. I’m actually not exactly sure how to describe it since it’s different from the teas I usually drink. There is a bit of an emptiness that I start to...” Read full tasting note
    77
  • “I bought this tea on the basis of it coming from the only American tea plantation: Oliver Pluff & Company, in Charleston, South Carolina. I was intrigued by their slogan “A leaf from...” Read full tasting note
    64
  • “My favorite “treat” tea is Upton Tea Import’s Lapsan Souchong Black Dragon. But I always felt like it wasn’t a “daily tea.” This much more mellow yet still smoky tea is perfect for me: it has the...” Read full tasting note
    95
  • “I have made this three times now and can’t believe I don’t like it. My very first tea swap was with TeaEqualsBliss and she included a Bohea. Back in the day, I found it to be a strong tea, but my...” Read full tasting note

From Oliver Pluff & Company

Description: An historic black tea blend of pekoe, orange pekoe, and souchong (lightly smoked) tea leaves. Bohea (pronounced “Boo-Hee”) was the most popular tea among the colonial Americans, and for a time, the word bohea was even substituted as the word for tea in general. In colonial times, this tea was typically a blend of cheaper grade teas, although it was considered a high quality tea.
Notes: Smoky, winey, warm. Lighter smoky flavor than Lapsang Souchong.
History: In the Boston Tea Party, 1586 chests of Bohea were destroyed.
Size/Type: Loose Tea

About Oliver Pluff & Company View company

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5 Tasting Notes

77
2284 tasting notes

This was super smooth without any bitterness. I’m actually not exactly sure how to describe it since it’s different from the teas I usually drink. There is a bit of an emptiness that I start to notice after a while. On my second and third cups of this, I enjoyed it more. It became desserty and almost biscuity.

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64
74 tasting notes

I bought this tea on the basis of it coming from the only American tea plantation: Oliver Pluff & Company, in Charleston, South Carolina. I was intrigued by their slogan “A leaf from America’s tea heritage”. I would like to know how they determined this to be like the tea drunk in Colonial America. Whence came the recipe(s) for curing the tea to produce this flavor? I don’t know, but here are my impressions, from my first two cups, today:

It seems a bit weak. I used three teaspoons, had the water to the suggested 195 degrees, and steeped it 4-1/2 minutes. I’m glad it’s not too strong, as it’s not bitter. There’s a subtle smokiness, much lighter than the Lapsang Souchongs I’ve experienced. It’s an all right cup of tea, but not as distinctive as I would have liked, considering its presumed heritage of “America’s” tea. Perhaps it’s simply that American soil is not the right place to grow tea. I shall try to use a bit more the next time I try it.

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Fireplace, Smoke, Smooth, Tannic

Preparation
195 °F / 90 °C 4 min, 30 sec 3 tsp 30 OZ / 887 ML

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95
371 tasting notes

My favorite “treat” tea is Upton Tea Import’s Lapsan Souchong Black Dragon. But I always felt like it wasn’t a “daily tea.” This much more mellow yet still smoky tea is perfect for me: it has the smoke to begin with, it remains flavorful throughout my entire day, and ends on a gently sweet note.

Two things to note: I fill my filter almost 2/3 full to make it through the day. I noticed that when I added more leafs, I gained more end sweetness. It could just be my crazy taste buds. ALSO this may be the absolute perfect daily tea because it handles oversteeping like a pro. I tend to forget my tea’s steeping at work. Leaving it steeping for up to a half hour is more common than not. It still tastes awesome and not bitter. Yay!

Preparation
5 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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3225 tasting notes

I have made this three times now and can’t believe I don’t like it. My very first tea swap was with TeaEqualsBliss and she included a Bohea. Back in the day, I found it to be a strong tea, but my tea palate has grown up a lot and now I like smoke. I also want the smoke to have a nice base.

This tastes like thin, watered down tea with a tiny bit of smoke. I tried adding a hint of maple syrup for flavor at breakfast even though I never add sweetener to my teas, but that made little difference. I just saw a review, however, that says two tsps. per cup is the sweet spot, so I will try that before chucking this tea out or sending it to a home where it will be loved.

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95
10 tasting notes

So, finally! After trying a sad attempt at a true Colonial Bohea (The Spice & Tea Exchange), I have a feeling this is the tea that may have started a Revolution.

It took me two brews to find the sweet spot. Wow! Aromatic, rich, malty, fruity, and slightly smoky.

Flavors: Fruity, Malt, Smoke

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML
ashmanra

Helpful. I will double the leaf and see if I can make myself like this tea! I was about to dump the bag.

Mark

The more I drink the more I like it! I’ve found 2 tsp and about a 5 minute steep just 30 sec off the boil make a very satisfying cup.

ashmanra

Excellent! I will try that today. I may even have a slightly different blend than yours. Mine says it was blended especially for Colonial Williamsburg. Funny thing, the packet also says it is an Indian tea, but Bohea is supposed to be Chinese! The word is a corruption of how they were trying to pronounce Wuyi as the Chinese said it.

Mark

I ordered min directly from Oliver Pluff & Company’s website. I’m very impressed with Oliver Pluff & Company so far.

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