GOLDEN APPLE SPICE GREEN

Apples made of gold... who wouldn't want to get their hands on some of those? The answer, if you're talking about ancient mythology, is nobody. Why? Because of their ability to bestow eternal life. According to ancient tales from Greece, the 11^th labor of Hercules saw the mythic hero search out the golden apples of the Garden of the Hesperides. Unfortunately for Hercules, these particular golden apples were guarded by the Ladon, an incredibly fierce one hundred-headed dragon that never slept. Still, Hercules wouldn't be Hercules if he hadn't defeated the fearsome beast and made off with the apples, which he later presented to the god Zeus.

Another tale, this time from Norse mythology tells of the theft of golden apples owned by the gods Loki, Odin and Thor. In the story, the three gods go on a camping trip. During the trip, Loki is taken hostage by a giant eagle. The eagle demands that Loki hand over the goddess Idun, keeper of the apples. Like the Greeks, the Norse believed the apples bestowed eternal life and gave the gods their power. (Loki's companions were not too thrilled about the situation.) In any event, the gods got their apples back and all was well.

Yet another example comes from Irish mythology and the tale of the Wandering Aengus. In his famous poem, The Song of the Wandering Aengus, William Butler Yeats gives the magical fruit what is perhaps their most elegant description:

I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands;

And walk among the dapples grass, And pluck till time and times are done

The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.

We've attempted to weave a blend that we feel might well start a mythological tradition of its own. Try it and we think you'll agree. Golden Apple Spice Green offers notes of grass and apple peppered with hints of hot spice. Raise a cup to the gods!

A little about our base tea:

This tea is based on a Sencha style green tea from Hunan. Interestingly, both green and black teas can be produced from the same bushes. During manufacture, the freshly plucked leaves are immediately steamed and then bruised either by machine or hand. Next the leaf is pan-fired, a process that imparts a distinctive glossy look and feel, and dried. Unscented Senchas typically have dark green, needle shaped leaves and produce a pale green to yellow, very bright and smooth cup with a sweetish, honey like finish.