Grower: Bob Jacobson (Hawaii Rainforest Tea)

Tea Maker: Bob Jacobson

Location: Kurtistown, The Big Island - Hawaii, United States

Elevation: 50m (160ft)

Cultivation: USDA Certified Organic

Signature Teas: Hawaii Spring White

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Hawaii Rainforest Tea is located on the Big Island, the agricultural heart of the Hawaiian Islands. Bob Jacobson is a one-man company, and his tiny garden is just 1/4th of an acre, and it is dispersed among the native forest in his backyard. The ohia and kopiko trees provide ample shade for the tea plants, and orchids and ferns grow throughout the fields. He has removed any invasive plant species from hand, so that the garden is more reflective of the true Hawaiian terroir.

The tea plants grow on a layer of organic mulch, under which is the volcanic soil of the island. The rain is abundant, and the air is very moist, though invigorated by the distant ocean breezes. Bob allows all native plant material and insect life to flourish alongside his plants, allowing for a biodiverse and microbe-rich environment. He grows four different cultivars of Camellia sinensis sinensis and Camellia sinensis assamica in the garden: Assam bohea, and Japanese benikaori, yutakamidori, and yabukita. All the growing harvesting, processing, and packaging of the teas is done right at his home farm.

Because of the tiny size of the garden, Bob is able to painstakingly maintain his farm by hand, pruning the plants only through careful plucking, and ensuring that each plant is well-cared for despite their semi-wild nature. His harvests are incredibly small, no more than a few kilos per year, but as a result his handcrafted white teas are pristine.