This Onomea Black Tea from the Big Island of Hawaii is a rewarding tea experience from first aroma all the way through the 4th and 5th steeping. The moment you open the pouch of this tea your senses are greeted with an enticing aroma of the sweet roasting of caramel and an array of exotic fruits. How appropriate for a tea organically grown and processed in Hawaii. It mirrors the experience one has when embarking from your flight to Hawaii and being engulfed with lush tropic aromas.

The experience continues as you examine the dry leaf which clearly reflects a hand-crafted artisan tea. The dry leaf reminds me of the hand-crafted black teas that come from the high mountain tea regions of Taiwan. The dry tea leaves are beautifully twisted with the plenty of young buds. Examining the leaves one can see the time, care and craftsmanship that went into the plucking, withering and production of this exceptional black tea.

This tea brought me back to a Sichuan black tea I experienced in my early tea drinking days. I have tried to find a similar black tea ever since and this Onomea Black Tea is the closest I’ve found to that Sichuan black tea experience.

The wonderful dried fruit, warm caramel and vanilla aroma is accompanied by a smooth full rich mouth through 3 steeps before it tapers off quickly in steeps 4 and 5. The color in the cup is a clear medium caramel tone with orange highlight and I see the color speaking directly to the care that has gone into the processing of this tea. The clarity and cleanness of the color and mouth says “organic.” I know often in the Specialty Tea industry the discussion over whether “organic” impacts the final flavor in the cup is debated, in this case this tea is so very clean and bright in its aroma, color in the cup and mouth experience that one would have to agree this “organic” black tea delivers.

I think in time as the tea bush begins to gather experience in the ground, the plant becomes older this tea will develop into quite a treasure. The artisan care, wonderful terroir and the control of tannins makes this a black tea that is not to be missed.

This is a must not miss experience! You don't need to be an expert, you only need to like tea to make the most of this incredible opportunity to learn about and enjoy tea in the most beautiful and tranquil setting imaginable. Rob and Mike are very welcoming and knowledgeable and made this the highlight of our trip. We really appreciate all of their hard work so that we could enjoy a few hours of complete serenity.

We live in in Pepeekeo and have always thought about visiting this tea farm since we've heard good reviews and live closely but never had the time until recently, when we had visitors and decided it's about time. It's an understatement to say it's great....in fact, it was such an awesome experience, from start to end! We didn't want to leave! It's clear that the owners, Mike and Rob, has put in a lot of time and energy in their tea farm business, and their efforts have generated a lot of pride and love in what they do. We learned a lot about tea farming, the different types of tea and what it takes to make them. The best part of the tour is that we were treated to the marvelous views of the ocean, surroundings of the farm and enjoyed tasting the various tea and delicious treats! What a piece of heaven on earth! So proud to have such wonderful people doing well on this island! It's truly a worthy experience and a must for all to see!

My husband and I really enjoyed our tour of the Onomea tea plantation. Beautiful location! Rob was a gracious host. Tea ceremony was nice, relaxing and very informative. Onomea' s teas have a lovely aroma and great tast. Would definitely recommend this to anyone visiting the beautiful island of Hawaii. Thank you Rob for sharing your love of tea with us.

I have not been a tea drinker. Usually what I am given is bitter and harsh. I'd rather have water. However, after touring the grounds with Robert, learning about how the tea us cultivated, grown and processed, I changed my mind. First, I have been coming to Hawaii for over 50 years (since a kid) and have a home on Kona side. The house and the grounds here are magnificent. Robert's tour was informative and it is clear that he has a passion for tea, these grounds and teaching others about. it. After the tour, we were treated to a tea tasting of all the teas they make. What i learned was that the reason I disliked tea was not because of the tea but, rather, the type of tea and how it was brewed. I was very happy to buy bags of the different tea for me and my family (all who do like tea). The presentation and entire tour was well worth the time. Robert was the perfect host and docent. You will not regret either the tour or buying their products!

I had an excellent time - both Rob and Mike are knowledgeable, kind, and genuine with their guests. Will now buy my green tea from them instead of a Boston company.

Intelligent and thorough presentation of growing and processing tea. Wonderful tea ceremony with more information about the differences in 1st, 2nd and third pours. Beautiful setting added to the enjoyment. Great hosts!!!

If you’re looking to spend a lovely afternoon near Hilo, don’t miss this experience. Rob was delightful to deal with while we arranged our tour. The farm is situated on one of the most beautiful plots of land in the island, overlooking Onomea Bay. The grounds are beautifully maintained and the entire prospect is just breathtaking. Rob gave us a very informative tour of the grounds, explaining the tea plants, and other flora. We learned details about the plants and how each style of tea is processed on site. Then Mike took over, and we had a leisurely Chinese style tasting of four teas. This was amazing, even for non-tea lovers in our group! The final presentation was delicious scones with Lilikoi curd, both made by Rob. The entire experience was just fabulous. Thanks to Mike and Rob for your hospitality!

Perched on a seaside cliff overlooking Onomea Bay and fanned by the gentle trade winds, the tea produced by plants grown by Onomea Tea Company embody the depth and complexity of the South Pacific region with notes of tropical fruits and the deep blue ocean. What a treat to discover this treasure along the Hamakua Coast!

My husband and I went to Hawaii in 2013 for our 30th anniversary. We were able to schedule a tour of Onomea Tea on our trip and it was a pure joy. When we returned home we found out that my mom had cancer and we have spent the last three years taking care of her. We have never forgotten the visit and how kind and wonderfully we were treated. This tour began our tea journey and we hope someday to return. Blessings to you as you continue your journey into the world of Onomea Tea.

Our visit to the Onomea Tea Company was rewarded with not only an informative and enjoyable tasting; we were treated to breathtaking views of the grounds and ocean view during our tour.

Rob shared the history of the property and provided a thorough overview — plus a botany lesson in answer to our many questions about what, besides tea, thrives on the well-kept property. He of course showed us how Camellia Sinensis (tea) is grown, how the leaves are harvested and dried, and what makes for green, black and white tea.

Whether or not you drink tea, you can’t help but appreciate touring this beautiful property and learning how the Onomea Tea Company came to be and has evolved. The tasting is a sweet (as in scones) bonus!

Wow, we got the tour, watched whales breeching, heard the whales.... Their slaps and splashes even. We viewed the various plantings of tea with in-depth explanations on growing methods and varieties. Then we visited the processing area with descriptions of the various proccesses for the different teas, white, green, black. The tour culminated with a tasting upstairs on the lanai with further whale watching. The tasting process was an extensive "class" comparing the various types of teas as well as the various "runs" on the same types. We might have been lucky because there just happened to be a fresh batch of homemade scones that came out of the oven... Plus some homemade lilikoi preserves and a special butter, both garnished with edible flowers. These gentlemen offer a unique educational experience that I would strongly reccomend to visitor and local resident!
Bill DeMent, hilo

For an exquisite experience on the big island of Hawaii near Hilo, visit the Onomea Tea Company’s jewel-like plantation overlooking the Pacific and Onomea Bay. Growers Rob Nunally and Mike Longo welcome small groups by appointment only for intimate tastings of limited-production teas that rank among the world’s finest.
The New York Review of Books

From green, to black, to oolong tea, the wonderful diversity of aromas and distinct flavors continue to amaze me. Truly a unique and special tea experience! I am really starting to wonder how much depth of complexity you can get into one cup. Thank you!