O5 Tea

20% off this week.

To our team at O5, smoked tea is not simply a flavour—it is a transformation of time, fire, and leaf. Across the world, smoke has long been used to preserve and perfume tea, yet in Japan this practice remains rare, almost quiet. It emerges not from tradition alone, but from curiosity—an artisan’s instinct to bend convention without breaking it. In Saitama, where Sayama tea is shaped by colder climates and slower growth, the leaves themselves hold density, storing umami and structure. This depth becomes the perfect canvas for smoke: not to dominate, but to reveal.  Yes… even in ‘Smokumidori’ (more on that below) once go go past the first couple of steeps.
Sayama tea, often described as “rich in taste” (味の狭山茶), owes its character to thick, nutrient-dense leaves cultivated in one of Japan’s northernmost tea regions. The harsher winters slow growth, concentrating amino acids and creating a tea of weight and persistence. This inherent structure allows Sayama tea to withstand—and even welcome—processes that would overwhelm more delicate origins. In recent years, small producers in Iruma and Tokorozawa have begun experimenting with smoked expressions, gently infusing finished teas with aromatic woods, sometimes even using whisky barrel chips to introduce layered, rounded smoke. The result is striking: a tea that carries both the clarity of Japanese green tea and the evocative warmth of fire, where sweetness and smoke move in parallel rather than conflict.
Here go two examples that we love.  Try whisky bombon for an elegant, well balanced integration of wakoucha and whisky barrel smoke.  Try Smoke-Umidori for bolder, Islay-whisky like experience; for this tea, consider very short steeps in the beginning, and longer ones as soon as the tea reveals more caramel notes.
Since we are here, please also consider another similar creation from Malawi!  If the Japanese versions are reminiscent of whisky, this one reminds us of Irish whiskey cream.

𝗥𝗮𝘄 𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗶𝗽𝗲 — 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴?

Pu er belongs to China’s dark tea category —
but these two styles are surprisingly different.

🍃Sheng (Raw)
Naturally aged, bright, and evolving over time.

🍂Shou (Ripe)
Fermented, smooth, and ready to enjoy.

Different in color, aroma, and taste —
they offer two completely different experiences.

Think of it this way:
Sheng is bright and evolving,
Shou is smooth and grounding.

Come try both at O5 🍵
and see which one you’ll fall for.

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𝗢𝟱 𝗥𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗕𝗮𝗿
📍2208 West 4th Avenue, Vancouver, BC
604-558-0500
Mon–Thu: 12:00–18:00
Fri–Sat: 12:00–20:00
Sun: 12:00–19:00

New Arrivals 🍃
Kombucha Growlers by

Our 64oz growlers are now available in-store —
perfect for sharing, or not sharing at all.

Current flavors:

🟢 Dragon Claw – Vietnamese White Tea
Fresh, light, and quietly floral.
New to the lineup.

🟣 Dream – A vivid blue tisane
Bright in color, gentle in flavor.
Unexpected and refreshing.

🟠 Hojicha – Japanese roasted green tea
Toasty, smooth, low bitterness.
Comforting and easy to sip.

🔵 Tie Guan Yin (鐵觀音) – Oolong tea
Floral depth with a rounded finish.
Balanced and layered.

Available now at O5.
Stop by and take one home.