TWG Tea Company is based in  Singapore and recently opened their ION Orchard Tea Shop where you can sample up to 400 teams from amongst their more than 800 teas.   (Rest assured they offer accessories and petit fors as well to the discerning palate).

The pinnacle of the tea collection is undoubtedly the Yellow Gold Tea a.k.a. T601 which is the world’s most expensive tea.   It achieves this status because not only is it incredibly challengeing to acquire, it’s also painted with actual gold.

However, the journey of this particular blend is only harvest on one mountain in the world and on one particular day of the year and only with golden scissors that prune from the top of the tree which is where the tea bud is located.

These illustrious buds are then sun dried and placed within sealed containers to slightly heat the tea leaves which allows them to release the plyphenols which is what gives the team it’s yellowish hue and provides a soft taste.

The tea is then painted with 24-carat gold flakes which is considered very good for you in both luck and health (what with gold being a mineral after all) and provides the tea with a beautiful shimmer.

This particular blend of tea sells for $150 Singapore for 50 grams (US$106).  That amount will brew you approximately 25 cups of tea.