Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Product Description:
Kenya, a country in East Africa, is known worldwide for its wildlife reserves, its lofty mountain peaks, and the high quality offerings from the country’s tea gardens and coffee plantations. Kenya tea is a main staple in Irish and English tea blends, and for years it was mostly produced for the tea bag trade. For the past 10 years or so, the Kenya tea producers have been focusing on more orthodox producing to create high quality large leaf style teas.
Read more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Kenyan black is delightful.
It is bold, rich and malty – reminiscent of a high quality Assam – but it lacks the bitterness and is less astringent than a typical Assam. Instead, this cup is incredibly smooth with a very pleasant mouthfeel.
The sweetness here is honey and caramel. The malty tones enhance not only the sweet notes of this tea but also accentuate a biscuit-y sort of flavor – very rich and bread-y. I also taste a hint of citrus here – a flavor that can be enhanced with a thin slice of lemon.
This is a tea that would not only make an outstanding breakfast tea but also a very enjoyable pick-me-up for those afternoons when you’re dragging and need something to get you back in the swing of things. It takes to the addition of milk and honey well, but I personally prefer this one served neat and clean.
I prefer this tea hot, but, not piping hot. By allowing it to cool to a drinkable temperature, I find that the richness of this tea develops into a full-bodied, satisfying cup of tea!
