Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Harney & Sons
Tea Description:
Smooth and full-bodied. Fantastic teas from India and China are combined to create this Breakfast Blend. A wonderful tippy Assam gives it full body that is then smoothed by the rich distinctive flavor of Hao Ya ‘B’ Keemun.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a strong brew! It has a very pleasing, robust flavor with some serious gusto to it – the kind of tea that you want to drink in the morning, when you need a good wake up tea.
The Assam gives it an enjoyable, full-bodied flavor and a delicious malty tone. The cup also has some sweetness to it, although I wouldn’t describe it as an overly sweet tea, and I do think that this tea would be nice with the addition of honey or sugar to help soften the edges a little. Some milk would add a delicious creamy element.
There is also some bitterness to this cup. I don’t think I oversteep it (I steeped it for just 2 1/2 minutes in boiling water), but a jarring bitterness does hit the palate about mid-sip. I don’t find it off-putting, though, nor is it something that would render the cup undrinkable. Instead, I think it kind of helps the tea … it seems to give me an added “jolt” that is helping to invigorate me.
The Keemun in this blend adds a lovely smoky element to the cup. It isn’t a strong smoky flavor; it is a flavor that does develop on the palate though, becoming increasingly stronger with each sip, although it never really becomes what I’d call a really bold smoky note.
I love the way the flavors come together in this cup. Malty, sweet, bitter, smoky … they all seem to meld together in a pleasing sort of way that I find agreeable. This tea makes waking up in the morning a much more pleasurable experience!
