Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This estate produces some of the best whole-leaf teas in Sri Lanka. For the Ceylon enthusiast. Drink with or without milk. A choice lot with a bold-leaf style. Steep for five to six minutes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Having had several very finely chopped CTC teas from Upton Tea Imports lately, I was happy to see the long, wiry leaves of this Kenilworth Estate OP Black Ceylon Tea from Upton Tea Imports. The dry leaf fragrance isn’t particularly noteworthy, it smells like black tea. The brewed tea aroma is sweet with notes that evoked thoughts of molasses, with hints of warm earth … a very inviting scent!
This tea has a nice, smooth, well-rounded flavor. It has a bold flavor for a Ceylon, although it certainly isn’t as hefty as an Assam would be. It does have a nice, caramel-y undertone that keeps me sipping. It has a smooth delivery from start to finish, with a light astringency toward the tail that is slightly dry and tangy.
Notes of fruit are abundant in each sip, although I don’t know that the fruit flavors are necessarily distinguishable. That is to say, it tastes like “fruit” but, it’s hard to say which fruit I’m actually tasting. I do taste a certain “citrus-y” note that comes through toward the finish, and this melds with the astringency to create that sort of citrus “tang” that is almost characteristic of a Ceylon tea.
There are also notes of earth and flower throughout the sip. This is a very pleasant cup of black tea … I don’t think I’d call it exceptional or anything like that, but, it has a very enjoyable flavor that would work as either a hot tea or an iced tea … would take the additions of milk and honey well if served hot … and would be nice served iced with thin slices of lemon or other citrus fruit.
