Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Empire Tea Services
Tea Description:
Fancy extra large wiry leaf. Smooth taste. Exceptional.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The above description for this Vithanakanda Estate OP1 Black Tea from Empire Tea Services is short and simple … but it is also spot-on! This cup is indeed smooth tasting and truly exceptional! One of the best examples of high-quality Ceylon teas I’ve tasted.
From the very first sip, I’ve been WOWing on this tea! That is to say, from that very first sip, the first word I uttered is wow! It is smooth from start to finish … absolutely no bitterness. Just smooth, rich taste that starts off sweet with notes of honeyed caramel, and a few moments later, I notice a rich malty tone.
Moments later, a fruity note comes in to play with hints of flower in the distance. The finish is sweet with a citrus taste that is faintly tangy … and it is here that I notice a slight – ever so slight! – astringency. I find that the astringency becomes apparent only when I’m really focusing and trying to find it … so for those of you who tend to avoid teas with an astringent finish, I think this one will be to your liking.
Having recently reviewed another Ceylon from this estate, I have to say that the Vithanakanda estate is turning out to be one of my favorites for Ceylon tea. The teas produced on this estate are of the utmost quality: rich, smooth and delicious and beyond what I’ve come to expect from a typical Ceylon. This is the good stuff!
This tea is very pleasing. A medium to full tasting tea, not what I’d call particularly invigorating the way you’d expect an Assam to be, for example, but, it does have a strong, brisk taste that would make a good pick-me-up when you need something that will recharge you. Enough flavor to hold up well if you like to add milk and honey to your tea … but enjoyable enough to drink straight-up too!
Definitely on my list.
I have yet to try any teas from this estate, but I’ll keep my eyes open. I’m rarely WOWed like you describe by Ceylon teas, and I’m eager to have that experience, because there are a lot of Celyon teas that I solidly enjoy, and I have noticed a lot of diversity in Ceylons…
@Cazort: I typically enjoy a Ceylon … but, there are a select few that I’ve really been really impressed with. This one is really, really good. Another really good one is the Greenfield Estate Ceylon from Arbor Teas.
Oh, yes, I also loved Arbor Teas’ Greenfield Estate Ceylon…it’s one of those few Ceylon teas that I was wowed by. Incidentally, that tea is currently the #1 Ceylon Tea on RateTea, and ranked #2 among all black teas. I think it is my favorite Ceylon black tea.