Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
This offering of Organic black tea is from the country of Sri Lanka.
Previously known as “Ceylon” until 1972 when the country’s name was changed officially to Sri Lanka. So in the tea industry most tea from this island country is warmly regarded as a “Ceylon” tea.This excellent organic broken leaf black tea is of the grade FBOP.
The definition of this particular grade (FBOP) stands for “Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe” In the tea industry when this grade is placed on a tea it describes that the tea consists of large leaves, generally picked in the second or third flush, (flowery) and the leaves are courser and broken with some tips.The tea brews a light colored liquor. This is a delightful and refreshing organic black tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but when I am given a pure black Ceylon to sample and consider for a review, I’m not always as enthusiastic as I might be with other teas. I attribute this “automatic response” to the fact that I used to blend and flavor my own unique tea blends, and Ceylon was often the tea that I used to flavor tea because it has such an even tone and a mellow demeanor. It is a smooth, delicious tea, but, it’s so “predictable” … making it a good choice to use when flavoring tea because you can count on the results of your flavoring and/or blending efforts. However, this tends to give Ceylon teas a somewhat “boring” reputation.
But, I am not finding this Organic Ceylon FBOP Black Tea from Kally Tea to be boring at all! It has a rich and a surprisingly robust flavor, quite contrary to what I expected to taste when I poured this tea into my teacup. It has a brisk, uplifting flavor and a somewhat earthy aroma (not in an off-putting way, though, more like a warm, comforting fragrance.) It’s a medium-bodied tea that starts out sweet with a somewhat woody flavor, and it gradually transcends into other layers of flavor. I taste hints of flower and there is a citrus-y tone toward the finish. There is some astringency to this, but I wouldn’t say that it is overly so.
The dry leaf is a finer chop than I expected from an FBOP … so, you want to use a little less leaf when you measure it into your brewing device. Also, because of the finer leaf, you’ll want a smaller mesh for straining. But these small details are worth it, because you’ll be rewarded with a tasty cup of tea that tastes great with milk and honey, if you like them in your tea. It’s also good straight up.
