Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Shanti Tea
Product Description:
Indian black base with natural orange flavor and orange peel.
Our naturally flavored Orange Black tea is made with a base of Indian Black Tea and infused with natural orange flavor and orange peel. The taste is sweet and fruity with the underlying support of a robust black tea. Can be served iced or hot.
Tasters Review:
I’m not really a fan of store-bought orange juice. Call me spoiled…I only really like, want, and crave freshly squeezed O.J. Since I don’t live in an area with wonderfully plump and juicy oranges year-round I like to tinker with Orange flavored teas instead! When I tried this one for the first time I was VERY pleased with my attempt!
Dry I can smell the juicy orange. Once infused much of the aroma goes away but this brews dark and the black tea taste is yummy. The orange flavors are at about medium strength and are nicely done. Not over the top or distracting yet natural and true!
This is a very nicely orange flavored black! I highly suggest it!
Scottish Breakfast from Culinary Teas
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
Country of Origin: India, Kenya, China
Region: Assam, Nilgiri, Fujian/Chingwo, Anhui/Qimen
Shipping Port: Cochin, Fuzhou, Mombasa
Grade: FBOP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe)
Altitude: 1500’ft, 6400’ft, 5000’ft above sea level
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: Malty full-bodied character with bright flavoury notes and hints of cask oakiness. A bracing Highlander’s cup of tea!
Infusion: Bright coppery colour
Ingredients: Luxury black tea.Information:
The primary sociological structure in old Scotland was the ‘clan’. The roots of the system are very ancient, stretching back into Scotland’s Celtic past. The country had been occupied by many different peoples – Britons, Romans, Angles and Vikings – but two races came to dominate: the Picts in the north and east who divided their territory into 7 petty kingdoms and in the west it was the Scots. Originating as an Irish tribe, the Scots migrated from Ulster in the 6th century. The kingdoms of the Scots and the Picts were eventually united by Kenneth MacAlpin in the mid 800’s.
These people were organized along tribal lines, which eventually became known as clans. One of the downfalls of the clans was the propensity to feud. Some disputes simmered for centuries such as the feud between the MacDonalds and Stewarts, which began at Culloden in 1314, finally being settled in the 1600’s. Highlanders guarded their traditions fiercely and were well known for their loyally robust character.
This tea is like a proper Highlander – robust, malty (not unlike a good Scotch) and full of life and vigor. Highlanders liked their tea very strong and insisted on hints of cask oak to remind them of their clan’s own special elixir – single malt Scotch. This blend consists of 2nd Flush Assam tea (thick, robust with delicious hints of malt); January production South Indian tea (high mountain grown that has wonderful flavour notes which accentuate the robust Assam); Keemun Panda #1 which has a delicious winy character further enhancing the stout malty character of the blend and finally a Chingwo County Orange Pekoe which gives the distinct oaky character. This tea is especially delicious with milk, which further lends a malty character to the tea and highlights the brightness of the premium tea, which has hints of a red color.
[A tea tasters secret recipe for a pick-me-up on a typical Highlanders day (cold and bracing) – make this tea hot, pour into a large mug and add 4-5 slices of lemon and 2 heaping teaspoons of sugar – sit back and enjoy a tasty energy boost. To make a special iced tea – after you have added the lemon and sugar, pour this over ice in a tall glass – terrific!]
Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). Add milk and sugar to taste.
Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or ‘milky’ when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!
Tasters Review:
Scottish Breakfast from Culinary Teas is a nice standard or go-to black tea. It’s a No-Nonsense type tea, too! Very decent, indeed! It’s a beautiful deep reddish brown for the post-infusion color. It’s not much for scent. But it does have a nice medium, even taste with slightly smoky undertones at the end of the sip.
Ebony Wine Tea from White August Tea Company
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: White August Tea Company
Product Description:
Assam black tea garnished with black currant leaves and sweet berries. We recommend enhancing this tea with a lemon zest or cream for an outstanding smooth and lightly fruity morning beverage.
Tasters Review:
Ebony Wine Tea is another outstanding offering from White August Tea Company!
The aroma reminds me of a cross between ice(d) wine and Cabernet! It’s a nicely flavored black tea. The currant leaves and berries are perfectly in tune with my palate! This is juicy and has a nice evenness to the sweet-berry verses the sour-berry. I think it’s just lovely!
I have looking into more iced wine teas lately. I must say my personal tea stash is a little low on iced wine teas at the moment so this was a perfect ‘stand-in” for it.
Yunnan Black Gold Tea from TeaVert
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
Yunnan has a history of 2,100 years since it was domesticated from the aboriginal tea known as the ‘wild tea.’ Yunnan, a black tea, is also known as Tian Hong, which means “red tea from heaven” in Chinese.
Yunnan began producing black tea in 1940s. Yunnan Gold was originally grown specifically for export to Great Britain through Hong Kong, rather than for the Chinese domestic market. Despite this, its popularity was such that it soon began to spread throughout mainland China. Yunnan tea processing was considered a protected State secret until the 20th century.
Yunnan was a favorite of the young Queen Elizabeth, who was said to proudly display it in a glass cabinet. When it was first introduced, the rare tea could fetch nearly £900 per 500g.
All the tea-producing areas of the province are located at altitude of 6,560 feet and the region offers ideal condition for growing tea. Yunnan’s tea species are known as the “Yunnan large-leaf tea or Da Ye, and they belong to the superb tea species of the world.
This means that the tea harvest can begin in spring and continue right until the end of autumn.
DescriptionTea from the spring harvest in April is considered to be the best because the leaves are the tenderest. When oxidized, the beautiful buds of the tea turn gold rather than black, resulting in a rich, smooth flavor. This tea is deliciously rich and malty, with lingering notes of chocolate and honey. The flavor builds through several infusions.
PreparationHeat Water to 212 F, steep 5 minutes
Tasters Review:
I’ve always liked a nice strong Yunnan Black Tea but there are times when I go thru cravings or phases. It seems I am in one of those zone lately! But, I suppose, it’s a nice zone to be in, eh?
Yunnan Black Gold Tea from TeaVert is semi-smokey yet fairly rich and malty. It smells more like honey than other Yunnan’s I have tried thus far. It’s a pretty strong one, too! The smokey and peppery notes are wonderful. As it cools I can pick up on a a chewier and sweeter taste than before while drinking the hotter version.
This is a goodie!