Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
“One of our best Tippy Grade offerings,” Morawaka says of this Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings grade Low-Grown Ruhuna or Ceylon tea. This tea presents larger leaf cuts with a fair amount of tips. Not what we’ve come to think of as “fannings”, to be sure, but that’s what the grower calls this grade. Produces a lighter liquor with a rich aroma and flavor.
Taster’s Review:
Don’t be afraid of the final “F” in the FBOPF here… even though it stands for fannings, these leaves are not as small as what you might think of when it comes to store-bought fannings. These are the upper-scale kind of fannings!
I think I may have used a little too much leaf in this steeping, because this is NOT a light liquor! But that’s OK because I’m really liking it just the way I brewed it. It is robust and strong! Much stronger than I would typically note a Ceylon to be.
But even with all it’s stout robustness, I don’t taste bitterness. Just a good, strong brew. Even some malty tones. This tastes a bit more like an Assam might taste than a Ceylon!
There is a fair amount of astringency to this cup, an astringency that is both tangy (almost citrus-like!) and somewhat dry. It finishes with a sweet aftertaste.
To be fair to how it was intended to be brewed, though, I decided to brew this one again, this time using the right amount of leaf and it does produce a lighter infusion. It is crisp and rich in flavor, but, it lacks the robust flavor and some of the malty tones of the first cup. Both are tasty though!
I like this tea’s versatility. If you want a good, strong cup of tea to fuel you in the morning – this tea can be that for you. If you’d prefer a light and pleasantly brisk cup – perhaps an afternoon pick-me-up? – this tea can be that for you as well. Great served over ice with a thin slice of lime!
Morawaka Ceylon FBOPF-1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
A typical Low Grown variety, this Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe Fannings-1 grade offers somewhat fewer tips with the leaves than in the FBOPF. You will find in your cup a full-bodied liquor with a distinctive sweet taste.
Taster’s Review:
This is no ordinary Ceylon!
The aroma of the dry leaf was rather unimpressive. I could smell an earthy note, but beyond that, there isn’t that much to tell of it. But once it was brewed, the earthy tone developed into a somewhat flowery note with a sweet, caramel-y fragrance.
The bouquet of the brewed tea is indicative of the flavor that awaits. Sweetness! I have often used the term “burnt sugar” to describe a sweetness, however, I don’t think I’ve encountered one tea that defines that burnt sugar taste better than this one. This has a burnt sugar caramel undertone, and a bitterness that ties into the burnt sugar flavor and gives it a nice roundness. There are hints of fruit and flower in the background, and a fair amount of dry astringency, readying the palate for a sweet, currant-like aftertaste.
A very enjoyable, deliciously different Ceylon.
Glenburn First Flush Darjeeling FTGFOP1 from KTeas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: KTeas
Product Description:
Picked 20 March 2011!
Fresh from the bush at Glenburn to your cup!Savor Glenburn Estate’s First Flush Darjeeling tea, picked on 20 March 2011. Only the finest tender shoots from Glenburn’s clonal sections, picked during the onset of Spring, will do for this delightfully light liquor, bright and smooth on the palate. Don’t miss the full aroma, the citrus flowers and peach undertones in this personification of the first harvest of the growing season, brought to you from the heights of the Himalayas in Darjeeling, India.
Taster’s Review:
This is FABULOUS! Definitely one of the very best Darjeeling teas I’ve ever tasted. Ever!
The dry tea leaves are varying shades of brown and light green. I even questioned whether this was in fact a black tea or a green tea, not only because of the color of the dry leaf, but, because of the color of the brewed tea and the flavor. The liquor is a beautiful, light amber. It is delightfully fragrant, with notes of fruit and spring blossoms. It reminds me of living in California and walking past the orange groves when they’re in bloom. It smells so wonderful!
The flavor is amazing. So light and crisp! The sip starts with a sweet, fruity tone, and transitions smoothly to a dry astringency, leaving behind a sweet, wine-like note to enjoy in the aftertaste. While it certainly possesses the qualities I’ve come to expect in a black Darjeeling, the lightness of this tea, not just in texture but also in flavor, gave me reason to wonder if this was a green or black tea. A prompt response from the Glenburn estate assured me that this is, indeed, a black tea.
This is truly one of the most amazing Darjeeling black teas I’ve yet to taste. It will take your taste buds on a journey, and really, isn’t that what a good tea should do? I liked that this Darjeeling challenged me. If you’re a Darjeeling devotee, I strongly recommend adding this tea to your MUST TRY list.
Organic Darjeeling from Hampstead Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Hampstead Tea
Product Description:
Our signature, award-winning black tea from the Makaibari Estate in Darjeeling, India. A light, afternoon tea with muscatel and fruit tones.
Ingredients: Fairtrade black tea
Taster’s Review:
This is a really flavorful Darjeeling – and it’s a bagged tea!
Yes, I prefer loose leaf. But I have learned that not all bagged teas are inferior. This Darjeeling is a perfect example. Hampstead Tea is dedicated to providing only the finest quality teas, and they choose to package their teas with the same care that they use when selecting their organic, fair trade teas.
This Darjeeling offers a light, crisp muscatel flavor that seems to sparkle on the palate. It tastes of fruit and finishes dry and astringent, like a fine wine. The aftertaste is sweet and tastes like a sweet-tart currant.
The lightness of this tea makes it an ideal afternoon tea. I prefer it straight with no additions, but a little honey or agave nectar might be alright. Just don’t overdo it, or you might ruin the gentle sweetness that this tea already possesses. I wouldn’t recommend adding milk, I think it would overwhelm the delicious complexity of this tea.
It is easy to see why this Makaibari Estate Darjeeling is an award winner. It is an absolutely delightful Darjeeling.
Assam Tippy – Khongea Estate from TeaVert
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: TeaVert
Product Description:
This tea has large elegant leaves with golden tips, and it is an orthodox rolled black tea. Golden tips, or buds on the leaves, increase the sweetness of the tea. Larger-leaf teas are generally rarer and twice as expensive to produce.
TGFOP translates to Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe. Teas from Khongea tea estate are always rich in flavor, deeper, and malted.
Taster’s Review:
Awesome!
I love writing about tea (obviously, right?) but it becomes a true JOY when I have a tea such as this about which to write. This tea is one of the very best Assam teas that I’ve ever tasted.
It has a robust flavor that is very malty. One of the maltiest teas I’ve yet to encounter. It is a very rich and delicious tea. It has real GUSTO and is strong enough to get me going in the morning. There is some astringency at the tail, but because of the malty flavor that seems to coat the palate, the astringency does not effect the palate in the same way as some other black teas might. Interesting … and delightful!
There is a chewy flavor and texture to this tea that most Assam teas that I’ve tasted only hint toward but this one really delivers. It has a baked quality to it and it would be delightful to serve along with freshly baked scones! It would actually compliment the deliciously biscuit-y character of the scones quite nicely.
Many add milk and honey to their Assam, and this one would take those additions very well. I am finding it equally as nice without the milk and just a little honey, which brings out some of the sweeter, underlying qualities (lovely caramel-like tones mingling with the malty taste!) of the Assam which are a little hard to detect without the sweetener. But if you’re looking for strong, edgy tea goodness, serve this one straight!
On the package, the steeping parameters suggested by TeaVert are four to five minutes, but I found that three minutes is a much better time for this Assam. The first time I tasted it, I steeped it at four minutes and I detected notes of bitterness. This time, I steeped it at just three minutes, and no bitterness whatsoever! It’s perfect!
This is the first tea that I’ve tried from TeaVert … and it’s a good one! With a starting point such as this, it makes me eager to want to try other teas they offer! Delicious!