Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Grace Tea Company
Product Description:
From the highest slopes of Sri Lanka’s famous Nuwara Eliya Mountains, these thin, black tea leaves produce a light, delicate and mildly astringent liquor. This is an easy drinking blend that can be taken any time of the day. This brew has a marvelous aroma that is a special treat for rare tea enthusiasts.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
You know how there are some things that you just have preconceived ideas about, like how you expect them to be or to taste… well, that’s the way it is for me and Ceylon teas. Generally, when I see “Ceylon” as the tea type, my initial reaction is one of boredom, because I have this preconceived idea that it’s going to be rather ordinary.
But, truth be told, over the course of the last couple of years, I’ve discovered some pretty amazing Ceylon teas, some that should have blasted that preconceived nonsense right out of the water for me. (Alas, I am stubborn, but please don’t tell my husband that I admitted that!)
This is another such Ceylon that has really surprised me in a good way.
You see, there’s a reason why Ceylon tea tends to be the base tea for most flavored black teas. Because it is rather ordinary … it is mild and middle-of-the-road. Not too assuming.
But, then, there is this Fancy Ceylon Mountain Grown from Grace Tea. And it is anything but middle-of-the-road, unassuming black tea.
This is surprisingly rich … and incredibly delicious. It has a strength to it that would make this a suitable tea to serve first thing in the morning, when you need that jump start to get you going, but also has a smoothness to it that would make a perfect choice for afternoon enjoyment too.
There are some delightful flowery notes in the background, along with a fruit-like flavor that is almost apple-y. It has a crispness to it, but also a good, solid kind of flavor that would take the additions of milk and honey well if you care to add them. There are earthy notes in the foreground, as well as a sweetness that is somewhere between caramel and honey. The finish is somewhat astringent, a cleansing feeling that prepares the palate for a finish that is caramel-y sweet.
A very enjoyable Ceylon, I recommend it.
Winey Keemun English Breakfast from Grace Rare Teas
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Grace Rare Teas
Product Description:
This extra slow-fired tea is of a rare and extraordinary quality. Our most well known and famous blend has an unusual depth, body and color that can be likened in description to a fine wine. A uniquely crafted tea blended with varying China, Formosan and Indian teas, Winey Keemun follows the traditional formulation of an English Breakfast blend. It’s one of our personal favorites.
Tasters Review:
The first thing that came to mind while drinking this tea was…
…when you really want to meet someone because you HEARD they were nice and interesting and when you actually meet them they are everything you HEARD they would be but at the same time they aren’t over-the-top eccentric but they were very far from being boring.
I know that may be a stretch but that is how I feel about this tea – and TRUST ME – that is a good thing!
Winey Keemun from Grace Tea Company is complex but not too much so that the average tea drinker wouldn’t be able to enjoy it and it’s not just average that the rabid tea drinker wouldn’t appreciate the uniqueness.
I agree with other reviewers that this is one of those teas that would ‘go’ with anything…whether it be any kind of meal – any time of day – or if just with conversation or with a good selection of poems while enjoying some quiet or alone time.
This is a great tea!
