Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
So I’m really enjoying this Pettaiagala Extra Long Leaf OP we got in from Sri Lanka, and I know the pumpkin chai blends go over better in the fall, but I couldn’t help thinking that this would make an awesome pumpkin chai. So we blended it with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, black peppercorns and organic pumpkin and other flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about 52Teas’ subscriptions here.
Taster’s Review:
When I first saw the announcement for this Sri Lankan Pumpkin Chai from 52Teas I double checked my calendar. Yep, it’s March. (Well, it was at the time of this tea’s announcement!) Pumpkin Chai isn’t exactly a tea that you expect to find in March. In September, sure. Maybe even as early as August. OK. From August through January, but when February arrives, we’ve pretty much had it up to here with pumpkin. By that point, we’ve had pumpkin pies, pancakes, cookies, soup, cupcakes and tea. By February, it’s time to break out the Valentines and extinguish the jack-o-lantern.
So I entered into this tea experience with a certain amount of “meh.”
But I’m really enjoying this chai. It’s heavy on the nutmeg and I’m liking that. (Nutmeg is one of my favorite spices.) Usually when nutmeg is promised as one of the ingredients in a chai, I taste hints of the nutmeg but this is a well pronounced flavor.
I’m also getting a strong dose of cinnamon. The cardamom is a background note. The ginger and pepper hit the palate at about mid-sip. They aren’t overly aggressive, but they do offer a pleasant spicy zing to the cup. I find myself missing clove here – I think a little clove might help round out the flavors just a little bit better.
Last year (at a more appropriate pumpkin time – September 22) 52Teas offered a Pumpkin Chai that I reviewed in October and I seem to recall that having a nicely defined pumpkin-y flavor to it, but I’m not tasting as much pumpkin with this blend as with the previous chai. The pumpkin does emerge somewhat as the tea cools a little.
But the lack of clove and pumpkin-y flavor might hide the nutmeg and really, for me, this chai is about the NUTMEG! I could smell it when I opened the pouch. Before I smelled the cinnamon or ginger or cardamom or pepper, I smelled nutmeg. And as I hinted at before, this made me a very happy sipper, indeed.
And because this is the one of the best celebrations of nutmeg in a tea that I’ve had in quite some time, I will let the fact that it’s mid-April and I’m sipping on a pumpkin chai slide. Just this once.
Golden Garden Estate Ceylon OP Black Tea from Capital Tea Limited
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Capital Tea Limited
Tea Description:
Deeply aromatic long black wiry leaves from Sri Lanka’s Ruhuna District. These leaves produce a strong tasting medium to full bodied tea liquor possessing an intense aroma and flavour with notes of malt, chocolate and carob.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Another tea from a new-to-me company. I was introduced to this company by a friend on Steepster. It’s nice to be part of a tea community like Steepster where we can share teas with one another and expand our horizons!
And what a remarkable Ceylon! I generally describe Ceylon teas as “medium-bodied,” and “even-tempered” and usually what I mean by “even tempered” is that it’s a smooth, easy going kind of tea. Nothing all that exceptional. Just kind of “average” really – the kind of tea that is often utilized when creating blends or flavored teas because it has a very even tone to it that isn’t overly aggressive or assertive so the flavors are able to express themselves fully.
But this … there is nothing average about this Ceylon! This is not a “typical” Ceylon in any way, shape or form! In the world of “average” Ceylon teas where the average is “nothing all that exceptional”, this IS the exception!
This tastes more like a Fujian black tea with it’s rich chocolate-y notes and caramel-y undertones. It is more full-bodied than medium-bodied, and it has a nice, round flavor that satisfies all those little taste buds on the palate.
This is pleasantly sweet with its aforementioned caramel-y tones and notes of chocolate (which are actually more like a dark, bittersweet chocolate). It has a rich earthy note with hints of wood. It’s a stronger Ceylon than that typical “medium-bodied” “moderately even-toned” Ceylon. It has a heftier taste and texture.
As the tea cools slightly, I start to pick up on notes of honey, but it’s more of a honeyed caramel than pure honey. Notes of molasses. I like the sweetness of this Ceylon.
And now that the temperature has cooled slightly, I can also pick up on notes of fruit in the background. I taste ripe plum and notes of raisin. Hints of a floral note in the distance that seem to perk up the flavors toward the finish.
Overall, a really nice experience with this first tea that I’ve tried from Capital Tea Limited!
Malabar Estate Java OP Clonal Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
This selection was harvested at the peak of the summer flavory season. Dark, crepy leaves, combined with gold and silver downy tips produce a dark, clear liquor. The cup has interesting flavor notes and a hint of mahogany wood in the aroma. This is one of the best high-grown Java teas we have seen in years.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Steepster Select here.
Taster’s Review:
This Malabar Estate Java OP Clonal Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports is the first of the five teas that I’ll be sampling as part of this month’s Steepster Select box. Every month, I receive two individually packaged single serving size of high quality, loose leaf tea of FIVE different teas.
The dry leaf of this tea is beautiful with its dark chocolate-y brown leaves with golden tips. The tea brews up dark in color and rich in flavor.
The tea has a sweet undertone of caramel. I detect notes of malt. It’s a strong, robust sort of tea, one that would make a good first cup of the day. I find that as I sip this tea, I am invigorated. An excellent pick-me-up sort of tea.
Beyond that first impression, I am noticing some complexity. I can taste fruit notes. There are some grape flavors in there, evoking thoughts of wine. And there is a sort of dry, astringent note toward the end of the sip which is similar to what I’d experience with a glass of wine too.
Mid-sip, I notice a slight orange-y note, as if this might be a “blend” with orange rind in it. I can even taste the slight bitterness from the pith of the orange. The orange notes seem to intensify as I continue to sip. Others who have tasted this tea have mentioned a cinnamon note to this, and I get a very subtle, warm cinnamon note that seems to weave its way in and out of the sip.
Overall, a very good cuppa. I’d happily drink this again.
Java – Pasir Nangka OP Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
The dark, bold, and wiry leaves of this selection yield a red coppery liquor with full flavor and smooth character. Notes of spice in the aroma add to the overall appeal. A great value to be enjoyed at any time of day.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I don’t know if it’s just coincidence that I’ve been encountering more and more Indonesian teas lately or maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’ve been concerned about the volcano and maybe I’m unconsciously looking for teas from Indonesia. However, I do want to say that my thoughts go out to those in Indonesia in the aftermath of the volcano.
This Pasir Nangka OP (Orange Pekoe) from Upton Tea Imports and produced in the Java region of Indonesia is a very pleasing full-flavored black tea. It is robust and energizing!
It has a very hearty flavor – this tastes like something that I’d want in my teacup first thing in the morning on those mornings when I don’t really want to get up, but I have to. This will help me feel that sense of alertness that I’ll need on a day like that.
It has a strongly “roasted” sort of flavor. I don’t know if this is how black teas are usually processed in Indonesia … but, this definitely has a rich, roasty flavor to it. I can taste hints of smoke and earth to it, as well as a background of spice notes that meld especially well with the aforementioned roasted notes. There is a fair amount of astringency to this cup as well – my palate feels a little dry after each sip.
This is a tea that I’d recommend keeping your eye on the timer for, because while my cup was not what I’d call bitter, I could taste a subtle bitter tone that tells me that had I oversteeped this tea, it would have been bitter. I brewed it for 2 1/2 minutes in boiling water, and that seems to be just the right amount of time for my palate.
Overall, an enjoyable cup of tea, but not my favorite black Indonesian tea. It’s good though, and I’m glad I had this opportunity to try it.
Samovar OP-A Ceylon Black Tea Blend from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
We created this selection specifically for use in samovars but it also works exceptionally well in traditional teapots. The tea has a dark cup, well-balanced character, and can be infused for a long period without becoming bitter. The flavor is of a classic medium-grown Ceylon with a smooth profile and hints of ripe apple.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little hesitant to try this Samovar OP-A Ceylon Black Tea Blend from Upton Tea Imports … why? Because of the name … well, the word “Samovar” specifically. I’ve come to associate the word Samovar with “Russian”, and when I think of Russian tea, I think SMOKY.
But … NO smoke. Not even a hint of it! This is a sweet, brisk Ceylon. Medium-bodied with lots of sweet fruit tones that (as mentioned in the above description) remind me a bit of a sweet, crisp apple. Very low astringency here, and no sign of bitterness whatsoever. Just a smooth, even-tempered, well-rounded cup of delicious tea. It’s one of the sweeter Ceylon teas that I’ve tried.
This tea makes an outstanding iced tea as well as a delightful hot tea. Try it with a cinnamon stick when its hot – just drop the cinnamon stick right in the brewed tea and sip it while it slowly steeps its flavor into the cup. Yum! It’s also quite pleasant iced with a little bit of mint.