Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Orthodox Tippy Kenyan Tea
Where to Buy: Butiki
Tea Description:
Our truly exceptional Royal Golden Safari originates from a small scale farm in Kenya and has long golden leaves that mingle with milk chocolate and cacao colored leaves. Toasted walnut and oaky notes are prominent with a light pear undertone. Cocoa notes are also present. This orthodox tea does not contain any pesticides.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was making breakfast when I decided to brew this tea today. I had just got an order in from Stacy and this was one of the samples I requested. I was really not even thinking of doing a review on this one as I was simply wanting to wake up and just enjoy a new tea but I decided not only does this tea deserve a review, Stacy deserves my review, but there is also a review contest going haha. So I decided what the heck. Now again, when I took my initial sips I was not thinking about the tea so much in order to review it – as just wanted to get some tea into my system. Yet what hit me was an intense and lovely flavor of Sweet Potato and Brown Sugar! I instantly thought of another very fine tea that I love that is highly prized and difficult to get ahold of! How lovely to have another option for this flavor profile!
When a tea is so easy to pick flavor notes out of its a real pleasure because it makes it so much easier to review, to enjoy, and to feel joy from. The tea surprised me with flavor note after flavor note!
This tea has a nice sweet aroma and flavor with a creamy texture in the mouthfeel. It gave up notes of honey, nuts and chocolate, and as I have already mentioned, sweet potato, and brown sugar! Just YUM! No wonder it is called Royal Golden “Safari” it felt like being on a safari and discovering one new surprise after another!
There is a malty element to this tea yet its not as malty as one may expect – it is rather mellow and soothing. In a manner more like a Darjeeling in its lighter feel and flavors yet very much the flavor profile of Assam without the heaviness.
The second steep was a bit light in the flavors but steep three brought them back out. It was also in steep three that cinnamon and pear began to peek through.
I forgot to mention that I just love the way the leaves look in dry form. They are truly quite beautiful! The cup itself is pretty as well ranging from steep one a deep crimson color to later steepings being a lighter amber.
I of course love that this tea is pesticide free!
Unfortunately I did not get a fourth steeping from the leaves but I was very pleased with the three I did get! No need to be greedy with such a fine tea.
Overall I really quite like this one. Royal Garden Safari offers delicious flavors and while I don’t know if I would say it could hold up well to milk, being on the lighter spectrum, it would hold up well to sweetener but I would not muddle such a lovely naturally sweet cup with additives.
