Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sarabeth’s
Tea Description:
Ceylon, an island of only 25,000 square miles and called the pearl of the Indian Ocean, is known for its diverse climate, culture and scenery. It has been said that “Ceylon Tea” is Sri Lanka’s gift to the world.
Learn more about Sarabeth’s teas here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a surprisingly strong tasting Ceylon. Surprising, because I generally consider Ceylon black teas to be fairly mellow, smooth, and even-tempered. And sure, this is a smooth and even-tempered black tea, but, I don’t know if mellow is the word I’d use to describe it. It’s pretty hearty for a Ceylon! Even more surprising, I got all this flavor out of a teabag! Yep!
Then again, I’ve been happily surprised by the teas that I’ve tried from Sarabeth’s.
This Pure Ceylon from Sarabeth’s is a robust black tea. It’s smooth. Not bitter. It has a pleasantly round flavor and a satisfying texture. Notes of malt mingling with caramel-y undertones, earthy notes and notes of fruit. Quite nice!
There is very little astringency to the cup. That is to say, that unless I’m really focused on detecting astringency (because, well, that’s part of what I do, right? I review the tea, and part of that is to talk about whether or not it’s an astringent cup) I don’t really notice any astringency. I only notice it when I’m really focused on finding it. And then, it’s a barely there astringency. Those who are a bit sensitive when it comes to astringent teas will find this to be to their liking, I think.
The flavor is rich, smooth and sweet, with caramel-like notes and hints of fruit. Most Ceylon teas tend to have a sort of citrus-y background note that is noticeable toward the finish, I’m not getting that with this one, though. I think that is is probably more earthy than it is fruity, but the fruit notes that I do taste remind me more of a cross between an apricot, grapes and a sweet apple than anything in the citrus category.
A really pleasant cup of tea, and this is a Ceylon that has enough strength to it that I could see choosing this as the first cup of the day. It would take the additions of milk and honey well, making for a nice breakfast tea.
Decaffeinated Green Tea from Sarabeth’s
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Sarabeth’s
Tea Description:
Green Tea is one of the most natural of all teas and contains many of the natural compounds which make teas a healthy drink. The preference to green teas lies in their light, delicate and refreshing taste. It is meant to be consumed without milk or sugar and is a pleasant accompaniment to a meal thanks to its digestive properties.
Learn more about Sarabeth’s teas here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little hesitant to try this one. I admit it. I’ve had a few bad experiences with decaffeinated tea (long ago) and those experiences have stuck with me, and when I see “Decaffeinated” on a tea, the memories of those bad experiences come flooding back.
Since then, most of the decaffeinated teas that I’ve tried have been pretty good. I’ve even had a few that I might not have known that it was decaffeinated had I not brewed the tea myself and read the packaging. And that’s exactly what I’m trying to determine with this Decaffeinated Green Tea from Sarabeth’s: does it taste decaffeinated?
The answer to that question would depend on what you meant by “decaffeinated taste.” Does this taste chemical-y or just … weird or off? No, it doesn’t. It tastes like a light, refreshing green tea. But it does have a slightly thinner taste than a caffeinated green tea might. In that way, it does have a slight decaffeinated taste. But it isn’t an unpleasant or off-putting taste – not at all! It just tastes and feels a wee bit thinner than a green tea from Sri Lanka would otherwise taste.
The flavor is lightly buttery, sweet, and slightly vegetative, reminiscent of lightly buttered lima beans. It doesn’t have a chemical taste (or aftertaste). It’s a pleasant green tea, and the fact that it is decaffeinated makes it quite alright to drink any time of the day and not worry about whether or not the caffeine will keep you awake past bedtime.
I would definitely recommend this to someone who either can’t have caffeine or is looking to limit their caffeine intake, but still wants to enjoy a tasty green tea.
Lovers Leap Estate Indigo Black Tea from Eden Grove
Tea Type:
Black Tea
Where To Buy:
Eden Grove
Product Description:
Eden Grove Estate Limited Edition Whole Leaf Teas have been selected from the finest tea estates in the highlands of Sri Lanka, formerly known as Ceylon. Lovers Leap Estate Indigo Black Tea is packaged in our exclusive clip tin with a flexible inner freshness seal for your drinking pleasure and will brew 100 cups of pure tea enjoyment. (The one I tried was actually part of the gift pack I blogged about before).
Tasters Review:Lovers Leap Estate Indigo Black Tea from Eden Grove is a very strong black tea in a bag! I have to say I have been quite impressed with the bagged teas from Edens Grove purely because of their strength! Generally speaking…I’m a fan of Lovers Lane Black Teas, too! As for this one from Edens Grove…it’s strong and bold…a nice eye opener…perfect for the rough mornings or a pick-me-up in the afternoon.
I can’t help but think of when I was a teenager…a friend of mine lived on a road called Lovers Lane. I remember going over there to camp and we used to drink tea in the mornings – in a thermos – when it was still dewy and damp out. I highly doubt it was “Lovers Leap” but for some reason every time I drink Lovers Leap now I think of the morning after camping and drinking tea by the fading campfire on Lovers Lane.
Kalubowitiyana Estate Ceylon Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Tea Description:
Only limited amounts of CTC style tea are produced in Sri Lanka, and we are happy to be able to reintroduce this style after a prolonged absence. This offering is notable for a pleasing malty nuance, combined with the classic Ceylon notes of cedarwood and light citrus hints.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Nice! This Kalubowitiyana Estate Ceylon Black Tea from Upton Tea Imports is a very finely cut CTC … but don’t let the small size of the leaf cut discourage you. Just reduce the brew time … I brewed this for 2 minutes in my Breville One-Touch rather than my usual “go to” time of 2 1/2 minutes for black tea, and the result is a cup of really pleasant Ceylon tea.
The most surprising note in this tea is the malty tone … it is MALTY … like a good, hearty Assam! It is rich and flavorful, with a heftier body than I usually associate with a Ceylon. This is like a Ceylon in Assam’s clothing. In fact, had I not known that it was a Ceylon with my first sip, I would have thought it was an Assam.
However, now that I’ve had a few more sips, I notice more of a Ceylon character start to emerge. It has that even-tempered flavor that I expect from a Ceylon, as well as hints of citrus that arrive at the tail end of the sip. Mid-sip, I notice a woody character with earthy notes. There is a moderate amount of astringency to this, which is further accentuated by the citrus notes that arrive at the finish.
This is a really pleasant cuppa – one that would be nice morning or early afternoon tea. It has a good amount of kick to it … so it can get you going just like a hearty Assam would!
Vithanakanda Estate OP1 Black Tea from Empire Tea Services
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Empire Tea Services
Tea Description:
Fancy extra large wiry leaf. Smooth taste. Exceptional.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The above description for this Vithanakanda Estate OP1 Black Tea from Empire Tea Services is short and simple … but it is also spot-on! This cup is indeed smooth tasting and truly exceptional! One of the best examples of high-quality Ceylon teas I’ve tasted.
From the very first sip, I’ve been WOWing on this tea! That is to say, from that very first sip, the first word I uttered is wow! It is smooth from start to finish … absolutely no bitterness. Just smooth, rich taste that starts off sweet with notes of honeyed caramel, and a few moments later, I notice a rich malty tone.
Moments later, a fruity note comes in to play with hints of flower in the distance. The finish is sweet with a citrus taste that is faintly tangy … and it is here that I notice a slight – ever so slight! – astringency. I find that the astringency becomes apparent only when I’m really focusing and trying to find it … so for those of you who tend to avoid teas with an astringent finish, I think this one will be to your liking.
Having recently reviewed another Ceylon from this estate, I have to say that the Vithanakanda estate is turning out to be one of my favorites for Ceylon tea. The teas produced on this estate are of the utmost quality: rich, smooth and delicious and beyond what I’ve come to expect from a typical Ceylon. This is the good stuff!
This tea is very pleasing. A medium to full tasting tea, not what I’d call particularly invigorating the way you’d expect an Assam to be, for example, but, it does have a strong, brisk taste that would make a good pick-me-up when you need something that will recharge you. Enough flavor to hold up well if you like to add milk and honey to your tea … but enjoyable enough to drink straight-up too!