Tajiri

KenyaTijiriBlack

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Black

Tea Description:

A rare and wonderful orthodox tea from Kenya: Royal Tajiri was planted over fifty years ago on naturally fertile soils at an altitude of 6700 ft in Gatundu District, amongst the foothills of Mount Kenya, alongside the Rundu and Mukengeria rivers. This gorgeous, orthodox, large leaf tea is neatly twisted and has a lovely appley and caramel aroma. In the cup it is deep bronze. It is full bodied, rich and smooth. Brew for four minutes. It may be drunk with milk.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

The first thing I noticed with this tea (besides the large, twisted leaves!) was the aroma of the brewed tea – as the description suggests, there is a distinct apple-like note with hints of caramel to the fragrance of this Royal Tea of Kenya Tajiri Black from Grey’s Teas. It smells … irresistible – very autumnal!

As I sip it, I’m wishing I could taste the apple that I enjoyed in scent of the tea, but there are only mere hints of a fruit-like tone. It isn’t as distinctly apple as the aroma. But, that’s not to say that this is not a wonderful tea … it IS. It’s really quite a delicious tea … I just kind of got my hopes up when I smelled that apple.

But there IS a delectable caramel-y tone to this tea that brings a wonderful sweetness to the sip. The tea is rich and robust. I taste hints of a peppery like spice to it … it’s in the distance, but, with every sip, I find myself noticing just a slight hint of that pepper … as if someone ground a peppercorn in the tea when it was brewed. There isn’t enough there to really call this a peppery or a spicy tea … or even a warmly spiced tea … but just this faint, vague whisper of pepper.

There is a fair amount of astringency to this tea, that brings a drying sensation toward the finish and into the aftertaste. The aftertaste is sweet and slightly earthy. Overall, this is a very enjoyable cup of tea – it would make a great first thing in the morning kind of cup … as well as a great way to perk up mid-day when you need a refreshing jolt. I like it served hot – straight up! But … if you want to go a little indulgent … try it with a drizzle of maple syrup. OH my!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea, Grey's Teas