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!
New Vithanakanda Ceylon SFTGFOP-1 Black Tea from Kally Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
With this orange pekoe offering from Sri Lanka, Kally Tea again offers what we feel is the best of the best. This is graded as SFTGFOP-1. This translates to “Special Finest Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe-1. This tea is wirey with extra-long leaves and nice faint golden tipped leaves. A refined and respectable tea from one of the most honored estates.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not always particularly excited to try a pure Ceylon tea, mostly because, Ceylon is generally the tea that is used when creating a flavored black tea because Ceylon tends to be a rather even-tempered, moderate, mild-tasting tea. Brisk, but not bold … just kind of … there. You know what I’m saying?
However, this New Vithanakanda Ceylon SFTGFOP-1 Black Tea from Kally Tea is an exception to that … this Ceylon has some real GUSTO … which really took me by surprise.
Yes, this tea does have many of the qualities I’ve come to expect from a high quality Ceylon – it is a even-tempered tea, but, I certainly wouldn’t call it mild! It has a lovely robust, malty quality like an Assam might offer, but it is not as aggressive as an Assam. It has a very smooth, even flavor to it … smooth from start to finish. Toward the finish, I notice hints of citrus … it’s a really refreshing finish.
A really delightful Ceylon that tastes great hot or iced. I found myself wanting more when my cup was empty! One of the nicest pure Ceylon teas I’ve had in a while – I recommend this one highly.