Island Heritage/teakruthi -skysamurai-

The dry aroma and the visual aspect of this tea scream Darjeeling.

The way Darjeeling smells, the slightly mineral, fresh, like a clean rainfall. It is a unique smell that I can only attribute to Darjeeling. Kinda like saying something tastes like chicken.

But what is the taste of chicken? I Don’t Know it just is! Oh, fudge… Now I’m tasting chicken. That’s a weird mix with tea.

Speaking of taste considering how it smells I don’t quite get those muscatel notes I’m looking for. And the aroma Darjeeling aroma disappears completely. This one is utterly perplexing.

I have tried both infuser in cup style and gong fu style but I feel both lack the Darjeeling punch I was looking for. If steeped too little there is no flavor. Steeped too long and it’s astringent with a bitter woods flavor.


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy: teakruthi

Description

Grown in the hub of the largest Dimbulla tea-growing area in Sri Lanka, our Island Heritage tea offers a flowery, mild taste and boasts an orange appearance. This tea was plucked from tea bushes that were planted during the coffee era, around 1884-1885, so you can taste true Dimbulla tea-growing history in your cup. The blend features two distinctive leaves and a bud subjected to natural withering and then gently rolled in a well-type miniature roller. Afterwards, the tea is sun-dried and passed through a conventional dryer to eliminate moisture. The last step, of course, is finding its way to your cup.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Tasting Notes – Rainforest Indulgence/Teakruthi- Skysamurai-

Hate to say it but this would be better suited for the British drinkers, who like a strong cup with milk/sugar.

Due to the tiny size of the leaf, it infuses very quickly. A tricky one to brew if not for milk. The astringent qualities come out so quickly.

Next time less leaf. If you can make it past the astringency you’ll find it has a fresh feeling on your palate.

Filled with some malty and dark woodsy notes of mahogany.

 


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Black Tea

Where to Buy:  Teakruthi

Description

This low grown full-bodied blend was hand-plucked from the shade of the Sinharaja Rainforest in Sri Lanka. Made from the highest quality leaves, Rainforest Indulgence offers a unique flavour. Rather than hand-rolling to bruise the leaf and introduce oxidation, this tea was produced by a modern mechanical process to tear the leaf and oxidize. Only limited amounts of Broken Pekoe (BP) grade Ceylon tea is produced, so this tea is truly a special morning treat. This strong tea is reddish-orange in colour.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

Two Seasons/teakruthi

teakruthi is a company that focuses on Ceylon teas. Personally, I did not think I was a fan of Ceylon teas since I always found them to be rather tannic and astringent. However, teakruthi was wonderful and shared generous samples of their teas in exchange for honest reviews. I have tried several of their teas now and I am happy to report that they have really changed my outlook on Ceylons. While I have not loved all of their teas, some have been quite enjoyable. In the enjoyable category is a blend called Two Seasons.

Two Seasons is one of a few blends that teakruthi carries as their focus is mostly on plain teas. Two Seasons is a mix of Pure Ceylon Black tea, Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe (FBOP), ginger root, and peach. I steeped the tea per teakruthi’s recommended steeping parameters: 3 minutes in 95C water.

Drinking the tea, Two Seasons definitely seems like a fitting name. It’s got warming ginger notes that are flavorful but not very spicy and to balance that, it has a soft fruitiness from the peach. As such, the tea captures both flavors that represent Winter and Summer. The flavors are present but mild which allows the full/medium-bodied base to come through as well. The base tea is floral, which the peach plays off nicely. Also, It can be a touch astringent at the end of the sip but not overly so.

This tea is a nice bridge between flavored and unflavored teas. While it definitely has flavoring to it, it’s not overwhelming which allows you to appreciate the base tea as well. Softer flavoring also means you are less likely to tire of it quickly, which makes this easy to drink over and over again.


Want to Know More About This Tea?

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  teakruthi

Description

Mild in flavour, the high- and medium-grown black tea perfectly supports the delicate flavour infusion of ginger and peach. Hand-selected from the Sri Lankan wetlands on which it grows, the ginger in this tea boasts a subtle spiciness that harmonises with the flavour of the black tea. The sweet flavour of peach brings balance and peace to the spiciness of the black tea and ginger blend. Brewing to a deep copper in your cup, this tea is brimming with a tantalising blend of spicy, floral, and woody notes that are exclusively designed to exhilarate your taste buds while bringing peace to your mind.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!