Midday Flight Black Tea Blend from Tippy’s Tea

MiddayFlightTea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Tippy’s Tea

Tea Description:

Tippy’s own unique afternoon blend. Drink it in the afternoon or it is really great as an everyday tea. Smooth and well balanced with malty undertones.

Learn more about this tea here.

Taster’s Review:

I’ve tried a couple of Tippy’s Teas now, and I have to say that I’m very happy with what I’ve tried so far!  This Midday Flight is lovely!

When I think “black tea,” generally, I think “morning tea” because I usually enjoy the black teas early in the day and by ‘midday’ I’m usually switching to either green or Oolong tea.  But, every once in a while, I want the rich, rewarding flavor of a black tea in the afternoon.

Today is one such afternoon.  I need something to give me a little more of a boost (read:  caffeine) than I get from a green or Oolong tea, so it’s black tea to the rescue!  Specifically, this Midday Flight from Tippy’s Tea.

This is rich and flavorful and very smooth.  The combination of Ceylon, Keemun, Assam and Darjeeling is wonderful and I like that I can taste ‘components’ of each tea.  I taste the rich, malty flavor of the Assam.  I taste a slight smoky character from the Keemun.  I taste the smooth, even tone of the Ceylon.  And I taste the light, crisp note of the Darjeeling.

The sip starts out with notes of malt and smoke.  It starts out with a strong, earthy flavor.  There is no mistaking that I’m sipping on black tea the moment I start sipping.  It’s not aggressive though.  It’s approach is smooth.  By mid-sip, I pick up on wine-like notes with fruity notes of grape and citrus.  The earthy qualities remain throughout the sip.  Beneath these notes, I taste a light sweetness that is honey-esque with very subtle molasses notes.

The finish is dry but not overly astringent.  There is some astringency and it does build – the first few sips were barely astringent and now that i’m more than halfway through my cup, I am noting more astringency than I experienced at the start.  But it’s not a bitter or jarring astringency.  It is as though my taste buds grabbed a little towel and patted my tongue dry so that it could be ready for another sip.

Very satisfying.  I’m enjoying this tea immensely.  It’s rich and flavorful and very smooth.  One of the best Afternoon blends I’ve ever encountered!