Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Nation
Product Description:
Black tea is most commonly produced in South Asia and Africa. It has a stronger flavor than most other teas and also has higher caffeine content. Black tea is prepared from the leaves of Camellia Sinensis and it is the most fermented of all teas. Black tea from Ceylon Tea is primarily produced using the orthodox method, where tea leaves are first harvested and then rolled to small pieces and fermented. The fermented tea leaves are dried using fire kilns. This process gives black tea its characteristic strong, full-bodied flavor and deep brown color.
Papaya is a tropical fruit that originally grew in southern Mexico. Passion fruit, also a tropical fruit was originally frown in Central America. Both are now cultivated in most countries with a tropical climate, such as Brazil, India, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. While papaya is an excellent and refreshing end to any meal, the distinct taste of passion fruit makes it an essential ingredient for cocktails. We have mixed these two contrasting, but complimentary flavors in a secret blend and mixed it with Pure Ceylon high grown tea to produce an exciting and refreshing drink.
Taster’s Review:
As I sit here, it is cold outside. Really cold. Frost forming on the windows kind of cold. Not exactly a tropical climate.
But, my teacup thinks it’s on an island getaway, thanks to this Papaya & Passion Fruit Black Tea. The tropical fruit flavors in this tea are sweet and delicious, while the black tea edges in just enough of its flavor to keep the sweeter tastes from becoming too cloying.
The black tea is a Ceylon base, and perhaps it’s just the combination of flavors, but I’m finding this to be quite a strong tea for a Ceylon. There are hints of bitterness in the background too, but not from over-steeping (I steeped just 3 minutes). It is more of a savory kind of bitterness that does its part to keep the cup complex and interesting, and cutting through some of the sweeter notes of the fruit flavors so they don’t overpower the cup.
A nice balance between tea and fruit flavor here where the tea flavor wins out over the fruit – but not by much.
This is a good summertime tea (yeah, I know it’s not summer), one that should be brewed by the gallon and kept in the icebox. It would be great as a sun tea too! This is a delicious black tea blend – one that is nice served hot, but I think it’s even better chilled. It is very refreshing and the tropical taste lends itself so well to a cool glass of iced tea.
