Several posts ago was some basic information about Columbia Black Tea.

The dry leaves….

Were fully intact- long and slender and slightly wirey. Their aroma was amazingly aromatic – multilayered and complex.  The first whiff started off with a typical malty black tea profile, but then blossomed into something chocolatier as I inhaled deeper. Behind all of that were notes of a tart sweetness like cherries.  YUM!

Brewing…

I used my Simple Brew Risihi tea pot, with 2 grams of tea and 8 ounces of water. The water temperature was 212 degrees Fahrenheit and I let the tea steep for three minutes.

In my cup…

Before even tasting the tea, I was met with a strong malty aroma emanating from the cup.  I’m not a fan of malty black teas, so I was somewhat disappointed to be initially greeted with that smell.  But I decided to reserve judgement. Just as I thought, with the first sip the malty notes were the most prevalent, but with a definite stone fruit aftertaste- sweet cherries. At the end of each sip was this luscious creamy mouthfeel, which I did not expect, especially with a malty tea.  Interestingly, as the tea cooled, vibrant cherry notes came to the forefront and the creamy mouthfeel was now noticeable in the aftertaste. I let the tea cool completely, after which the cherry essence truly came out and lingered pleasantly for quite a while after the sip.

Overall, this tea was very good and interesting, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of black tea, especially malty Assam’s or Keenums. The large, black wiry, slightly tippy leaves with their malty aroma, brewed to an amber cup with a smooth taste and delicate fruity notes, with just enough astringency to make it full-bodied, but at the same time pleasantly smooth. This is a 5 for me.

Rating Scale

All teas will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 for dislike and 5 as love:

1. Dislike (I didn’t like the tea and would not repurchase)
2. Passable (I didn’t dislike the tea, but I didn’t think it was very good)
3. Average (I didn’t find it good or bad and would drink it again)
4. Good (I liked it but it and may repurchase)
5. Love (I enjoyed it lot and would repurchase)

Next…Darye