Kappy's Tea & Coffee

Oh, it’s just another black tea leaf?

This sample’s gone the way of my feelings toward guayusa—I think I was a little blinded by the excitement of trying something I hadn’t tried before and that made me biased toward it. The caramel and vanilla flavours aren’t enough to overpower that other, less favourable flavour for me, so while it was a real treat to try this, I won’t return to it.

Ooh, I’, not sure how I feel about this Monstrositea sample! I had a pot of it last night and found it surprisingly sweet, now this morning with a second round I’m getting a kind of burnt flavour. Still lots of caramel and vanilla, particularly on the nose but also to taste. How intriguing! Still plenty of my sample left so I’ll ponder it for a couple of days and then head back in…

It’s the beggining of a busy week for me and I’m already feeling I’m not going to get it all acomplished. So what am I going to do…. Procrastinate…. Maybe…. Later probably….

I must say that Kappy’s was for a very long time a second home for me. The former owners I saw more than my own family and I now count as friends. As such under new ownership my patronage had waned but I’m back for the first time in what must be close to six months.

I walk in the door and find the tea, lapsang souchong, and place my order. Without a word my old cup is brought to me (a present from the_devotea look him up) that I’ve left here for what must be years now. Not long after a huge 1L pot is brought to the table, i must say my first thought was that it would be too much water but it was perfect. The pot steeped for 4 minutes or so before I poured. As I do the comforting smokiness wafts from the cup.

The liqour dark red has a spicy and smokey aroma. It’s a well balenced tea as the bitter tannins work with the smoke to develop on the palate. This tea is everything I look for in a lapsang souchong. However.
The tea has been allowed to sit too long in the shop and slot of the bite has gone. Still nice but it’s not as good as it can be. Maybe a fresh tea might score higher. Still worth the price at $4.

Ahhh, Nilgiri, it’s been a while.
Popped into Kappy’s for a Keemun or Blue Mountain, shelves were all over the place while trying to find them, my eyes alighted on Nilgiri, a firm favourite for years.
“A pot of your finest Nilgiri, Please”
First bowl is a little watery. Shouldn’t be. Perhaps it needs more time.
Second bowl is slightly less watery.
I think there’s just not ehough tea in the pot.
6mins is a bit long to steep, but it’s getting biiter and tanniny without having the right “bite” for this tea. (3rd bowl)

At the end of the day, it’s a good tea, but it’s not been done justice here today. Wondering where the slight metallic taste is from.