Single Origin Teas

Good morning Steepster!
This is such a delicious Ceylon, normally I’m not a fan of Ceylons, I can find them too bitter and wine-y. This has such a delicious flavor profile of cherry and a bit of menthol. It’s also “hefty” and has great body which is not something I normally associate with a Ceylon.

SOT says: One of the classics, this is what an Uva Ceylon can and should taste like!

I agree, it puts most of the other Ceylons I’ve had to shame. Evidently I’ve been drinking crap Ceylons but this is one I will gladly restock once it runs out. I’m also excited to be getting a couple of other things from them (hopefully this week).

There’s one other Ceylon that I liked equally as much and that was the Sam Bodhi by Palais de Thes. I just haven’t bothered restocking it that one because there weren’t too many other things from Palais de Thes that really “wowed” me & you have to spend $75 to get free shipping.

I’m still sick, although I am feeling like I’m a bit on the mend. I hope I survive the day, as I have writing class tonight that goes until 9 pm.

In my opinion, this tea is a real beauty. I wanted to try something from Single Origin Teas for a while and this really intrigued me. I definitely get the eucalyptus aroma here, along with a bit of malt, full bodied sweetness and the citrus fruitiness. This is definitely a cup of tea to be savored at a quiet time with some contemplation. I love the long, slender leaves here as well.

Ceylons don’t tend to rank highly in my “favorite tea” department but when I find a good one I can be kind of blown away. This is definitely a good one. Sipped on it plain with no milk or sweetener. If you like ceylons I would suggest giving this a shot, it’s really lovely… not too brisk at all, in fact it’s almost syrupy as it rolls around in your mouth.

This is a really good alternative to Earl Grey.
The dry leaves are overwhelmingly grapefruit, it smells like the zest of 100 grapefruits.
KEEP CALM.
The steeped leaves are also very grapefruit-y. The liquor is a deep reddish-amber with a mellow citrus-y aroma. The grapefruit is at the forefront, but it does not overwhelm the flavor of the tea. There is a very nice secondary floral note, and the tea leaves a subtle citrus flavor behind. It isn’t the least bit astringent.

This was such an interesting green tea, not at all like the Japanese greens that I drink on a regular basis. I’m not sure that I’ve had another green tea quite like it, but I do know that this is the first opportunity for me to try a green from Ceylon, they aren’t generally known for producing them. I think what was most surprising to me about this tea is how heavily it smelled like lychee once steeped. I recently finished up a lychee flavored oolong that didn’t smell this strong even with the added flavoring. It wasn’t until my third cup of this tea that realized that it actually reminds me somewhat of an oolong because of the floral notes that peak through the strong lychee flavor.

I would like to thank Single Origin Teas for sending me this sample for review

Despite my love of Japanese green teas I’ve never had the opportunity to try Bancha before. I know very little about it other than it is considered to be more mellow flavored than Sencha. I’m not particularly a fan of Sencha, it tends to be more bitter than I care for, but Bancha is another story entirely. When brewed using traditional Japanese methods this tea has a mildly sweet flavor and buttery texture that becomes more pronounced as the tea cools. The flavors aren’t nearly as bold or astringent as many other Japanese green teas that I’ve tried, making it a great tea for beginning tea drinkers or anyone looking to pair their tea a meal. By waiting this long to try Bancha I’ve been missing out, this tea is one I could enjoy every day and never tire of.

I would like to thank Single Origin Teas for sending me this sample for review

For the rest of my review please visit my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2014/2/18/tuesday-tea-organic-bancha-single-origin-teas.html