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Coming from Chittur Taluk in the Palakkad district of the Indian state of Kerala, this organic black tea is listed by the merchant as being one of the most unique teas in the region. I like that this is an organic tea that is very food friendly, but I do not think it really holds up to some of the other black teas coming out of South India. Still, it is worth trying.

I brewed this tea using a simple one step Western infusion. I steeped 1 teaspoon of loose tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 3 minutes. As readers of my reviews well know, I do not normally perform additional infusions on black teas unless specifically recommended by the vendor.

This tea brews up a clear, rich amber. I picked up soft, mild aromas of toast, cream, malt, herbs, straw, molasses, leather, brown sugar, candied orange peel, and sweet potato on the nose. In the mouth, I detected mild, integrated notes of candied orange peel, toast, cream, malt, straw, herbs, molasses, brown sugar, leather, sweet potato, and apricot. The finish was brisk and somewhat fruity with sweet potato, brown sugar, and molasses notes providing balance.

This really isn’t a bad little tea. In my time working with it, I can say that I found it to be very versatile. It has just enough flavor to stand up on its own, but it also makes a rock solid breakfast tea, taking milk, cream, and other additives well. As mentioned earlier, it pairs well with food, complimenting a range of savory dishes capably. I feel that I can safely recommend this tea to fans of South Indian teas who are looking for something a little different and/or looking for something to serve with food, though I doubt I will purchase it again. It doesn’t really have the depth of flavor that I look for in black teas and it also lacks the floral character I enjoy in other South Indian teas. Still, it’s not bad.

Flavors: Apricot, Cream, Herbs, Leather, Malt, Molasses, Orange, Sweet Potatoes, Toast

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec 1 tsp 8 OZ / 236 ML

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Bio

My grading criteria for tea is as follows:

90-100: Exceptional. I love this stuff. If I can get it, I will drink it pretty much every day.

80-89: Very good. I really like this stuff and wouldn’t mind keeping it around for regular consumption.

70-79: Good. I like this stuff, but may or may not reach for it regularly.

60-69: Solid. I rather like this stuff and think it’s a little bit better-than-average. I’ll drink it with no complaints, but am more likely to reach for something I find more enjoyable than revisit it with regularity.

50-59: Average. I find this stuff to be more or less okay, but it is highly doubtful that I will revisit it in the near future if at all.

40-49: A little below average. I don’t really care for this tea and likely won’t have it again.

39 and lower: Varying degrees of yucky.

Don’t be surprised if my average scores are a bit on the high side because I tend to know what I like and what I dislike and will steer clear of teas I am likely to find unappealing.

Location

KY

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