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“TTB 2022 Wow this tea is tasty. Its got an edge to it like a good IPA beer, but a nice tobacco and nut finish. I’m comparing it in my mind to the kenya tea I have from S&V and this one seems...” Read full tasting note
“Skysamurai’s TTB Thank you! So, a pure black tea. It’s from Rwanda, a country I had never tea before. Or did I and just don’t recall? Tea #7 Dry leaf is broken, but some bigger pieces are there...” Read full tasting note
“2021 Homemade Advent Calendar Swap – Day 10 From Skysamurai. I tend to like chocolaty black teas the best, the darker and richer the better. This one’s lighter than I would have liked. To be fair,...” Read full tasting note
“Decent black tea” Read full tasting note
This is a tea that expresses both silky smoothness and crispness. Hand-picked in Rwanda’s Rukeri Valley and grown at an elevation between 5,500 and 6,500 feet, this tea is rolled in traditional tea rollers using specially selected and seasoned timber tables and battens. Its bright orange color and unique character will particularly appeal to specialty tea lovers.
Gorilla Mountain Black is named for Rwanda’s famed mountain gorillas.
Brewing instructions
Amount: 1 teaspoon of loose tea per cup of water
Temperature: 212 ̊ (A full, rolling boil)
Steep time: 3 – 3.5 minutes
About Our Rwandan Tea
Rwanda produces only one percent of the world’s tea, but its fertile volcanic soil and temperate climate make it some of the finest. Rwanda’s economy suffered a great deal during the country’s civil conflict in the 1990s, but tea has played a major role in its recovery.
Our Rwandan teas are grown in the Rukeri Valley at an elevation of 5,500 to 6,500 feet. The estate from which we import was the first facility in Rwanda to introduce environmentally-friendly policies like waste recycling. It has been at the forefront of banning child labor and supporting workers’ rights and was also the first private company in Rwanda to sign a collective bargaining agreement with its workers. The factory employs sustainable agricultural practices, has an organic section, is a participant in the Ethical Tea Partnership, and the estate is Rainforest Alliance Certified.™ It is also Fair Trade certified, which means premiums and a percentage of the profits are reinvested in the local community.
https://www.rakkasantea.com/products/rukeri-black
Company description not available.
TTB 2022
Wow this tea is tasty. Its got an edge to it like a good IPA beer, but a nice tobacco and nut finish. I’m comparing it in my mind to the kenya tea I have from S&V and this one seems more flavorful and slightly harsher. I used to have a bagged tea from Kenya that I could get in a British import store in Houston, but that has long been out of my cupboard. This black loose leaf would compare well to that bagged tea, maybe they were grown nearby.
The Rakkasan website looks interesting, and I may need to purchase a sampler pack for a taste test to share with my dad.
Thanks for sharing in the TTB, I’ve enjoyed this one.
Flavors: Astringent, Nutty, Tobacco
Skysamurai’s TTB Thank you!
So, a pure black tea. It’s from Rwanda, a country I had never tea before. Or did I and just don’t recall?
Tea #7
Dry leaf is broken, but some bigger pieces are there now and then. I used one, a little more heaped teaspoon and I have used a big fillable tea bag. Steeped for suggested 3-3.5 minutes and I am pretty sure about the timing as I have been watching the biathlon in meantime. What a shame for my country.
The tea itself, when dry, have a quite uncommon bitterness. I am not sure what is the reason for that, but reminds me a cheap tobacco and partially Lipton Yellow Label (does it count as a tea?).
Brewed it tastes pretty much light, but the flavours are pretty much alright. Smooth, lightly roasty, autumn leaves. Nice amount of astringency/bitterness and level of malt is low as well, but clearly noticeable. Certainly far from finest teas I had before, but not the worst either. I think my expectations were maybe too high, but it is a great tea if you want a caffeine boost, but without much flavours to find. It is pretty much straight-forward cup.
Flavors: Astringent, Autumn Leaf Pile, Bitter, Malt, Smooth, Tea, Tobacco
2021 Homemade Advent Calendar Swap – Day 10
From Skysamurai.
I tend to like chocolaty black teas the best, the darker and richer the better. This one’s lighter than I would have liked. To be fair, I made the cup and left it sitting on the counter for a few hours before I got around to reheating and drinking it. I’ll save my rating for now. I have plenty of servings left, so I can try again and give this tea a proper review.
I love Rakkasan so much. Partially because my dad is a NAvy vet and partially because they have amazing tea.