Nuwara Eliya

I told myself I wouldn’t buy any more teas when I moved abroad, and yet here I am, tea shopping as always… Normally I’m not a fan of Ceylons but I tried a Nuwara Eliya teabag once (!) which was absolutely marvellous, so when I saw it loose-leaf in Simon Lévelt, I snapped it up immediately.

What can I say? I think I’m brewing it a little too strong! Yesterday I made it with possibly too big a spoonful, because it really was very dry in the mouth, but when I added milk the flavour seemed to disappear completely… Maybe it’s a very precarious tea.

It’s a beautiful deep, woody amber colour, and the aroma is rich, fragrant… slightly savoury, but in a liqueur kind of sense rather than a savoury cooked food sense! It keeps this savoury flavour in every sip, as well, which isn’t bad, but it really is very dry and astringent. Once you get past the initial strength of this rather robust flavour, there are the usual floral, slightly roast-vegetable notes, maybe a hint of citrus at the end – but it’s lacking that usual zest-and-malt combo that makes Ceylon that little bit unpleasant for me.

I feel a little like I’m drinking a dark beer rather than a Ceylon tea… Not a bad thing!

Ever since Lupicia stopped providing me with my Nuwara Eliya fix, I’ve been searching for a replacement. I got it into my head on a recent trip that I wasn’t leaving Europe without some Nuwara Eliya. I haven’t had this particular tea from Simon Levelt, but I have had other teas from there and they are good quality. Glad I snagged this one! It’s just what I’d been looking for. Bright, malty, citrus notes with a teeny bit of floral at the finish. Delightful.