Ntingwe Kwazulu

From Nicole’s inventory reduction. What an interesting tea. As others mentioned the leaf is extremely fine cut. I used a Finum basket as I think it would pass through the screen of my press. I only steeped two minutes and it was not the least bit bitter. It is slightly drying. The taste is kind of like an Assam. Kind of. It is a little fruity. I can taste cinnamon and clove like notes – they are very light. I don’t know if this is part of the flavor profile or cross contamination. I will say this was not stored with any cinnamon clove type teas. This is very good!

I cut the steeping time in half, definitely made the tea easier to drink. This is such a small leaf tea that carries a great punch! If you are looking for a good breakfast tea, this may be the right choice. It is very bold and not for the weak at heart. :) I did finish this pot off by sweetening it just a touch and pouring it over ice. Personally, it seemed to tame the overall flavor (yet not watering down), and became much more delicious with a resemblance of a robust Assam black leaf.

thanks to Nicole for sending me some of this in her stash reduction! Now this is interesting and GOOD. I’ve never seen “leaves” so tiny! They didn’t seem to go through my mesh infuser, even though rooibos usually does. This has an interesting scent I haven’t smelled in a tea before. I really don’t think any tea could be too strong for me. This looks like a cup of coffee almost. I needed something tough to wake me up… I think I was still asleep from that Drink T toffee rooibos from last night! This has a delicious black tea flavor that really lingers. I really really like this!

Wow this is strong tea. You’d almost think I’ve been drinking oolongs all day! ;)

As others have mentioned, it’s a tiny, tiny leaf. Almost worse than rooibos for getting through filters. The first time I brewed it, I went for 3-4 minutes, and it darn near killed me. This time, I went for about a minute and it was just slightly under-brewed. It smells wonderful. I’m not as fond of the taste as other teas, but it’s not bad at all.

I’d like to try this iced. I think this would make an awesome iced tea.

The first thing that I noticed when I opened my 1-kg bag of this (via Amazon) was how tiny the CTC leaf pieces were. They are so tiny! I can’t even steep it in my Beehouse teapot, whose filter has been fine enough for all my other teas besides rooibos. This made me sort of nervous about the quality of the tea. Actually, although the tea does suffer slightly from the leaf pieces being so small, it’s a good and satisfying cup with some character. A short steep is required, because the tannic spent-leaves taste comes out quickly; I recommend 2:30-2:45. I also noticed that as the tea cooled, the “tiny leaf” essence diminished; I feel like it was due to a genuine chemical change and thus it may be worth waiting a bit to drink.

Ntingwe Kwazulu is reminiscent of an Assam for its punch and overall feel, but it also has some Ceylon-esque briskness, making it more than just another PG Tips. Still, it lacks the smoothness of some other CTCs (e.g. The Simple Leaf’s American Breakfast) so it remains a good-to-great, not outstanding, tea.

(moving review from 3 months ago to this listing now that I know who makes it)

Wow! Great honey color and strong honey notes. Tempers the strong black tea. I suspect this one “sneaks up on you” – goes down smooth but packs a caffeine wallop?

Very clean taste. Tiny, tiny leaves – I used a cloth filter instead of my normal infuser, having learned my lesson from a Pakistani tea that was equally tiny. Also from that tea I didn’t oversteep this one. It would be easy to do so, though. After it cools a bit I catch a tiny hint of astringency. This would stand up well to milk and would make a good breakfast tea.

Aside from the gas money spent on a 100 mile round trip to the store where I found it, it’s a very reasonably priced tea. I also won’t use as many leaves so the purchase will last longer so all in all, probably a good purchase. I’d keep it around if I could come by it easily. It’s probably pretty decent iced, as well.

Ooooh! What an incredibly delightful tea! So delightful in fact, it made me say “Ooooh!” out loud when I took my first sip. The taste is malty and reminiscent of my favourite broken-leaf Assam, but that is where the similarities end. Instead of a heavy, almost astringent maltyness, the flavour manages to come across as fresh and light.
Definitely for those times when you feel like a substantial cuppa but aren’t necessarily having it with a cooked breakfast. Suitable for morning tea or a light supper, with a slice of Apple Banana Cake…

Bright and feisty. Little tiny leaf steeps quickly and gets bitter fast. This will wake you up.

My #1 pick. I’ve experimented with all different preparation methods and have enjoyed them all.

I am a huge fan of this tea! It has a hint of black tea taste but it is very bold. If you are looking for a tea to replace coffee, this one is a strong contender. If you aren’t a fan of strong teas, you should lower the steeping time or cut it with something.

found this in a specialty tea shop in Pennsylvania and gave it a go…used coconut creamer and added some sugar (a little less for the 2nd steeping) for the first 2 steepings and it was excellent as a morning tea…tried a third steeping to see how it would taste and tasted before adding anything and it gave a nice sugarless/creamerless brew…really love it!

A great breakfast tea – strong enough to hold its own with milk or without. Not overly bitter, but a fresh, bright morning flavour and a grand way to start the day or pick yourself up mid-morning.

This is seriously one of my favourite ‘strong black’ teas, it is a terrific breakfast cup or a pick me up for any time of the day. Deliciously flavoursome without being bitter or astringent. Takes milk and sugar well at a longer steeping time (5 mins). Wonderful deep colour as well.

I seriously have no idea what the heck this is. Acrid, tastes like rich dirt. Smells interesting though. Second time I brewed it “weak” and it was still way too strong.

I love it’s the fresh taste and strong vivid color!

Drank this at Betty’s in Ilkley. It tastes fresh and light, very little bitterness to it.

Enjoyed at JJ’s. Drank as chai (steeped with milk), reminiscent of tea in Uganda. Added raw sugar.

I am a major tea buff and this is my favourite tea on earth. It is appropriately described as ‘bright.’ The flavour is strong and surprising, pleasant and unique. It is so good with milk and a little sugar and a real treat to drink. I pick up a box whenever I go to York. A truly remarkable tea that is well worth the price and time to make.

Very strong taste, robust caffeine.