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Black Tea by Upton Tea Imports
This selection has a nice complement of tips and bolder leaves, somewhat in the style of a Ceylon OP. The smooth flavor has malty and toasty nuances with hints of red apple.
About halfway through an Upton sample size of this one, and I’m really liking it. The only Kenyan tea I’ve tried in the past was very dark; very earthy. This Tinderet is none of that. An easy steeper that reminds me of melba toast and fruit. Really nice!
Decent Kenya. The hints of red apple are detectable, but faint and more of a subtle apple skin flavor from a good cider. There’s a decent bit of malt to this tea. I still prefer the Milima estate Kenyas I’ve had in the past, and I would recommend those over this tea, because they are less astringent and offer more fruity flavor. This one does seem, to my palate, closer to most of the lower end, more astringent Assams than the Kenyas I’ve had.
This is my first experience with a Kenyan tea. I like it, but it didn’t knock my socks off. It tastes very much like a standard bagged blend to me. Very similar to some Ceylons I’ve had. At first I didn’t notice the astringency, but it seems to build a bit as you drink it. I get hints of apple as described and a bit of vanilla, but not as flavor forward as I’d like. The leaves brew up a red color and a chestnut colored cup. I used a bit less than the 1+ tsp suggested and it tasted just about right. Its nice enough. The brewed leaves have a wonderful caramel smell, but it doesn’t quite make it into the cup.
I think I figured out the key with this one. It tastes noticeably better with lemon and honey and I think it would be quite good iced. The honey really milds up the astringency quite a bit.
This was my first African tea, so I had no idea what to expect. It came out a beautiful red color. The scent is invigorating and definitely unique – hints of woodiness with apple and cherry notes. It is incredibly astringent, so by the time I’m done drinking this my tongue will be bone dry. It’s hard then, to pick up more subtle flavors when the astringency really kicks in. At first I actually did notice the reference to apple. The malty flavor still stands up to the bite of astringency. This tea is definitely different, perhaps a cross between a Ceylon and an Assam.
