Tiffin tea liquer!!

Tiffin is a tea liqueur (24% alcohol, so 48 proof) which looks and tastes like… tea! An not tea bag tea either. It is made in Germany reportedly from Darjeeling tea extract. It is mildly but not too sweet. There are also notes of honey and caramel as well as a hint of some floral medicinal type herb I cannot place. But overall, the aroma in a glass, after the initial rush of alcohol is like a fine, richly brewed and nuanced cup of good quality Indian or Ceylon tea. It even has a slightly tannic and the mouth-filling taste of tea. It was wonderful straight, but I can’t wait to try it tonight with milk just before bed (well, almond or soy milk since I’ve become vegan). At last, I think I may have found the solution to the problem of what to drink at night when I have a hankering for a cup of tea but don’t want the caffeine. No more tasteless decaf. Hmm..or maybe on one of these last hot days before Fall sets in, as iced tea?

I discovered it just this afternoon while on a business trip, and went out to buy something for a night cap later this evening. It was a small strip mall liqueur store near my hotel, but owned by a charming Indian gentleman whose family had lived in Uganda for many years and then London. He had a very good selection of wines and spirits but this one, on a back shelf caught my eye. Fortunately I only poured a little bit just to taste it, because as soon as I finish this post I’m going to run back out and pick up a few more bottles to take home. Best of all, it’s not at all expensive – less in fact than I usually pay for just several ounces of quality tea!