Tea Tasting Tuesday June 2022

Tea Tasting Tuesday June 2022

Are you following us on instagram or facebook? If so you may have noticed our Tea Tasting Tuesday posts! Each Tuesday we take a deep dive into one of our teas. In case you missed any of them here’s a round up from June

#1 Organic Kabusecha Kirishima

We started the month tasting our Japanese Kabusecha. This is a less well known Japanese green tea. The word Kabusecha means ‘shaded tea’. The leaves are shaded for 10-14 days prior to harvesting. This results in the tea plant producing small, deep green leaves which when infused gives a yellow-green liquor (infusion) with a creamy and umami flavour reminiscent of fresh Edamame soya beans. It’s a brilliant tea to drink in the summer as it’s very refreshing!

How to brew:
Use filtered and freshly boiled water 70°C
For a lighter and sweeter infusion use ½ teaspoon of tea per 200ml cup + ½ for the pot. Infuse for 1.5 mins.

For a stronger more umami infusion use 1 teaspoon per 200ml cup +1 for the pot. Infuse for 1 min.

#2 Ceylon OP Dimbula Uduwela

We love Sri Lankan black teas! OP stands for Orange Pekoe meaning ‘large leaf’ and this lives up to its name with beautiful long twisted black leaves. This delicious single estate tea is grown 1400m above sea level. The area around Dimbula Uduwela has long been famous for its high quality tea gardens.  The soil is rich in minerals and the excellent climatic conditions, help with producing the highest quality tea!
The large leaves give an infusion with a rich brown colour and a smooth and well-balanced taste with a flavour reminiscent of honey.

How to brew:
Use filtered and freshly boiled water 100°C. Use 1 teaspoon (2g) per 200ml cup +1 for the pot. Infuse for 3-5mins. The longer the brew the stronger the infusion will be. If you would like to add milk, we recommend going for a 5min brewing time.

#3 Mi Lan Xiang Oolong (Honey Orchid)

This week we chose one of our favourite oolongs – Mi Lan Xiang, which translates to Honey Orchid. This name was given to reflect the fragrance and character of the tea. It’s grown in the mountains of Feng Huang Shan in Guangdong province, China and is one of the oldest and most popular Oolongs of its kind.
This tea is lightly oxidised and then roasted to bring out the signature ‘honey orchid’ fragrance and flavour and is probably best enjoyed being drunk in the gong fu brewing style (multiple short infusions).
The dark, large leaves give an orange liquor (infusion) with a sweetish honey/orchid flavour.

How to brew:
Western Style – Use filtered and freshly boiled water 90-95°C. Allow 1 – 2 teaspoon of tea (2g) per 200ml cup +1 for the pot. Infuse for 3-4min.

Gongfu – Use 5g of leaf/100ml of water. Use filtered and freshly boiled water 90-95°C
Rinse the leaves.
1st Brew – 30seconds, add 5 seconds to each subsequent brew.
You can read about brewing tea using a Gaiwan in our blog here!

#4 Xantou Mandarin Shu Pu Erh

A new and more unusual tea was tasted this week! Pu Erh is aged and fermented tea from the Yunnan Province of China. Pu Erh has long been revered in Chinese medicine for the healthy properties of this tea. It is thought to aid with weight loss, boosts the immune system and has a cleansing effect due to the high amount of antioxidants.
This particular tea was created by filling a dried mandarin with high quality dark/shu Pu Erh.
The tea leaves absorb the mandarin flavour and scent giving the infusion a deep reddish brown colour with a clean, slightly sweet earthy flavour and mandarin after-taste.

How to brew:
Unpeel the mandarin skin and break off 1 teaspoon of tea (roughly 2g) per 200ml cup. We recommend not using the peel. Use filtered and freshly boiled water 95°C Infuse for 4 min.