Tea Review: Rebels T by Mama D (Kaley Tea)

Rebels T by Mama D

Kaley Tea
Type: Black
Origin: Sri Lanka, Kotapola
Product Description:

1989. Insurgency engulfed Sri Lanka. Tea was hard to find. Undaunted, Mama D, our Master Tea Maker’s mum rekindled a century old tradition. She sundried hand picked tea leaves, pounded on a stone mortar and fired on an open hearth. Voila, a full-bodied strong cuppa of slightly smoked black tea.

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 10 seconds - 1 minute

The dry leaf aroma has notes of brown bread, antique wood, and sweet oats.

The liquor is dark red with an aroma of stone fruit, wood, brown bread, and a light note of caramelized sugar.  The taste is bold and astringent with a long, slightly fruity finish.

This tea releases its full bold flavor with pronounced astringency incredibly quickly and I found that a 1 minute steep was a bit too strong.  Steeping for just 10 seconds seemed to be just right for my preference. While the best flavor is in the first infusion, you can expect a bold cup of tea throughout multiple infusions.  The aroma and flavor hold up beautifully to a splash of milk and a sprinkle of sugar.

Kaley Tea is located in a forested, lowland region of southern Sri Lanka, adjacent to the Sinharaja Forest Reserve, a tropical rainforest and UNESCO World Heritage Site. They specialize in organically grown teas plucked from 100-year-old tea trees and hand-processed in limited batches.

This tea was provided as a free sample without guarantee of a review.