Tea Review: Christmas Tea (Kaley Tea)

Christmas Tea

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

Smooth spicy floral fragrances and flavours of Tea, Cardamom and Cloves.

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has prominent notes of cloves and cardamom.

The liquor is dark red with a sweet clove and cardamom aroma.  The taste is bold and moderately astringent with notes of baking spices and a spicy finish.

The dry leaf and the liquor aroma reminds me of winter holiday baking with a finish that was reminiscent of eating spice cookies, more specifically pfeffernusse.  Steeping for 3 minutes produced bold yet tasty results while a slightly shorter 2 minute steep remained flavorful with slightly less astringency.

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.

Tea Review: Green Tea Pearl (Kaley Tea)

Green Tea Pearl
Kaley Tea
Type: Green
Origin: Sri Lanka, Kotapola
Product Description:

Tender leaves and buds from a rare Chinese cultivar are plucked at dawn, steamed, panfried and rolled delicately on the palms of artisans.

Temperature: 190° F
Amount: 1 pearl (2.3 grams)
Steeping Time: 5 minutes

The dry leaves have a lightly sweet green aroma.

The pale peach yellow liquor has a light, sweet, green aroma with hints of grass and nuts.  The taste is light, savory, and green with a clean finish.

This tea has a particularly gentle flavor and aroma.  I would recommend using two pearls and/or steeping longer using hotter water to help the tea leaves unfurl and release more flavor.

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.

Tea Review: Green Tea Cigar (Kaley Tea)

Green Tea Cigar
Kaley Tea
Type: Green
Origin: Sri Lanka, Kotapola
Product Description:

Tea leaves and buds are steamed, panfried, and rolled into a cigar and fired over many weeks.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 1 cigar
Steeping Time: 5 minutes

The dry leaf aroma is light and peppery with sweet oat notes.

The light golden peach liquor has a sweet, nutty, and green aroma and taste.

This tea was light and green throughout three infusions with more to look forward to as the leaves continue to unfurl.

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.

Tea Review: Graceful Green Tea (Kaley Tea)

Graceful Green Tea
Kaley Tea
Type: Green
Origin: Sri Lanka, Kotapola
Product Description:

Young leaves and buds are steamed, panfried and fired at varying degrees of temperature.

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 1-1.5 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of sweet oats, pepper, and wood.

The pale green liquor has a light and savory green edamame (soybean) aroma with a light taste of edamame and snow peas.

While I found the best results for flavor without astringency by steeping for 1.5 minutes, a 2 minute steep will produce something more bold with mild astringency for those who may prefer it that way.  The best flavor was in the first two infusions with pleasant buttery notes appearing in the second.

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.

Tea Review: Enchanting White Tea (Kaley Tea)

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

Selectively handpicked young buds are sundried over a few days and packed without further human touch.

Temperature: 175° F
Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 5 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of oats and wood with a hint of fruit.

The golden liquor has an aroma of warm stone fruit with a hint of pepper.  The taste has notes of stone fruit with a hint of green vine and sunflower seeds and a long fruity finish.

This tea was lovely, light, and fruity with no astringency.  Steeping for 5 minutes produced the best results, though it is still nice if understated when steeped for a shorter time.

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.

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.

Tea Review: Lapsang Souchong (Kaley Tea)

Lapsang Souchong

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

Tea leaves withered by rainforest winds are gently handrolled and smoked with Cinnamon wood on a traditional clay oven. 

Smoky notes reminiscent of forest campfire linger as a soulful blend of creamy Cinnamon and flowers pass you-by!

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 3 grams
Steeping Time: 2-3 minutes

The dry leaves have an aroma of campfire smoke and cinnamon.

The copper orange infusion has a heavy aroma of smoke with a hint of cinnamon.  The taste is smoky with cinnamon notes and a long, smoky finish.

Steeping the first infusion for 2-3 minutes produced the best results for my preferences, though a shorter steeping time will still have good results if you prefer something mellower.  Reducing the steeping time to 1 minute following the initial infusion resulted in full smoky flavor with no astringency.  This tea was flavorful throughout three infusions and a delight for people like myself who favor smoky teas.  

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.

Tea Review: Black Tea Cigar (Kaley Tea)

Black Tea Cigar

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

Tea leaves and buds are crafted together to form a beautifully shaped Black Tea Cigar. The infusion takes you on an aromatic voyage of subtle earthy flavours and floral poetry.

Temperature: 208° F

Amount: 1 cigar
Steeping Time: 5 minutes

The dry leaf aroma is light with hints of sweet cinnamon and wood. 

The golden liquor has a rich aroma of honey, brown bread, and oats with a hint of apricot.  The taste is rich and thick with honey with no notable astringency.

This tea is very user friendly, offering the best flavor after 5 minutes or longer without developing astringency.  While I initially left the end tied to keep the leaves together which caused them to unfurl like a flowering tea, I found that completely untying them after the initial steeping allowed the flavor to develop more fully. This would be great for work and travel where you want to enjoy a cup of good quality loose leaf tea without the messy cleanup and without the use of a teabag. 

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.

Tea Review: Black Tea Pearl (Kaley Tea)

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

Tea leaves plucked late afternoon are slow withered overnight by rainforest winds and gently handrolled at dawn, on the palms of artisans. A shimmering light golden cup, the fragrance of forest floor and delicate floral and fruity flavours of Oolong, caress the senses.

Temperature: 208° F
Amount: 4 grams
Steeping Time: 3 minutes

The dry leaf aroma has notes of brown bread, oats, and honey.

The amber infusion has a rich aroma of honey, brown bread, apricot, and a hint of green vine.  The taste is thick with honey notes which carry on into a long finish.

While the first infusion produced no notable astringency, it does begin to develop quickly as the tea leaves unfurl.  Lowering the water temperature and steeping for a shorter time will help to reduce the astringency if that is your preference.  This tea was a delight to drink and left me with a strong craving for honey on freshly baked brown bread.  

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.

My thanks to Kaley Tea for the opportunity to sample their teas.

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