New to Ceylons

[woozl]

I am new to Ceylon loose leaf. I've only had crappy bags.
I know my way around Darjeelings and Chinese blacks.
I have 3 sample here:Adwatte Estate OP, Kenliworth OP,Tea Bank Esatate FBOPF.
I've just tried Adwatte.
The infused leafs have a fair amount of stems. Is this normal?
Tasting notes:
Dry leaf: nice twisted dark brown+aromas of caramel, dusty oak,coca,vanilla spice.
Wet leaf: stemmy
Liquor:clear amber red, aromas of brown sugar+raisins, touch of lemon.
Palate: smooth round mouth feel with lingering flavors. It has a touch of what
I call "wet dog fur" funk (not unpleasant) a taste I find in some red wines.
I've never seen this in tea. Is this classic Ceylon flavor?

_Doug

[auggy]

I'm probably no help because I've only had SpecialTeas' Ceylon Pettiagalla FOP (had it this morning, in fact) and the main taste I get from it is raspberries. No wet dog funk to be had, though I could see the lemon and maybe raisins. Also, I don't believe mine has many stems, but then black tea leaves are the ones I really don't pay attention to.

[Intuit]

The Story of Ceylon Tea

http://withanage.tripod.com/ceyl_tea.ht ... nufactured

Major tea regions, harvest seasons, infusion description, and brewing/serving instructions.

[Beidao]

I've had a Kenilworth OP and I liked it quite. I've had cheap Ceylons that I've loved and I've had expensive Ceylons that were nothing special. So, it's an interesting part of the tea world were you can often get good quality for a modest price. I like my Ceylon to have a "smooth round mouth feel", just as you say. I find that to be an indicator of a good one.

[tenuki]

I wouldn't trust the Cylons if I were you, they nuked the 12 colonies.

[silvermage2000]

Thats a interesting flavor perhaps I should try some. And I guess there are different versions of ceylons to.

[geeber1]

I wouldn't trust the Cylons if I were you, they nuked the 12 colonies.

If only they had had some tEa!

[woozl]

Here is my second Ceylon:
Boiling, 1.5 tsp./6 oz. 5 min. Kenliworth OP.
Dry leaf: Long twisted dark brown with some lighter reddish tips. Toasy malt aromas.
Wet leaf: Stemmy broken leaf. Woody, wet dog fur aromas.
Liquor: Deep reddish color with a light brown ring. Malty aromas of caramel, cooked brown sugar, notes of baked apples and some honeyed clover. Some wet dog but less than Adwatte.
Palate: very round mouth feel. Lingering coating of similar flavors, and some dried apricot. Better and more complex at cooler temps.
Neither one make a compelling 2nd infusion.

I am liking this more than the Adwatte. It's growing on me but still not my fav.

-woozl-

[joelbct]

I wouldn't trust the Cylons if I were you, they nuked the 12 colonies.

I was like, wait, Sri Lanka has nukes? And what colonies?


In all seriousness mr/ms Woozl, check out Vithanakande Estate FBOPEX.

Also, this one from In Pursuit is pretty good... Or was when I tried it anyway, says its from 2007.

[shardy53]

joelbct

I took your advice and bought some Vithanakande Estate FBOPF (EX) and loved it. It is a great Ceylon.

Steve

[woozl]

My third and last Ceylon sample. Tea Bank Estates FBFOPF ex spl
Now this is tea! This style of Ceylon is referred to as "spider leg"
Boiling, 2 tsp./6 oz. 4 min.
Dry leaf: long and twisted with silvery tips. Malty and honeyed aromas.
Wet: Slight woody aroma, and honey comb. NO STEMS (quality is immediately apparent in comparison to previous two teas).
Liquor: Deep vibrant red. Reddest tea I've ever seen in fact.
Palate: Caramel, vanilla, honey comb, baked apples. Creamy body with a coating long finish. Makes 2 good infusions.
I would buy more of this one.

Out of twenty various samples(only 2 left to go) I would only order maybe 3 or 4 of the black teas I tried.