Organic Ceylon OP1

I’m sad to report that Kally Tea has closed it’s doors. I really loved this company. They were so friendly and nice, it was always a pleasure to deal with them. And I really loved their organic line of teas like this Organic Ceylon.

When I opened the pouch, I smelled … leather. This reminds me of the smell you might experience if you were to walk into an old library with the leather bound books. There are subtle hints of tobacco too, so, perhaps there’s a little bit of pipe tobacco that was left by the last library patron.

This is a delightful Ceylon. I usually consider Ceylon to be pretty even-tempered, and yes, that is true of this tea. It has a medium body and it’s fairly mellow as far as black tea goes. But it has a rich flavor that is a little bit malty and sweet, and there are some earthy tones to it too. It’s a nicely round tasting tea.

The sweetness is reminiscent of dried fruit. Like ground up raisins and dates … that kind of sweetness, with maybe just a hint of molasses mixed in. Mmm! It’s a very satisfying flavor. I don’t get a lot of the tobacco or leathery flavors that I noticed in the aroma, maybe just a subtle hint of these notes mingle with the aforementioned earthy notes.

This would make a really nice late morning or early afternoon tea. It isn’t quite as invigorating as, say, an Assam might be, so it’s not the tea I’d reach for as my first tea in the morning to help me shake the sleepies. This is more like the early afternoon pick-me-up kind of tea that I’d want when I start to feel that drag begin to set in, you know? When I need just a little something to perk me up and keep me going.

It makes me sad that Kally Tea is gone now, and since they are no longer operating, I am not going to rate this.