Ntingwe Kwazulu

One of those what were you thinking mornings for me. There was more leaf here than I intended to use. This isn’t bitter but it is quite stout. Over leafing removes this from any resemblance to Assam – or Ceylon. It has cinnamon notes and something that makes me think dried tundra grass. Not that its grassy. Maybe it is just knowing this is a South African tea. Halfway through the mug I iced it. Much necessary. Wow. Don’t over leaf.

Leaving the rating from when I knew what I was doing.

An Ode to Tea challenge #2– N

Finished one of my oldest teas!  But I should really work on trying the remaining new teas.  I still haven’t tried most of my Maya order.  This was a brisk black tea, good for caffeine consumption.   It seems like I’m only drinking Challenge teas lately, but I have mostly reviewed many of the other teas that I’m drinking, so Challenge teas are mostly the only teas being logged.
2021 sipdowns: 99

The first thing that I noticed when I opened my 1-kg bag of this (via Amazon) was how tiny the CTC leaf pieces were. They are so tiny! I can’t even steep it in my Beehouse teapot, whose filter has been fine enough for all my other teas besides rooibos. This made me sort of nervous about the quality of the tea. Actually, although the tea does suffer slightly from the leaf pieces being so small, it’s a good and satisfying cup with some character. A short steep is required, because the tannic spent-leaves taste comes out quickly; I recommend 2:30-2:45. I also noticed that as the tea cooled, the “tiny leaf” essence diminished; I feel like it was due to a genuine chemical change and thus it may be worth waiting a bit to drink.

Ntingwe Kwazulu is reminiscent of an Assam for its punch and overall feel, but it also has some Ceylon-esque briskness, making it more than just another PG Tips. Still, it lacks the smoothness of some other CTCs (e.g. The Simple Leaf’s American Breakfast) so it remains a good-to-great, not outstanding, tea.

(moving note from 5 days ago to this listing now that I know who makes it )

tried to drink this in honor of the World Cup. WAY oversteeped it (It is very fine, almost like coffee grounds, and therefore very strong). 3-3:30 min is too long! It was bitter and astringent, and no amount of sugar or cream could save it (I tried!)

Will try again soon with much lower steeping time. It is very good when prepared correctly!

Wow this is strong tea. You’d almost think I’ve been drinking oolongs all day! ;)

As others have mentioned, it’s a tiny, tiny leaf. Almost worse than rooibos for getting through filters. The first time I brewed it, I went for 3-4 minutes, and it darn near killed me. This time, I went for about a minute and it was just slightly under-brewed. It smells wonderful. I’m not as fond of the taste as other teas, but it’s not bad at all.

I’d like to try this iced. I think this would make an awesome iced tea.

I cut the steeping time in half, definitely made the tea easier to drink. This is such a small leaf tea that carries a great punch! If you are looking for a good breakfast tea, this may be the right choice. It is very bold and not for the weak at heart. :) I did finish this pot off by sweetening it just a touch and pouring it over ice. Personally, it seemed to tame the overall flavor (yet not watering down), and became much more delicious with a resemblance of a robust Assam black leaf.

Very clean taste. Tiny, tiny leaves – I used a cloth filter instead of my normal infuser, having learned my lesson from a Pakistani tea that was equally tiny. Also from that tea I didn’t oversteep this one. It would be easy to do so, though. After it cools a bit I catch a tiny hint of astringency. This would stand up well to milk and would make a good breakfast tea.

Aside from the gas money spent on a 100 mile round trip to the store where I found it, it’s a very reasonably priced tea. I also won’t use as many leaves so the purchase will last longer so all in all, probably a good purchase. I’d keep it around if I could come by it easily. It’s probably pretty decent iced, as well.

Ooooh! What an incredibly delightful tea! So delightful in fact, it made me say “Ooooh!” out loud when I took my first sip. The taste is malty and reminiscent of my favourite broken-leaf Assam, but that is where the similarities end. Instead of a heavy, almost astringent maltyness, the flavour manages to come across as fresh and light.
Definitely for those times when you feel like a substantial cuppa but aren’t necessarily having it with a cooked breakfast. Suitable for morning tea or a light supper, with a slice of Apple Banana Cake…

Bright and feisty. Little tiny leaf steeps quickly and gets bitter fast. This will wake you up.

Used up the last of this at my parents’ today. Yum!