Kenya Flowery Orange Pekoe Black Tea

The first tea I tried in a big box I just got from What-Cha as a birthday present.

Not bad. I wanted to try this as sort of an everyday drinker black tea similar to one from India. I didn’t brew it strong enough — I’d say it needs about 2 tsp. per cup.

I’m not sure if I tried tea from Kenya before. I’d say it stands up fine to any solid malty black.

This is once again, an amazingly smooth and moderate black from What-Cha. Very unlike other Kenyan teas I’ve had. I know that orange is unrelated to any flavor the tea possesses, but rather to the grade of leaf. However, like donkeytiara, I also get a little hint of orange in this tea. It’s mainly moderately malty and light with no bitterness or astringency, even as it cools. Really, really good.

I’ve held on to this sample from a What-cha order for quite some time, as I believe I think like the rest of most Steepsterites about Kenyan teas. Well, in general, they’re not very exciting. They’re used in Breakfast Blends because they are affordable and don’t really offer any nuances…they’re just straight strength and malt. Well, I need to learn to rethink my groupthink, as this is not your mamma’s bagged tea in leaf form…..

Using the steeping parameters set by What-Cha, I found myself looking into a cup of golden tea and smelling all sorts of floral delicacies. I live near orange groves in Southern California and the smell from this flowery orange pekoe black tea is similar to orange blossoms…white, delicate and sweet. The maltiness of the cup is well balanced by this sweet floral note and a woodsy mid-note that gives the tea a nice round mouthfeel. There is some astringency here, but it isn’t the typical “how’d my socks get blown off” astringency of Kenya CTCs….. (I’m still missing some socks from earlier steeping experiments with Kenya CTCs.) This Orange Pekoe black tea is much more refined in it’s astringency. It elevates the flavor profile to an afternoon tea. An afternoon tea that would feel at home accompanying cucumber sandwiches as well as PB and J sandwiches. One that I would serve my non-tea enthusiast friends and they would recognize as really nice and refined tea without any “weird flavors”.

With the scorching summer approaching quickly here near San Diego, I will be glad I have the rest of the sample package from What-Cha for mornings when I think I just might not be able to bear the thought of a heavy cup of tea….that’s when this previously forgotten sample will be remembered and enjoyed again, wholeheartedly.

PS: I can’t believe there are only 2 of us that have reviewed this tea…. anyone else own it but haven’t gotten around to drinking it yet?

I had this one a couple days ago when Steepster was down. Adding it now. Edited from my blog post:

I used my press and water heated to the recommended 95 C (203 F) and steeped it for 2 1/2 minutes. The guidelines say 2-3 minutes. The result is a nicely orange liquor that sparkles as I pour it.

Cooled to drinking temperature – which is probably cooler than most of you like it but I don’t care for extremely hot tea. My first sip is… really nice. This is extremely smooth. Honestly I was expecting a lot of throat grabbing bite. Nope. None. No bitterness. If it is astringent, I am immune. I am also not noticing any problem with stomach burn on an empty stomach.

What I am getting is a really smooth malty sip with a fruitiness mid sip. This dissolves into as close as this gets to bite, which is really more of a woodsy taste. What-Cha calls it an earthy finish.

Second cup: While the cup was hotter than I normally like it, I took a sip and thought it was kind of mushroom and pond water. However, as the cup cooled the smooth malt returned at the front of the sip, then finished with earthy woodsy taste blended with the mushroom. The really hot cup was not my style but I quite enjoyed this second cup, once it cooled. It remains very smooth.