Got this in January’s TeaRunners box, and at that time I tasted it hot, and it was good but unremarkable, you know? Typical African black tea, full bodied and brisk, big assamica vibes. But then yesterday I drank it after a long (nearly 24h I think?) cold steep and I was blown away by the fruity notes that emerged! Like purple grape juice, blueberry compote, blackberries… I’m not sure why I was so convinced that the colour of the flavour was dark purple, but the impression persisted for the entire mug. So I set up another cold steep last night, same parameters (5g in 500ml DavidsTea Nordic Mug) and I was so impatient I had a little taste this morning and… no fruit notes. Hmm. So I’m going to keep steeping and cross my fingers that it wasn’t a fluke and just needs more time. :)
I haven’t been able to figure out where Tearunners sourced this from, which is a bit annoying, because if I can make that fruit thing happen again I’m definitely gonna want more. Most places selling a black tea from Luponde Tea Estate online have it in CTC form (BP1 grade), which I think they’re sourcing from Metropolitan Tea Co, which… excellent, multiple domestic vendors to choose from. But the tea I actually got was definitely orthodox, not CTC… probably FOP or BOP from what I remember of the dry leaf. My best guess is that Tearunners sourced it from Simpson & Vail at some point in the past (actually, yeah, I just went back to look at https://steepster.com/teas/simpson-and-vail/90857-tanzania-luponde-black-organic-tea-fop and the description of the tea is the same) but it no longer even exists on the S&V website (for comparison, their Kenyan black FOP still has a page on the website where it’s marked as being out of stock). What does that mean?? Yes, I know I’m overthinking this. Anyway, if anyone on steepster has the CTC black from Luponde please go cold steep it and report back on your results, lol.
Flavors: Blueberry, Grapes
Preparation
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I searched for years for a tea source, so I’m right there with you. You might reach out to either company for an answer if you’re super curious/so inclined. :)
Update: I let it steep for another night and this morning it is… slightly fruity but also a bit tannic, more like grape peels. I didn’t think it was possible to overinfuse while cold brewing but I think I may have managed it. Hmm.
I searched for years for a tea source, so I’m right there with you. You might reach out to either company for an answer if you’re super curious/so inclined. :)
Update: I let it steep for another night and this morning it is… slightly fruity but also a bit tannic, more like grape peels. I didn’t think it was possible to overinfuse while cold brewing but I think I may have managed it. Hmm.