Kenyan Tinderet

Had with milk and 1 stevia

Free sample included with my DAVIDsTEA order.

I was actually pretty curious to see how the samples would be handled with this order since I actually didn’t order any tea this go around. I love the aesthetic of most DAVIDs mugs and tumblers but their teas…I just haven’t found one that measures up to what its advertised to be.

So anyhow, I received a sample of this, their second flush darjeeling, and the peaches and cream herbal. The herbal was sorely disappointing but this seemed like a good option for breakfast this morning so I steeped it up.

The dry leaf looks a lot like Butiki’s Crimson Horizon, maybe a bit smaller though. Boyfriend says it looks a lot like grapenuts, but it has my favorite breakfast black tea smell, so very malty and rich. The resemblance to Crimson Horizon has me nervous though because that is some of the most bitter, astringent tea I’ve ever had and that happens after about 1.5 minutes of steeping, nowhere near my 4 minute norm (and the recommended steep time) for this.

After being brewed this is very dark and I chanced a sip plain, though I had the creamer ready. Initially it was a very rich black tea but then the astringence crept in. Great, thick texture but yeah, this cannot be drank plain. I can cut some slack for this because I never drink breakfast teas plain anyway, but it was worth noting.

Once creamer is added this tea is fabulous. The sugar/milk smooth out the bitterness, leaving just the malty notes and thick, chewy texture. This is a very strong tea and could definitely be a coffee substitute in the morning, and honestly, I really do like it. It’s easily the best DAVIDs tea I’ve ever had. I imagine it will give me the energy to start digging into my schoolwork all day – which is great…I really need a kick in the pants there.

Putting this on my wish list just in case I place an order in the near future.

I received a small 10g sample of this tea as part of a Davids Tea sampler that I got for Christmas. This one is a fairly standard CTC-style leaf that brews up into a deep red-coloured tea as I’ve noticed Kenyan black teas tend to. The flavour is alright, nothing especially good or especially bad. It reminds me a great deal of an English Breakfast with that robustness and slightly toasty quality you tend to find. It was nice to drink in the mornings when I had to be at work at 5am because it woke me up quickly, but it’s not a tea I would casually drink for pleasure.

Sipdown #5: Oh, ok, phew. I get this tea now. My first steep last night didn’t go so well—I oversteeped, and the bitterness almost knocked me over. Saved with a heaped teaspoon of sugar, but I wanted to make sure I Did It Right with my next (and last) cup (this was one of my free DAVIDsTEA online order samples). Infused in my Timolino and then brought to work with me, because we all know when I try to steep at work I always oversteep.

I totally get a nose full of maltiness from this tea now that I’ve sorted things out with my second brew. It’s rich and the hint of bitterness is probably what leads people to the coffee conclusion but for me it’s definitely just a heavy tea tannin, really gutsy. Lovely. Glad I sorted this out but now sad I don’t have more, hahaha.

Tried this tea with David’s recipe for Milk Tea. It is pretty tasty, but not sure I would enjoy this tea plain.

Ok so like 5 minutes after my first few sips, I could instantly feel my head buzzing. This is STRONG! For the first time EVER, I had to add some milk to my tea. I think next time I brew this, I will only use 1/2 scoop of tea (I used a full scoop using the davids perfect spoon, which is at least 1.5 tsp)and I will keep the steeping to a 3-4 min maximum. Still loved the robust flavor though :)

This tea packs quite a punch! Caffeine wise, that is!
I got three substantial steeps out of this tea. I think that it is a nice black tea, no gimmicks, went well with milk and sugar.

I just can’t help but share my love of this tea. It is the cup that awakes me each morning, and is beautifully sipped with milk and sugar. Kenyan Tinderet is definitely in my top 10!

Well, this is my first tea review…!

I am just getting into loose leaf teas (I am a big tea drinker, regular Tetley or Twinings bagged tea is what I always drink, so I guess that’s what I’d be comparing this to), and I am NOT getting the hang of this. I used the recommended amount (1 1/2tsp), and let it sit for 8 minutes…and still it was tasteless. I’ve tried a number of times with this same tea (and the English breakfast one), in a cup, in a pot (adjusting the amount of tea of course), and same result each time. Not sure what I’m doing wrong, but I’m definitely not getting the results the rest of you are!

This tea is tasteless! (Though that’s just because I think I must be doing something wrong)

I love this tea and drink it often.it is a very full bodied tea, a great option for a breakfast tea as it will stand up well to the addition of milk and sugar (although I drink it without either). I leave my leafs in the entire time I am drinking instead of the recommended 4-6min. I don’t find the tea to get bitter or astringent (however I am not very sensitive to either); it stays smooth and earthy even with leaving the leaves in for so long. This is a CTC tea and definitely has a different appearance than most straight black teas. It is one of my favorite straight black teas, if not my favorite.