Kenilworth

With all the kitchen revamping, I have had to move my tea stash. I realized that I seriously need to prune my collection and I am trying to drink some of the older teas. When we first went loose leaf we drank a lot of Ceylons, but then I went to Fujian black, then oolong and green, and I ignored my Ceylons. Snce this one caught my eye, I thought I would try to find out why I had so much of it left after so long.

This was the second tea served at tea party today. We had White Stilton Cheese with Cranberries on crackers and Pepperidge Farm Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies, as well as Oreos and Danish Wedding Cookies.

The color of the tea as I poured it was so deep and rich, and the flavor was the same! Why didn’t I drink this up when I got it? This is fantastic tea, and my guest loved it, too! The aroma and taste were fruity fruity fruity. I won’t wait long to make this one again.

It seems that I am discovering a newfound love for Ceylon teas so please excuse me while I drool over this for a while, a delightful sample pack from H & S which I received yesterday. My first Ceylon from Kenilworth as far as I know.

I steeped this via regular teapot method this morning. The leaf of this tea smells absolutely fruity, cherries, berries, a red wine type of juicy fullness. I decided I had to drink the first cup of this plain to see how it is by itself.

Holy Wow Batman! My cup is an exceptionally smooth, dark and chocolate-y elixir with a slight malt aroma. I might have used a bit too much leaf because this is quite strong, but good. If I made this again I would definitely use a bit less leaf. I am picking up on a bit of briskness at the end, a slight bit of tannin, but it does not seem overwhelming. I did take off a few points for the tannins (because I am a wuss with acid reflux) but this could be my fault for the overzealous water to leaf ratio. More experiments clearly need to be done!

Kenilworth, warm honey toast
we don’t mean to boast
but we find it the most

delicious

Reordered this one instead of UVA Highlands as part of my January restocking. It’s a smooth, not to tannic brew. I can easily get two good steepings from a 1tsp scoop. It has the nice clear, “picture perfect” look of the tea you’d use for an advertising campaign. taste good too! Adjusting my rating upwards based on the last year’s knowledge gain ;-)

Of the few Ceylons I have tried, this is the better of them. Unlike the others, this one has a flavor! (I was starting to doubt Ceylon teas). This one would be a good daily black tea. Not too bold and not too delicate. Notes of warm honey (which I usually don’t like) make this a very comforting drink to have around in the Fall.

ETA: There is another flavor I detect that makes the honey notes more appealing to me, sort of a woodiness I suppose, as one of the other tasting notes described it. It all comes together quite nicely :) And now, I really must return to my reading (Florentin for a German class. . .tea and reading = <3 )

A warm tea, smooth flavor, no bitterness.

This tea was brisk, but quite smooth with the addition of milk. It is a fine morning tea. I gave it a shorter brew time than some blacks and found that some of leaves were broken enough to escape the filter basket. This is an enjoyable Ceylon tea.

After a questionable experience with Harney’s Big Red Sun (which I’m hoping was a prep issue), I thought I’d try another of their Kenilworth selections a shot. Good call.

This delicious and delightful Ceylon has such a pleasant aroma while steeping…I could hardly wait to get it in the cup. When I did, I was treated to mellow sips of toasted malt, honey and maybe an edge of cherry.

Glad I ordered more than a sample…

I bought this tea last week but finally am getting around to having it today. I like the color of the dried leaves when I opened the tin—very dark and consistent with only a few tips. I know this means it isn’t a “tippy” tea, but that isn’t always a bad thing.

I steeped 9 grams of leaves in 20 ounces of near boiling water for 4 minutes. The brewed liquor came out very dark as well—brown, like the color of coffee. It looks appealing!

When I first smelled the tea’s liquor, I immediately picked up a woody scent, with a hint of cream or milk to it. I didn’t add anything to the tea so I was surprised by that. When I tasted it, I could also taste both the woody and creamy flavors I found in the aroma. Along with these, I also noticed very slight molasses and cherry flavors. The taste was very fresh and smooth. I did not taste any malt to it; since I normally drink Assam teas in the morning, I was mistakenly expecting it. This was a nice change from the normal for me.

Overall, I enjoyed it and will be glad to add this to my regular drinking routine. It has a flavor similar to other black teas, but different enough to make it unique. That really is all I hope for when I try new teas. :)

Some mornings as I stand before the gaping maw of the seemingly endless cavern that is my tea pantry I am confounded at making a choice. What am I in the mood for today? On those indecisive days I go for my old faithful – Kenilworth Ceylon from Harney. The long, dark dry leaf is lovely. The heavenly Ceylon fragrance beckons me to be brewed. And this brew never fails. The ruby liquor is gorgeous to behold. The aroma is an oaky, loamy spice. The flavor is brisk yet ultimately mellow – Suitable for breakfast or afternoon tea. Kenilworth has a definite honey taste with notes of toasty oak and spice. There is a lovely delicate hint of cocoa too in this sweet melange. Stands up beautifully to milk and sugar. Kenilworth is a classic tea that I am always glad I decided to brew up. Especially on my indecisive days – Like today!