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“This tea is strong, with a bitterness and astringency that grows with every sip. I took it in my tumbler to do errands on Saturday morning and I could handle it unadulterated, but just barely. It...” Read full tasting note
“another tea in my fall cupboard cleaning bunch…gotta make room for new ones as the weather gets colder. This Ceylon became one of my go-to teas for the occasion that I just wanted a nice, plain...” Read full tasting note
“Tried this today from a coworker’s new stash. First off – tiny, tiny, tiny leaves! It reminds me of a Pakistani tea someone brought me – almost looks like instant coffee. Harney site suggests...” Read full tasting note
“Haven’t had this one in a long time. I asked my random tea generator (my twelve year old daughter) what I should drink today and she said, “Uva Highlands!” So here we are. This is a rotovaned...” Read full tasting note
Uva Highlands is a lovely high-grown Ceylon Pekoe from Uva, with small leaves that produce an intense tea. It is bright and brisk, with a minty spice note guaranteed to pick you up on dull afternoons. It can handle milk and sugar with aplomb.
Details: Located on the eastern slopes of Sri Lanka, the Uva section makes tea that gets your attention, because they are brisk. They are one of the few known for having wintergreen flavors. This comes from methyl salicylate that is used in the plant’s self-defense system.
Dry Leaves: Dark brown leaves cut into small pieces.
Liquor: Red brown.
Aroma: A good tea from Uva has the wintergreen aromas found in mints. This happens because of the plant cultivar and winds that dry the plant, concentrating the aromas.
Caffeine Level: Caffeinated
Body: This is a medium bodied tea that welcomes milk. The tea is quite brisk, filling your mouth with tingles.
Flavors: It is a blend of honey and citrus, with a strong note of wintergreen.
Since 1983 Harney & Sons has been the source for fine teas. We travel the globe to find the best teas and accept only the exceptional. We put our years of experience to work to bring you the best Single-Estate teas, and blends beyond compare.
This is literally the THIRD Saturday I’ve had off since early August. And this is the first one of them I haven’t been traveling. I don’t know what to do with myself! (Oh, wait… yes I do. Homework.)
Normally, I shy away from this kind of tea; I have to be in the right mood for something “minty” like the packaging describes. Today, I wanted to try something different, and this fit the bill.
The leaves are small and dark brown. The aroma is pretty faint, but a little odd… it’s not quite smoky, it’s more rubbery.
The water wasn’t quite boiling when I took it off the stove, but I steeped for about four minutes. It might be partly my fault, but this tea is quite brisk. I can see where they get “mint,” but it’s more of a vaguely “cool” note than true “mint.” Not really a flavor I enjoy, but definitely a good pick-up.
I may have to try this on a shorter steep time before I pass my final judgment, but my first impression: not bad. Nothing to write home about, unlike some of the other teas in H&S’s same sample pack, but not bad.
EDIT: Almost forgot – I have a tea blog! http://steepinclined.wordpress.com/
This is my first blog, so I’m still learning a lot of the ropes. It’s a beginner’s guide to loose-leaf tea, and while it’s basic at this point, it will eventually become a “tea guide” so that if you’re curious about something particular about tea – say, Earl Greys, Da Hong Paos, variable-temperature kettles, or shopping for matcha ware – it’ll give you a starting point.
Congratulations on the new blog!