Black Currant (Tea Store; 241 Princess Street, Kingston)
Type: Flavoured black
Ingredients: Unlisted. I see black (orange pekoe grade) tea leaves and lilac coloured flowers (from the black currant).
Serving size: One tea spoon to one full mug water.
Raw aroma: Sweet and earthy. Light smell of herb.
Brewing aroma: Pure black tea.
Steeping time: Seven minutes.
Tip: Many like to enjoy a black or green tea without the natural caffeine. To decaffeinate a pot, use multiple steeps. In the first, put in just enough water to bury the leaves, and let it steep for about a minute (nearly 80% of the caffeine in tea is released during this time). Toss the tea, and steep using the same leaves again. This will produce a much less caffeinated cup. The more this is done, the less caffeine remains in the brew. However, that also goes for flavour. To retain natural taste, only do this once or twice.
The now green-yellow brew has a great first sip. It’s light and tastes faintly of jam, with no bitter aftertaste (characteristic of black tea without honey or sugar). While the currant isn’t a strong note, it relieves my palate of any harsh black flavours. I taste the Earthy aroma of its brew a few sips in. Finishing the cup leaves me awake and alert, caffeine’s doing its job.
I would recommend this as a quick, morning, out-the-door brew. While not entirely flavourful, the Black Currant tea doesn’t require any additives to neutralize bitter flavours. It also didn’t beg a long steep (I steeped my second cup for ten minutes and found no profound difference in taste).
Verdict: 6.5/10
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