Caramel Black, Loose Leaf Tea

Caramel Black, Loose Leaf Tea

Flavored Black Tea 

CUP CHARACTERISTICS:Buttery with a hint of vanilla. Envision the aromas of fresh caramel cooking on a stovetop. 

INGREDIENTS:Black tea, Calendula + Sunflower petals, Natural flavors. (organic compliant). 

INGREDIENTS FROM:Sri Lanka / Kenya / Indis / Canada / Egypt / Poland 

REGION(S):Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva / Nandi Highlands / Nilgiri / Ontario / Nile River Delta + Fayoum / Gdansk 

GROWING ALTITUDE(S):4000 - 8500 feet above sea level 

GRADE(S):OP (Orange Pekoe) 

MANUFACTURE TYPE(S):Orthodox (Traditional leafy) 

ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL:High 

CAFFEINE LEVEL:Medium 

KOSHER:Yes 

VEGETARIAN:Yes 

VEGAN:Yes 

ARTISANAL NOTES:Small batch blended and packed in Canada. 

INFUSION:Bright and coppery 

INFORMATION:
Caramel owes much of its legacy to the famous chocolatier Milton Hershey. Before branching into chocolate, Milton brought a confection normally made by grandmothers using butter, vanilla, and sugar to national attention. He formed the Lancaster Caramel Company and then sold it in 1900 for the whopping sum of 1 million dollars thus creating the American Caramel Company.

That company - if you can believe it - even had its own banknotes printed? But enough about that. The taste of caramel is what is truly amazing. Creme caramel...caramel popcorn...caramel ice-cream...caramel cubes...caramel apples.

Any way you look at it caramel is delicious. Its sweet butteriness makes this tea one of the great dessert teas. The slight vanilla notes of the blend mix perfectly with a little milk and a dash of sugar. This tea, true to form, tastes like a million bucks.

What type of tea is used, how is the tea flavored and why are natural flavors used?

Firstly... only high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva are used. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic 'Ceylon' tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of flavored teas. (Other teas from various other origins around the world were tested as base stock for the flavored teas, but none of those teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This 'dual peak period' allowed the best of them to be bought as flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

Secondly... flavoring oils not crystals are used to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.

Thirdly, natural flavors are specified. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat 'soft ' and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas. 

STEEPING TIME

We recommend 4 min

We recommend 4 min. 

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS:
MILK OK, SUGAR OK, LEMON NO, MINT NO. 

IDEAL BREWING TEMPERATURE:100C/212F 

HOT TEA BREWING METHOD:
Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea for each 7-9oz / 200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea). 

ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Pitcher):(To Make 1 Liter/Quart):
Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water.

(Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.) 

ICED TEA BREWING METHOD (Individual Serving):
Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted.

(Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!) 

FOOD SAFETY ADVISORY:We strongly recommend using filtered or freshly drawn cold water brought to a rolling boil when brewing all types of tea. Today's water has been known to carry viruses, parasites and bacteria. Boiling the water will kill these elements and reduce the potential incidence of water-borne illnesses. 

RECOMMENDATION:We recommend the use of our '1 Cup of Perfect Tea' measuring spoon for best results. Please contact Blue Monkey Tea to place an order. 

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT:For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.