Product Overview
CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Sweet caramel satisfies at the start and haunting Earl Grey satisfies at the finish. Yes, you can get satisfaction, twice.
INGREDIENTS: Black tea, Apple pieces, Cornflower + Linden + Mallow petals, Natural flavors(organic compliant).
INGREDIENTS FROM: India / Sri Lanka / China / Albania / Bulgaria
REGION(S): Assam / Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva / Shandong / Tirana / Varna
GROWING ALTITUDES: 500 - 8500 feet above sea level
GRADE(S): FOP (Flowery 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:
We've dedicated this blend to the tale of Dorian Gray, as told in Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde.
In the story, the young Dorian wishes that a portrait, painted of himself, would age instead of his actual body, allowing him to retain the spirit and beauty of his youth - Mr. Gray was evidently quite vain! The tragedy for Dorian is that no matter how hard he tries, beauty is ethereal and will always fade. In the end, he dies, aged and disfigured.
So why would we dedicate a tea to his cause? Our Master Taster, a great fan of Oscar Wilde thought that there was no better way to capture the fleeting qualities of beauty than through a tea. Tea is itself a beautiful product to behold with so much time and effort going into creating each individual leaf. Once boiling water is poured over them, the leaves whither and releases their golden essence never to produce a good strong cup again. (Unless of course you're talking green teas, some of which can be brewed up to 5 times!) This blend is based on the floral notes of a good strong Earl Grey that is sweetened further with a touch of caramel, both flavors serving to hint at the sweet hold of youth. To further enhance his vision of a tea that reflects the waning qualities of temporal beauty, our Master Taster blended in dried apple pieces, calendula petals, and delicate elderblossoms - products of nature that lend a character of tragic allure. Brew a pot for yourself and dream of years gone by. Ah...sweet youth...and even sweeter tea!
| TEA CUP | 8oz (237ml) | 10oz (296ml) | 12oz (355ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOUNT | 1 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 1 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 1.5 heaping teaspoon of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" |
| MILD | 2-3 min | 2-3 min | 2-3 min |
| MEDIUM | 4-5 min | 4-5 min | 4-5 min |
| STRONG | 6-7 min | 6-7 min | 6-7 min |
| Blue Monkey Tea recommends 4-5 min | |||
| TEA POT | 18oz (532ml) | 36oz (1064ml) | 48oz (1419ml) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AMOUNT | 2 heaping teaspoons of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 4 heaping teaspoons of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" | 6 heaping teaspoons of "The Perfect Measure Spoon" |
| MILD | 2-3 min | 2-3 min | 2-3 min |
| MEDIUM | 4-5 min | 4-5 min | 4-5 min |
| STRONG | 6-7 min | 6-7 min | 6-7 min |
| Blue Monkey Tea recommends 4-5 min | |||
| MILK | SUGAR | LEMON | MINT |
|---|---|---|---|
| OK | OK | NO | NO |
HOT 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 Metropolitan Tea to place an order.
ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: For a greater antioxidant benefit brew longer and use more tea.
