WILD BLACKBERRY (Black Tea with natural flavors) Country of Origin: Sri Lanka Region: Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts Shipping Port: Colombo Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe) Altitude: 4800 - 7600 feet above sea level Manufacture Type: Orthodox Cup Characteristics: Piquant, sweet and berry best describes this tea. Try it with a touch of honey for a special treat. Infusion: Bright and Coppery. Information: Blackberry is a member of the Rosaceae family. It is something of a classic fruit whose aroma and fragrance is captured in this delightful tea. The most common as well as being the most vigorous growing, is the Himalayan Blackberry. Were you also aware that most species of wild blackberry provide a natural source of cover and food for birds as well as some mammals? Not only this, but the Himalayan Blackberry is considered a weed! Not all blackberry leaves are deciduous, many remain evergreen and the vines have a tendency to smoother other plant growth. A Himalayan blackberry can be distinguished from other varieties by its five distinctive leaflets. The California blackberry on the other hand has only three leaflets. The wild blackberry plant can live up to 25 years or more. On the West Coast, blackberries are also known as 'trailing berries' or 'dew berries. Enjoy the delicious character of blackberries in this exemplary tea. What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors? Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. 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 our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these 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’ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness. Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat. Thirdly, we specify natural flavors. 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. Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for each cup into 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). Even though milk and a dash of sugar help enhance the flavor character on this tea, it is perfectly acceptable to consume this tea ‘straight-up’ Iced tea brewing method: (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 teaspoons of tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Pour 1 1/4 cups of freshly boiled water over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the leaves. 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 double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water]. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or ‘milky’ when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!