Blueberry Naturally Flavoured Black Tea

• 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
• Manufacturer Type: Orthodox
• Cup Characteristics: Intoxicating blueberry aroma and sprightly full flavor of the tiny wild blueberry. Excellent hot or cold. As an iced tea serve with a pinch of sugar.
• Infusions: Bright and Coppery
• Ingredients: Luxury black tea, Cornflower petals, Blackberry leaves, Natural flavors.

Who doesn’t love Blueberries? The tiny berries are incredibly juicy, sweet and packed full of antioxidants. Throughout the North American North East no summer is complete without a stop at a pick-your-own blueberry farm. This is especially true during July, National Blueberry Month. Poet Robert Frost certainly loved picking them. In his poem “Blueberries” he wrote:

Blueberries as big as the end of your thumb,
Real sky-blue, and heavy, and ready to drum.
In the cavernous pail of the first one to come!
And all ripe together, not some of them green
And some of them ripe! You ought to have seen!

In recent years, blueberries have come to be regarded as a “superfruit” owing to its favorable combination of nutrient richness, antioxidant strength and versatility as an ingredient in other food products. Raise a freshly brewed cup to an amazing berry!

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.