Buttered Rum 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: The full astringent taste of rum mellowed with a creamy smoothness.
• Infusions: Bright and Coppery
• Ingredients: Luxury black tea, Sunflower + calendula petals, Natural flavors.

No one is quite sure who first decided to add butter to a cup of warm rum but we’re sure glad they did. What is known is that the drink was developed sometime in the 1800’s by fishermen somewhere on the Eastern Seaboard. Cooks on board the fishing schooners would usually make a quick breakfast of dried fish, bread, and whatever else was available on board and provide a hot cup of buttered rum to wash it down with. The warm drink would warm up the men before they headed above deck to begin the day’s work. At lunchtime, the same process would be repeated as it would be at dinnertime, and then yet again before hitting bed. Somewhere in between doses of rum these rugged souls even found time to fish. Not only would the butter add a certain heartiness to the rum, it also gave it a delicious creamy taste that complemented the sweetness of the liquor wonderfully. It goes without saying that our version, blended here with a good strong Ceylon is the perfect drink to brew when the

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.