Black Emerald Organic - Colombia

Colombia is famous the world over for its coffee, so the first surprise of this loose-leaf tea is simply that it exists at all. One customer put it perfectly: "who knew great tea came from Colombia?" I didn't, for the longest time, but it has since become one of my favourite curiosities to hand people.

Colombia has in fact grown tea since the 1950s, when the government set out to diversify the country's farming and brought in tea plants from Sri Lanka and Cambodia. This one comes from Valle del Cauca, in the tropical west of the country, where the plants grow on volcanic soils high on the western side of the Andes, between roughly 1,800 and 2,050 metres. It is a proper country of extremes, snow-capped volcanoes, tropical coast and the Andes in between, and something of all that character seems to find its way into the cup.

The leaves are large and twisted, and full oxidation gives the tea a lovely depth and complexity of aroma. It brews to a medium-bodied cup, smooth and mellow, with a gentle natural sweetness and a real note of chocolate on the finish that lingers pleasantly. If you like a black tea with plenty of character but none of the harshness, this is a beautiful one to get to know. It is organic, too.

It is a proper black tea, so there is caffeine in it. It is mellow enough to enjoy without milk, which lets the chocolate and sweetness come through, though it is happy with a splash if you prefer.

Brew at 100°C for 4 minutes, using a generous teaspoon and a half per cup.

Ingredients || Organic Black Tea

Warning, packed in an environment that contains nuts

Caffeine || Yes

Tasting Notes || Medium-bodied and mellow, with a gentle sweetness and chocolate on the finish

Brewing Notes || 1.5 teaspoons per cup, 100ºC, brew for 4 minutes.