rubesh jacobs from Plucker's Pick (a new company that will officially begin selling their tea online in 2 days) sent me a tin of their loose leaf flowery broken orange pekoe (ceylon tea). many thanks to rubesh and plucker's pick. this particular tea is unblended and from homadola garden. according to plucker's pick, flowery broken orange pekoe tea is "a fresh, sweet tea with a light aroma. this low-grown tea brews to a golden shade with hints of orange. a mild and mellow flavor."
the aroma of the tea leaves is a naturally dried citrus fragrance (I am quite tempted to keep some of it in a bowl to use as potpourri). after brewing for three minutes, I poured two cups: one with milk and sugar (according to their brewing instructions) and one without. this black tea does not have an overpowering taste (like most ceylon I've tasted) and I couldn't be happier. the aftertaste is fresh, mild and slightly sweet. the deep glowing amber color compliments the fall foliage view while I sip. the cup with milk and sugar is absolutely delightful. the mellow sweetness is emphasized by the milk. what a truly a comforting cup of tea. a sweet tea treat to savor that offers a zip of caffeinated energy on a fall afternoon.
after opening the box that contained the tin, I noticed a small card placed on top. inside the card there were printed tidbits about Sri Lanka to enjoy while sipping on a cup. the other side of the card was left blank, except for the simple phrase "notes about my tea experience," which excited me greatly as it offered a space to share and capture my tea adventure. in addition to the beautiful tin, rubesh sent along a packet filled with information about the company and specific teas. some fabulous facts from plucker's pick:
- plucker's pick was founded by rubesh and carrie jacobs
- plucker's pick is the first brand to exclusively feature unblended, single garden teas from Sri Lanka. an unblended, single-garden tea is made up of only the highest grade leaf for a premium taste--without unnecessary flavorings to disturb the tea (three cheers for plucker's for not having any flavoring in their tea).
- their premium loose-leaf teas are hand-picked and processed in small batches.
- their tea plucker's pick each leaf by hand. the leaves are then immediately processed and packaged in Sri Lanka. Picking and packaging close to the source ensures the freshness and quality of the tea.
- the duo hopes to showcase the strengths of resources in poorer countries (such as Sri Lanka)
- Sri Lanka is the #3 tea-exporting country in the world
overall, my tea tasting and tea learning experience has been fabulous thanks to the wonderful products and resources of plucker's pick. I highly recommend that you sign up for an email reminder about the official site launch on October 1st, as they will be giving away tea for the first 24hrs.
happy tea tasting!
