Country of Origin: Kenya
Region: Nandi Highlands
Shipping Port: Colombo
Grade: PF (Pekoe Fannings)
Altitude: 5500 - 6500 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: CTC
Cup Characteristics: Superb, full tea taste with delicious malty notes reminiscent of caramel. Excellent depth and a lovely rosy cup
Infusion: Tending bright and coppery notes

Information:
Is it any coincidence that some of the World's greatest athletes and greatest teas should come from the same corner of the map? Here at Culinary Teas, we don't think so. The Nandi Hills, home to this fabulous decaf Irish Breakfast also happens to be home to a large number of Olympic and world champion long distance runners. The incredible athletes of Nandi first gained international exposure in 1968 when Kipchoge Keino won a gold medal at the Mexico Olympics. Since those early days, Kenyan runners have come to dominate long distance running by winning marathons and medals around the globe. Interestingly, this rise in athletic prominence coincides with Kenya's ascent as a recognized producer of some of the world's pre-eminent luxury teas.

As mentioned, we don't find the correlation surprising. Why? The answer is an all-natural one. The Nandi Hills are probably one of the most pristine locales on the planet. The air is crisp and clean and the climate is cool and wet. Wild birds of all shapes and stripes fill the trees, which flourish in the rich volcanic soil. The climate, combined with the high altitude help teas and runners alike thrive and develop. (If you visit the tea gardens you are almost certain to find runners training by running up and down through the orderly rows of tea.)

One of the finest teas we've found in Nandi has to be this superb decaffeinated Irish Breakfast. Unlike many chemically decaffeinated teas, this one is processed naturally using CO2. The result is a decaffeinated cup that could fool even the most skilled tea tasters. A Pekoe Fanning (PF) grade blend, Decaf Irish Breakfast brews up the sort of thick, full-bodied cuppa preferred by the tea lovers of Ireland. If you're sensitive to caffeine, or looking for something that tastes great and won't keep you awake, this one is tough to beat a lot like a Nandi long distance runner.

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of teafor 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). Pour into your cup and add milk and sugar to taste.

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.]