Country of Origin: Sri Lanka, Turkey, United States
Region: Nuwara Eliya, Izmir, Washington State
Shipping Port: Colombo, Istanbul, Seattle
Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe)
Altitude: 6500 - 9000 feet above sea level. Estate situated in an area of very steep hills at high altitude.
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: Medium body, flavoury cup with piquant Ceylon character. Best in the morning or after dinner
Infusion: Bright and coppery with sweet, refreshing character
Ingredients: Luxury black tea, Premium licorice root, Peppermint  

Information:

This house blend will invigorate you!  “Zing!” was what we first thought when we tasted it.  The combination of Licorice and Mint clears the cobwebs out, and allows us to focus.  We love the mouth feel afterwards.  It so bright and refreshing!

We 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 blended 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 tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.

Licorice Root is also called the Great Harmonizer and Sweetwood. Traditional Chinese medicine held that a powder made by crushing dried licorice had the power to treat the spleen, liver and kidneys. Ancient practitioners believed that healthy internal organs fostered spiritual and mental harmony, a belief that again resulted in the colloquial name. The sweetness is due to the fact that the root contains up to 14% naturally occurring sugars.

Peppermint is an herb and contains no caffeine. Quite often peppermint is consumed after meals as the oils stimulate the flow of bile to the stomach and helps relieve gas pains. Additionally, it has been reported and written that peppermint sweetens the breath and calms the digestive system, plus it helps heartburn, stomachache and nausea.

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 teaspoon of tea for 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). Even though milk and a dash of sugar help enhance the flavor character on this tea, it is perfectly acceptable to consume this tea straight-up

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]. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or milky when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!