Country of Origin: United States
Leaf Appearance: small, dark and somewhat broken
Ingredients: black tea
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: porcelain teacup and mesh infuser
Liquor: bright reddish brown
Tea grown in the U.S. is a fairly new development (Charleston Tea Plantation aside) but it has been an exciting time to be in the tea world because of it. This particular one is yet another tea that Geoffrey Norman piqued my curiosity about as it is often mentioned in his tweets and blog posts. It was produced by Minto Island Growers on their farm in Salem, Oregon. The leaves had a rather rough appearance but the taste was actually surprisingly good. It was mellow with sweet notes of fruity and honey. There was remarkably little astringency for a black tea as well. I have a feeling that it could have handled a longer steep like a champ. I was very much reminded of the black tea that I attempted to make myself with the assistance of Boston Teawrights. This tea was a valiant effort by a fairly new grower and I’m looking forward to seeing how they progress in the years to come. Thank you to J-TEA for making this tea available!
Minto Oregon Grown purchased from J-Tea International.