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APPLE CRUNCH
Country of Origin: Sri Lanka
Region: Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts
Shipping Port: Colombo
Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe)
Altitude: 4800 - 7600 feet above sea level
Manufacture Type: Orthodox
Cup Characteristics: Distinctive apple character with mellow notes of cream. A tea to savor.
Infusion: Bright and Coppery.
Ingredients: Luxury tea, natural dried apple, freeze dried apple, sunflower + calendula petals, natural flavors
The year 1904 was a great year for tea and apples. How is that? Well, at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis iced tea was created by a merchant who decided to add ice to his cups in order to quench the thirst of his Southern patrons. At the same St. Louis fair, a man named J.T. Stinson made the famous statement, “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Mere coincidence? Perhaps. Whatever the case, we believe this Apple Crunch blend is a fitting tribute to the 1904 World’s Fair. Apple Crunch itself is a traditional Southern Dessert similar to an apple pie. (For all we know it too may have been invented at the 1904 St. Louis fair!) Brew a pot of this tea and savor the tart character of apple blended with the pleasing astringency of our high grown Ceylon. Roll the brew over your tongue and note its creamy finish. Delicious. Here’s to 1904!
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?
First... we only 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 flavored 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 flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.
Second... we use flavoring oils, not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.
Third… we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat ‘soft ‘ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.