Yes, I've tried a cigar!

It's always fun when a new tea vendor reaches out, so I was most pleased when a package from Sri Lanka landed in my mailbox the other day!

Kaley Tea says that they "grow tea organically and regeneratively, amid a variety of spices and fruits. We handpick the finest tea leaves from this single garden and handcraft tea, as folklore has it, with the healing palms of our artisans." I received several nice samples, and the two I chose to try first were  the Green Tea Cigar and the Orange Sunshine Tea.

First, this Orange Sunshine Tea was a nice brisk black tea. I steeped it for three minutes and found it a little too brisk (but I do not like my tea as strong as some do). The tea can be resteeped, and when I steeped it for another two minutes, I liked it even more.

But what I was really eager to try was this Green Tea Cigar, which was definitely a new type of tea for me! It's rolled into a tiny little bundle, and you steep the whole thing.

Of course, I wasn't thinking and steeped it in my teacup instead of another vessel, so I had to strain the tea into another cup and pour it back in (because I wanted to use this newly thrifted teacup!).

I really liked the fresh, rich, slightly vegetal taste of this green tea. I don't recall having a green tea that resulted in such a golden brew before. It had only the merest hint of any astringency, and I quickly resteeped this tea and enjoyed several cups of it. The "cigar" is certainly a novel way to present tea, and I'm grateful to Kaley Tea for sharing these samples. Go here to learn more!