Ceylon Star

Name: Ceylon Star


Brand:  David's Tea


Primary Type:  Black


Dry Scent:  Smells very much like chocolate cookie dough.  There is a warm cocoa-bean scent, along with the creamy notes from the white chocolate and hints of licorice from the star anise that add depth.  This is a very comforting scent, a little like walking into the house after someone's been doing some winter baking.


Steeping Time: 5-6 min (the directions allow up to 7 but I find it brings out the black ceylon tea too much and puts the flavours out of balance)


Steeped Flavour: I can definitely taste the star anise, but it's balanced by sweetness and chocolate.  The ceylon tea itself provides a lovely base to support the sweetness and make sure it doesn't take over.  This is sweet, but not candy-sweet or even cake-sweet.  It has a more natural sort of sweetness, like what you might get sucking on a bit of licorice-fern root.  Sweet but with hints of bitterness and dark earthy flavours as well.


Food/Drink Pairings:  This tea is lovely with breakfast; with any meal, really.  It's a good all-round tea and also would be good with cakes or cookies as a "teatime" tea.  This is a tea that I would call almost a perfect High Tea drink.  Good black, good with milk or sugar or both, and well able to carry itself off.


Rating out of Six Tails:

5.5/6


Buy/Don't Buy