Tea Review: Kenya Black FBOP

I have been racking my brain trying to think of a good post to make. I wanted to do something that “made sense” as a third post on a blog. I’m not entirely sure what I thought would be appropriate, but eventually I decided…why not just do a post on a tea that I just happen to be drinking that day? It makes sense. Instead of trying too hard to do something different or impressive right off the bat, it may be good just to introduce people to a really nice tea.

It was a relatively warm winter day for Minnesota (in the 30’s! Woohoo!) so I went on a nice long walk. I came home and decided that some cookies (thumbprint cookie by my friend Erlyn of Snack Luxe here in Minnesota) and a nice smooth black tea would be the best way to ease back into comfort. At the moment, my tea cabinet is overflowing with lovely teas (not a bad problem to have), so I’ve been trying to drink the teas that are running on the low side to free up more space. I bought this Kenyan tea from my favorite local tea shop, Tea Source. I got it since my tea sommelier instructor always tells us to taste and compare as much tea as possible. We had some teas from Kenya in class, so I ordered to see how it may compare.

Obviously I have tried this tea many times over by now, but I thought it could serve as a fun way to show how I do tastings, comparative or not. It’s actually not too different from doing a wine tasting. In fact, many would say that tea and wine have more in common than tea and coffee do.

We have tasting sheets that include spaces for the name of the tea, origin, dry leaf appearance, wet leaf appearance, aroma, etc. There is more to it than simply how it tastes. Of course, you don’t have to describe a tea in great detail to simply enjoy it. It does help you to slow down and take more time with what you are drinking. When you are tasting your tea, nothing else matters in that moment.

Before I get too preachy, I’d like to show you how the way a company or individual may describe a tea may differ. There really is no right or wrong. Tea source describes The Kenya Black FBOP tea as: “A great alternative to your favorite breakfast blend, this Kenyan black tea is smooth and bright with a juniper finish.” I definitely agree with smooth and bright. It may be one of the most smooth black teas I’ve ever tried. There is no bitterness and just a bit of astringency (bitter and astringent aren’t the same!). I however don’t really know what juniper tastes like, so that note doesn’t do much for me. That’s okay! Looking back at my notes (I originally tasted this tea last spring), I said some interesting things. Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention or even write notes this time around.

I won’t bore you too much with leaf appearance, but aroma and taste could be more interesting. I described the aroma of the tea to have notes of cedar, lemon, and dried fruit. For the flavor I said it was incredibly light with just a hint of astringency at the end. Astringency is a mouthfeel and not a flavor. It’s that feeling you get when you taste something like a red wine with a lot of tannins. It may cause your mouth to pucker slightly or feel a little dry. I described it to be a little fruity in the mid sip and a little sweet as well. Mostly, I think it is a very smooth, rich, refreshing and woodsy tea that is just perfect for the colder months. It also pairs perfectly with sweets. This is all just my opinion!

If you are wondering what FBOP stands for by the way, It’s a grading system that was implemented a long time ago by the British. It stands for “Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe”. It has nothing to do with how it tastes. There is no orange flavor. Let me know if you want to learn more about the different ways of grading teas. It gets a little crazy and convoluted, but the history is interesting.

I hope you feel more encouraged to try something new. Go beyond the tea bag. Tea bags are fine and serve their purpose, but loose leaf is just so magical. It’s also more economical in the long run as you can steep many times and still get strong flavors. Check out Tea Source too if you want a good place to start. This post isn’t sponsored, I just love them 🙂 Let me know if you have tried any teas from Kenya. I have seen some interesting ones I would like to try in the future like purple tea. That’s right, purple! The tea world never ceases to amaze.