In the same Dallas shopping center as In-N-Out Burger, another company with Southern California roots opened its doors: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL). With ‘Tea Leaf’ in the name, they must be more knowledgeable about the Camellia sinensis plant than those other coffee chains, I figured.
Unlike other English or Irish breakfast teas I’ve sampled, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s English Breakfast blend features Keemun (China) and Taiwanese black instead of the more common Assam (India) and Kenyan (Africa) teas, resulting in a notably more complex aroma. Ceylon (Sri Lanka) tea is also included in the blend.
I purchased the whole leaf, loose tea version of this product (a tea bag version is also available) and prepared it at home in a teapot with boiling water. If you order this tea in-store, CBTL will use a whole leaf tea bag infused in water that is 200° Fahrenheit — a temperature slightly below boiling.
I’m introducing a new, condensed tea review format to appease my blog visitors who’d rather quickly scan my tea reviews than read my long, rambling introductory comments. Here it goes.
| Aroma – Dry Leaf: | Fruity, earthy and smoky |
|---|---|
| Aroma – Brewed: | Sweet and earthy |
| Body: | Medium |
| Flavor: | Bright finish and very astringent |
| Color: | Light amber |
| Thoughts: | There is so much more depth to this Keemun-based English Breakfast tea than any Assam-based English Breakfast tea I’ve ever tasted. It is pleasantly aromatic and brisk. Its medium body does not hold up so well to milk. |
