Justea, African Chai

Justea Description:
Our African Chai is whole leaf Kenyan black tea with organic African spices and rose/safflower petals.

“The fennel, clove, coriander and liquorice root makes this chai smooth and silky on the palate. This African chai is balanced – it has a tea hit first and then a sweet finish”
~Brendan Waye, Tea Sommelier

Sample provided by Justea

My Review:
This is my third sample from JusTea. The first two, both loose leaf prepared in the orthodox method, were very good. The majority of all black tea is grown in Kenya but almost all of it is ground to dust and put in a tea bag. I had no idea how amazingly tasty it could be when processed in this manner.

I am a bit anxious about this review. I am not a big chai fan. I drink it on occasion but never really crave it. Removing the top of the sample pouch introduces me to the spicy aroma of this tea. I actually find the scent appealing. First I notice clove and it briefly reminds me of Constant Comment. The similarity ends there as I next get notes of fennel, maybe pepper and cinnamon. Neither are listed as ingredients so it may just be my mind trying to comprehend all the aromas.

I used about 2 tsp in my press with 190 F water and steeped for 3 minutes. The result is an orange brew that makes me think fall. The air outside is quite cool today so perfect timing. The wet leaf has more of a potpourri smell.

Wow, the sip is nothing like the dry or wet aroma. My first thought was hot spiced apple cider. There is a pepperiness late in the sip that adds adventure to the sip. I could see the rose and safflower petals expand while brewing but I cannot single them out in the cup. I was curious how the fennel and licorice would play out as I understand not everyone likes these flavors. You needn't fear, they also do not over exert themselves. The tea base is mostly sensed in the aftertaste. Sipping through half the cup I stand by my original thought of hot spiced apple cider.

At this point I added a splash of milk. It is my understanding the traditional method of preparing chai is to boil the tea in the milk. Not going to try doing it that way. The splash of milk turned the cup a cloudy vanilla caramel color. It changed the flavor as well. Now it more resembles what I picture when I think of chai. I don't know the spice flavors well enough to explain it better.

Honestly, I can't tell you if this is good chai because it is not a type of tea I understand enough to know. I can say the Kenyan black tea and Kathryne Earl Grey were both excellent in my opinion. Based on those teas I fell comfortable recommending this one. I would drink it without the milk as I really liked the spicy cider taste.

A note on JusTea. They are a non-profit organization whose goal is to train the local Kenyan farmers to process the leaf themselves. This will allow the farmers to earn more from their farms, giving them the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty. This is an excellent program worthy of support. The bonus for the tea drinker is Kenyan tea properly processed is really, really, good.

Visit the JusTea website to help a good cause.

Justea, Kathryne Kenyan Earl Grey

Justea Description:
Our Kathryne Earl Grey tea is whole leaf Kenyan black tea leaves cold-pressed with organic Mediterranean bergamot oil.

“Rich, robust, clean, mouthy…has a lot of body to it. This is going to make a fantastic cup of rich, rich African Earl Grey!”
~Brendan Waye, Tea Sommelier

Sample provided by Justea

My Review:
JusTea is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help the small tea farmer of Kenya. This is to be accomplished by teaching the farmers to process their own leaf rather than selling the raw leaf to the factories. The average farmer, according to JusTea, makes roughly $2 a day from their efforts. By selling direct through JusTea, the farmer will earn half the selling price of the tea instead of 1%.

I have already sampled the black tea and found it to be superb and beyond my expectations. This tea will be the true test for me as I not only love Earl Grey but have some very definite opinions of how it should taste. I am proceeding with cautious optimism.

The sample came sealed in simple looking brown non-resealable pouch. As I understand it, if you order this tea it does come in a resealable pouch. I cut the top off and took a deep whiff. Glorious bergamot and a hint of spice and pepper. Interesting.

I used about 2 tsp in my press and 190F water. The steep was 3 minutes. The liquor is the same beautiful red orange that I noted of the black tea. The aroma is definite Earl Grey but not in an overpowering way.

The sip is quite lovely. My normal everyday Earl uses Ceylon tea and has a heavy bite to it. This is so opposite but instantly likeable. The Kenyan tea base is very smooth and malty. The bergamot is much lighter than the pouch smell would suggest, yet the level matches the base perfectly. It is somewhere between floral and fruity and not fake or perfumey.

Out of curiosity I iced down the tea. I would normally have used less water while brewing so the ice would not water down the glass. Even though this is a little weak from the ice it holds its flavor and is very refreshing. I noted the colder it got the more enjoyable it became.

Neither hot or iced resulted in any bitterness or tongue grabbing astringency. It is slightly drying.

I really liked this version of the classic. Kathryne Earl Grey is a gentler smoother version that is flavorful but not overly heavy on the bergamot (by my standards). I definitely recommend this to the Earl Grey connoisseurs out there.

Visit the JusTea website to help a good cause.

Justea, Kenyan Black Tea

Justea Description:
Our whole leaf Kenyan black tea is malty, fresh, clean and full bodied.

“The fresh factor makes it explode on the palate! It cups out as being very very good tea… I think we got a winner here.”
~Brendan Waye, Tea Sommelier

Sample provided by JusTea

My Review:
This tea is about more than just tea. This is about giving the little guy an opportunity to succeed. I did not realize Kenya was the major supplier of black tea found in most tea bags. The majority of that tea is grown on small farms. It is then sold to the factories for processing. The farmer ends up making approximately 1% of the final selling price. Even with the bonus system in place in Kenya most farmers live in poverty.

JusTea is a non-profit organization hoping to change this cycle for as many farmers as they can. Their dream is to teach the farmers to hand process the leaf themselves in the orthodox method. This will allow the farmers to increase profits and provide a better future for their families.

So how is the tea? I opened the sample bag and set the leaf free. This is definitely not standard CTC dust found in your average grocery store bag. This is broken pieces of pekoe. Think about the size of Twinings loose leaf. The scent is nicely malt and seems very fresh.

I used 2 tsp and water heated to 190F, steeping for 3 minutes. The resulting brew was much deeper towards the red end of the orange scale than it appears in this picture. It is really pretty.

The taste is very surprising. I was expecting tea - you know, Lipton or some other common tasting brew. Nope, not even close. This is wonderfully malty. It is slightly sweet and not at all bitter. This has no rough edges. It is silky smooth and very full flavored. The way I prepared it, this is slightly drying but does not seem astringent.

I am very surprised and impressed by this tea. Why on earth have the factories been grinding this up into powder and hiding it in a bag? Ordering from the JusTea partnership allows you to support the farmers directly. It is a good cause and an excellent tea.

Visit the JusTea website.