What: Ceylon Tea (a type of tea grown in Sri Lanka)
Where: Sri Lanka
Why Should I Care: In my Macro and Microeconomics class, we watched a movie about coffee beans and basically how the industry was run. Companies buy coffee from dozens of companies, mix it all together and sell it for 2000% profit (I'm kinda making that number up, but the truth isn't much different). I'm guessing tea works pretty much the same way. Now, when people talk about Ceylon tea or Darjeeling tea, they're talking about regions. Ceylon refers to Sri Lanka and Dilmah attempts to differentiate itself by talking about how its tea is grown on one big family-owned plantation and the profits are used to better the areas surrounding. I'm sure it isn't quite as awesome and ethical as it sounds, but it's nice to think that I'm helping more than just the big wigs by buying this. Plus the owner apparently named the company after his own sons.
Packaging: Dilmah, like Twinnings, is normally very good about foil-wrapping their tea so that it retains freshness. However, this was apparently not one of those packages. The sachets aren't those stupid little bags that attach into pairs but it's pretty much just the cardboard box just protecting them from the elements.
Non-taste Senses: It's more golden than your average black tea. There's also a really strong "tea" smell to it that makes me believe in that it'll taste fresher than most black/ceylon tea.
Taste: This tea seems to have a much "clearer" taste than most black tea. It's definitely lighter and a bit more on the refreshing side than the comforting side. Unfortunately, it's also more bitter than those other teas. Maybe I steeped it too long, but there's a wave of bitterness that hits you after about two seconds into drinking it. Sugar brings out both the good and the bad although I'm sure this would be delicious iced.
Overall: If you like Ceylon Tea, you'd probably like this. It does taste stronger and fresher than your average black tea and I have to give them props for being a widely available, well-known tea that helps the community Be warned that it's bitter and that sugar will only accentuate that note but if you like your tea unsweetened then go for it. Also, this one's a bit more expensive if you order online and that ultimately makes me say meh for most people.
My Rating: Pass (unless you really like ceylon). I will add that this is my least favorite tea of theirs and the flavors I've tried have been really good and will be reviewed in good time. Here's the site so you can browse a bit.
