Decaf English Breakfast

Description

It has long been rumored that the Queen of England insists on drinking only decaffeinated teas past noon. To purists it might sound outlandish that the reining sovereign of the most famous of all tea drinking nations should do such a thing, but apparently it’s true. And it could well be, since drinking decaf allows those who are caffeine sensitive to reap all the health benefits of tea without getting the jitters. Tea, proper tea that is, produced from Camellia Sinensis, is one of Mother Nature’s best options in terms of getting cancer-fighting polyphenols and antioxidants into your body. It’s also a great source of vitamin C. (By some counts a cup of tea contains the vitamin C of 3 oranges.) The problem for many years was that decaffeinated teas were invariably awful. At the factory level, finished tea underwent a chemical based decaffeination process that stripped the caffeine and with it many of the natural healthy compounds found in the untreated leaf. (It also left an unpleasant aftertaste most unbefitting the breakfast table of her Highness.)

Our process removes caffeine without using chemicals of any sort. Instead, finished tea is briefly soaked in exceptionally pure water and gently flushed with CO2. The CO2 binds to the caffeine molecules and extracts them from the tea leaving behind all the natural proteins that give tea its flavor. It also leaves many of the polyphenols and antioxidants intact – so it’s still good for you. (Long live the Queen!)

Simply put, this is a wonderful tea. The blend is based on FP leaf from Sri Lanka’s Dimbula region, harvested high up in the mountains above Colombo. Our supplier is one of the country’s premium growers. For a decaf, the cup is decidedly self-assured with lovely floral notes, medium body, balanced astringency and long finish. (The cup is so good it has actually fooled professional tea tasters into believing it was untreated.) A wonderful all-day breakfast tea that opens wonderfully with milk.

Hot tea brewing method: Bring filtered or freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 portion pack for each 7-9oz/200-260ml of fluid volume in the teapot. Pour the boiling water into the teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes according to taste (the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea).

Iced tea brewing method (Pitcher): (to make 1 liter/quart): Place 6 slightly heaping teaspoons of loose tea, 6 tea bags or 6 Q3 portion packs into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 1¼ cups/315ml over the tea. Steep for 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Pour the tea into your serving pitcher straining the tea or removing the bags. Add ice and top-up the pitcher with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about.)

Iced tea brewing method (Individual Serving): Place 1 slightly heaping teaspoon of loose tea, 1 tea bag or 1 Q3 portion pack into a teapot for each serving required. Using filtered or freshly drawn cold water, boil and pour 6-7oz/170-200ml per serving over the tea. Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Add hot tea to a 12oz/375ml acrylic glass filled with ice, straining the tea or removing the bags. Not all of the tea will fit, allowing for approximately an additional ½ serving. Sweeten and/or add lemon to taste. A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to increase the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted. (Note: Some luxury quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of luxury quality and nothing to worry about!)

ANTIOXIDANT BENEFIT: More antioxidants are extracted from tea (L. Camellia Sinesis), or rooibos (Asphalatus Linearis), the longer it is brewed….and the more tea or rooibos that is used, the greater the antioxidant benefit.