Hello my sweet teacats! Hope you’re doing well! Due to recent events, I’ve found out I’ll be staying in the UK a bit longer than we had initially planned. This means, among other neat and exciting things, that I will be writing about many more British teas! Woohoo! I take great pride in having the opportunity to showcase several of the fantastic loose leaf tea companies based here, and am on a mission to prove to the world that my beloved Brits drink more than just the standard supermarket bagged blacks. 😉



Today I will be having a look at just one of the twelve varieties of tea in Newby Teas’ exclusive Zodiac Collection, their “Leo” Assam blend. I’m actually a Virgo, but couldn’t resist the description of Leo’s malty, walnut, and molasses tasting notes- I’m on quite the black tea kick lately!



My enjoyment of this tea began the moment the postman delivered it to my doorstep. Newby really pride themselves on the loving, meticulous way they prepare their products, and their presentation of the Zodiac collection is certainly no exception. The tea tin arrived in a small velvet bag topped neatly with a golden bow, and is an absolutely gorgeous shade of deep blue reminiscent of starry skies with the constellation of Leo beautifully emblazoned upon its surface with Swarovski crystals. Inside, the tea is vacuum sealed in a foil packet to preserve its freshness. Now then, let’s get brewing!

The aroma of the dry leaves alone is quite strong and distinctive: woody, malty, and fruity, it reminds me of the scent a Jin Jun Mei might have. I left the tin open while I went to prepare some water for the brew, and upon returning, the entire room carried the smell of the tea. Lovely! 😉

1st steep: As the leaves are slightly broken, this will lead to a faster steep time than what you might expect from fuller-leaf teas, and I adjusted my usual brewing time accordingly. To my roughly 150 mL teapot, I added roughly a tablespoon of leaves, and allowed them to steep for roughly 45 seconds. The resulting brew had a beautiful, intense red colour, and strong notes of honey and molasses drifted up from my cup. The first sip really surprised me with a taste I hadn’t expected: plum! The tea is actually quite fruity, though definite tones of molasses are also at play. The after taste was faintly sweet and remained slightly thick on my tongue with no astringency whatsoever.



2nd steep: This time, I left the leaves to steep for about a minute and a half. Wow! The plum flavour is really pronounced now with the molasses taste becoming slightly astringent and malty. With each sip I took, I felt like I was taking a bite into a ripe, juicy plum. Refreshing!



3rd steep: With a 3 minute steep time, the tea has lost most of its brilliant red colour and has now faded into more of an amber-orange liquid. The plummy zing of the second steep has diminished, and the brew takes on more of a sweet malty flavour. I suspect this is probably the last meaningful steep you can achieve with these leaves, though they may fare well if left steeping overnight in your refrigerator for a refreshing cold brew in the morning. 🙂

I really enjoyed the taste of this tea and found its packaging to be beautiful and inspiring, and admire the creativity behind matching different varieties of tea with astrological signs. The tea caddy with its beautiful, shining Swarovski crystals is a lovely keepsake, and one I know I will be using to store my tea long after I’ve enjoyed the last bit of the Leo Assam. While unfortunately I believe this blend is a bit too pricey for casual drinking, Leo and the rest of the Zodiac Collection are perfect, meaningful gifts for anyone who loves tea or simply enjoys looking up at the night sky with a hot cuppa in their hands. 🙂

Check out the entire Zodiac Collection here: http://www.newbyteas.com/eboutique/gifts/zodiac.html

At this time, Newby Teas only ships their products within Britain, but they have assured me they are working on finding a reliable method of shipping their products worldwide. Please stay tuned!

Tea provided for review courtesy of Newby Teas