Mlesna Dimbula Tea Review
Another single origin black tea from the Mlesna Ceylon tea collection box! In this review of Mlesna Dimbula, I’ll cover everything you need to know, including the flavour, aroma, brew time and where best to buy it.
At the time of writing, I’m settling down with a hot mug of this tea in hand and watching old favourite films. It’s a good, hearty black tea that’s perfect for this cold January weather and super comforting.
Mlesna Dimbula Tea at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
2.8/5
- Tea: Single origin black tea from the Dimbula region of Sri Lanka
- Flavour: A very bitter and plain black tea that’s best consumed with milk and sugar
This tea isn’t great and shouldn’t be drank black. It’s too bitter and lacks character as a single origin tea. Drink it with milk and sugar when you need a quick cup and aren’t feeling fussy.
Full Review – Mlesna Dimbula Black Tea
Izzy's Rating
2.8/5
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabag
- Tea: Black tea
- Origin: Dimbula region of Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Flavour Notes: Bitter, medium-bodied, tannins, plain black tea
- Aroma: Fresh tannins, bold, rich, smooth, slightly malty
- Milk or Lemon: Plenty of milk and sugar
- Where to Buy: Amazon
The single serve packets these teabags come in are made of plastic foil, which keeps the tea as fresh as possible. When you rip open the Mlesna Dimbula tea wrapper, you’re instantly met with that fresh tannin note you get from hearty black tea. It’s certainly a pleasant aroma, but it’s not very characterful. There’s no distinctive note in the aroma that makes this tea stand out from the range of everyday black teas on the market.
It brews into the standard dark peat brown tea colour. Again, nothing special here.
The aroma is slightly improved, however. It is bold, rich, smooth and slightly malty, which promises a very satisfying cuppa.
Unfortunately, the flavour is unbearably bitter. I managed a few sips before adding a good splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar. Only then was it palatable… but plain. This is a plain, standard black tea and doesn’t represent any distinct flavours you’d expect from a single origin tea.
How to Brew Dimbula Single Origin Tea
I used freshly boiled water and brewed for 4 full minutes. I’d do the same again, as brewing for 3 minutes reduces the flavour… but not the bitterness. So, there’s really no point drinking this one black.
Add a good splash of milk (I use soy milk) and a teaspoon of sugar, or your sweetener of choice. Go ahead and drink this tea with food. Right now, I’m craving a huge plate of waffles and this tea would be great for that.
Mlesna Dimbula tea has around 50mg of caffeine per cup, as is typical for black tea. So, drink this tea in the afternoon or before dinner. Don’t drink it late at night unless you plan to stay up.
Why Mlesna Ceylon Tea?
The quality is not great, let’s get that fact out of the way. Despite being single origin, the tea is fannings quality inside the teabag and is likely from a range of estates in Dimbula rather than one tea garden. Of course, that means you can try single origin tea on a tight budget, so there’s the silver lining.
The tea has the usual Ceylon tea seal on it, but no other certifications like Fair Trade or Soil Association Organic. Regardless, Mlesna are known in many tea communities online and are reliable (despite their ancient website).
One last note – I dislike the foil wrappers, even though they keep the tea fresh. They’re just not good for the environment and, as far as I know, cannot be recycled.
Summary
This tea is okay, but not great. If you want a simple black tea to drink daily, it could do the trick. Sometimes you can find it as part of a selection box, which is a good option. You can try this tea and a range of others without being stuck with a huge pile of teabags that you don’t like.
Mlesna tea is not overly common or easy to find online, but they have a growing range of teas available on Amazon. Use the button below to search for Mlesna Dimbula tea on Amazon.
Tea Recommendation
Need something to brew this tea in? Check out my full review of the Whittard Pimlico Glass Teapot! As a solo tea drinker, it’s just the right size for me to drink tea over an afternoon. Use my Tea Review Index in the menu of our blog to find more tea types and teaware to try.