July is proving to be quite hot this year – if I haven’t just jinxed it. But on one of the cooler days, I finally got around to taste-testing and reviewing WhatCha’s Ceylon New Vithanakande tippy black tea. This tea is graded Finest Broken Orange Pekoe Flowery Extra Special (FBOPFExSp) and is soured directly from the factory – so you know it’s going to be marvellous.
If you’re looking for a special black tea that’s a step (or few floors) above a regular supermarket tea, I strongly recommend trying this one or another from WhatCha’s range.
Let’s get started with the review.
New Vithanakande FBOPFEXSP at a Glance
Izzy’s Rating
- Origins: New Vithanakande factory, Delwala village, Ratnapura District, Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Flavour: Smooth, subtly bitter black tea with hints of molasses and sundried fruits
This is a good one! It’s smooth and malty, with notes of grapes and rainfall pre-brew, raisins and sunshine post-brew. Good for drinking black or with a splash of milk.
Full Review – Vithanakande Tippy Black Tea
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: FBOPFEXSP tippy black tea
- Origin: New Vithanakande, Delwala, Ratnapura, Sri Lanka
- Flavour Notes: Bitter, tannins, molasses, sundried fruits
- Aroma: Malt, sweet grapes, rainfall, tannins, rich, raisins, sunshine
- Milk or Lemon: Splash of milk, if desired
- Where to Buy: WhatCha
The aroma from the dried tea leaves is gorgeous. It’s malty with notes of sweet grapes and fresh rainfall. It has a tannin-like quality that catches in the back of your throat and builds – you just know it’s going to hit the spot once you’ve brewed it.
The colour isn’t anything special – auburn brown with a hint of ochre yellow – but the aroma transforms. The brewed tea is much maltier than the dried leaf and comes with dry, smooth notes of raisins and sunshine.
Now the best part. The first sip. It’s bitter, for sure, but it’s subtly layered under tannins and sweet molasses. The sweetness isn’t in-your-face but it’s noticeable on every sip. I wouldn’t describe it as jammy (not like WhatCha’s Assam Mancotta, which is a firm favourite of mine), but it does have an element of sundried fruits.
The mouthfeel is very thin but smooth. You can increase the richness with a little milk. I tested it with soy milk but the reviews on WhatCha confirm that regular milk works well too.
I drank my New Vithanakande tippy black tea with cakes and pastries. No regrets.
How to Brew WhatCha’s New Vithanakande Black Tea
The instructions that came with the packet indicate you should use 1 teaspoon per cup and brew in 90°C water for 3 to 4 minutes. I brewed for 3 minutes to get the strength you can see in my photographs – definitely brew for 4 minutes if you want to add milk from the start. But my advice? Try it black first, especially if you’ve never had a loose leaf tea like this before. You might be surprised at how much you like it.
You can drink this tea in the afternoon for a little caffeine boost, or with cakes and sweet treats. The tannins and slight bitterness cut through richer flavours beautifully.
Why WhatCha?
WhatCha are an awesome small tea merchant based in London and ran by Alistair. He sends handwritten notes with each order – it’s the little touches like this that keep people coming back for more.
Like many of the fine loose leaf teas that he sells, this one is sourced directly from the factory. The New Vithanakande factory is one of Ceylon’s most celebrated tea producers and this is their signature tea. 25% of the price it’s sold for goes back to the factory too.
According to WhatCha’s tasting notes, you can expect to get a brilliant aroma, smooth taste, and malt and molasses notes with a sweet hint. That’s pretty close to my own tasting notes!
As for the tea, you can see the tippy tips of the leaves and the quality speaks for itself. It arrives in a resealable ziplock bag to keep it fresh for as long as possible.
Overall, I can’t fault the quality or delivery of this tea. WhatCha remains one of the best indie tea stores in the UK.
Summary
If you want to try a fine black tea, WhatCha’s Ceylon New Vithanakande tippy black tea is the perfect place to start. It has a lovely flavour profile that’s great for beginners and every day drinking. The best and only place to buy this particular tea is directly from WhatCha’s website. They ship internationally and postage is free in the UK on orders over £30.
Tea Recommendation
If you’re looking to try better brews than you can find in the supermarket but aren’t ready to delve into directly soured teas, my top recommendation is Whittard of Chelsea. They’re very accessible and if you go into one of their stores, they often have samples to try. I’d suggest starting with their Tippy Assam loose leaf, which I’ve reviewed thoroughly on our tea blog here at Immortal Wordsmith.