Maple Tea (from Metropolitan Teas)

I'm a little behind on tea reviews.  It's been a busy month for whisky.  At last weekend's wonderful yearly event, Whisk(e)y-a-Go-Go, I met up with my good friend Jacob, who was the inspiration for last month's experiment in sweetening  a Canadian breakfast tea with maple syrup.  He noted in a comment that the maple themed gift shop near his new house also sold maple tea, and in fact came down to the whisky tasting with a generous surprise gift of a box of maple tea and a bottle of maple syrup.  The timing is perfect.  Here in New England, it's officially maple season...the temperature is starting to go up, and the sap is running.

The base of the maple tea is Ceylon.  Ceylon is an archaic name for Sri Lanka,an island nation off the coast of India.  Like so many tea producing areas, Sri Lanka is a former British colony, gaining independence shortly after World War II, and officially changing its name to Sri Lanka in 1972.  Though the nation changed its name, the tea kept the old appellation, and is still known throughout the world as Ceylon.  Ceylon tea, like Darjeeling and Earl Grey, is commonly labeled an "afternoon tea," which usually means a milder tea than the bolder, maltier British breakfast teas.  Indeed, Ceylon often has hints of fruit or floral overtones, but I find it is not nearly as delicate as Darjeeling.

Ceylon is an interesting choice for a maple tea.  At first thought, I would have expected a pairing with a heartier, maltier blend featuring a lot of Assam.  After all, I associate the flavor of maple with hearty, warming winter breakfasts that fight off the chill and clog our arteries.  However, the Ceylon works well, even if it is an afternoon tea with some delicate notes.  It doesn't fall apart at the mere hint of other flavors, and I suspect Assam or something equally as malty might distract from the real star in this tea, the maple syrup.  I often forget that the target audience for a flavored tea probably cares mostly about the added flavor, and less about how it blends with the tea base, though I must say, this tea works far better than all those fruit flavored teas I've had.

So, we brew in the usual way, water at a rolling boil, two teabags for my overly large mug (covered with mathematical and scientific equations...I will have to post a picture sometime), brew for about four minutes, add milk and sweetener.  So far, I've tried sugar, and my usual sweetener of choice, agave nectar.  I haven't dared add actual maple syrup to maple tea yet...I'll post a comment when I feel ready to tackle that much maple at once.  The resulting cup is quite pleasant.  The Ceylon provides a solid but unobtrusive base.  Any actual fruit or floral hints are lost behind the maple, but the maple flavor really shines, and blends quite nicely.  I get a slightly thin body and some minor astringency, but that's likely from the fannings.  I've spoiled myself a bit with loose tea over the last few months, and milk thickens up the mouthfeel pretty well.  All in all, a good cup, perfect for a New England winter morning or afternoon.  85 points (a solid B)