Willow Stream Spa Blend (Decaffeinated Black Tea)

Cup Characteristics: Superb, full tea taste with delicious malty notes reminiscent of caramel. Excellent depth and a lovely rosy cup.
Ingredients: Luxury decaffeinated black tea.

Tea Story:
How does one encapsulate the relaxing experience of a 5 star spa visit in a cup of tea? Not easily. First of all, the cup should be decaffeinated for a soothing mellow touch. Secondly, it should have a 5 star flavor profile. So it follows that one should source a 5 star decaffeinated tea. 5 star decafs aren't a dime a dozen however. In fact to source such a tea you have but one destination, Naming'omba, a small co-op estate in Malawi.

While Malawi is not generally known for producing top quality caffeinated teas, Naming'omba decaffeinated product is among the finest on the world markets. The reason? Naming'omba is one of the only places on earth where decaf tea is produced on the estate grounds. In most producing countries, decafs are processed first as regular caffeinated teas and then shipped to Europe to be stripped of their caffeine in a secondary process. The methods by which this typically happens are the CO2 and Methyl Chloride. Both effectively strip the caffeine from the leaf but can add an aftertaste that alters the pure flavor of the tea.

At Naming'omba the tea is decaffeinated before processing when the leaf is still fresh and a deep emerald green. The result is a cup with brightness of color and full-bodied flavor not normally found in a decaf tea. In fact, the tea is so good that many professional tasters have been fooled into believing that it is in fact a regular caffeinated tea. We're pleased to offer this exceptional decaf exclusively to Fairmont. Like an afternoon at the Willow Stream Spa, this cup is a 5 star experience guests will never forget.

ETP certified. The Ethical Tea Partnership is a tea industry initiative designed to monitor and regulate the living and working conditions on tea estates around the world.  Metropolitan Tea was North America's first signing member.

To make the perfect cup of Fairmont Tea:  Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Use 1 teaspoon of Willow Stream Spa Blend luxury loose tea or 1 tea bag of Willow Stream Spa Blend luxury tea for each 10 ounce /300 ml serving required. Pour boiling water into teapot. Cover and let steep for 3-7 minutes to desired strength - the longer the steeping time the stronger the tea. Although milk and a dash of sugar may help enhance the flavor of this tea, it is perfectly acceptable to consume it 'straight-up.'

To make the perfect cup of Fairmont Iced Tea:  (to make 1 liter/quart):  Place 6 teaspoons of Willow Stream Spa Blend luxury loose tea or 6-8 tea bags of Willow Stream Spa Blend luxury tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Steep 5 minutes. Quarter fill a serving pitcher with cold water. Strain the tea into the pitcher. Add ice and top-up with cold water. Garnish and sweeten to taste. [A rule of thumb when preparing fresh brewed iced tea is to double the strength of hot tea since it will be poured over ice and diluted with cold water]. Please note that this tea may tend to go cloudy or 'milky' when poured over ice; a perfectly normal characteristic of some high quality black teas and nothing to worry about!


To purchase the tea from the Fairmont Store - Click Here