“Southern Malt” makes me think of the southern states of the USA and those old wild west films that are on repeat on daytime TV schedules. But Teakruthi Southern Malt is actually named after the southern area of Sri Lanka, where the black tea is deliciously malty and rich. This single origin black tea from the Matara region is definitely malty!
In this full tea review, you’ll find some info on the region, a flavoursome description of what to expect from the tea, and a link to the best place to buy it (Teakruthi’s official website).
Teakruthi Southern Malt Tea at a Glance
- Origin: BOP1 black tea from the Matara region in southern Sri Lanka
- Flavour: A malty and rich tea with light body and defined bitterness
A deep, rich black tea with intense maltiness and bitter notes. It’s a light-bodied tea, so don’t add milk, but a nice teaspoon of honey really lifts the bitterness and adds sweeter notes.
Full Review – Matara Black Tea
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: Broken orange pekoe one (BOP1) black tea
- Origin: Matara region, South Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Flavour Notes: Malty, rich, light bodied, bitter, warming
- Aroma: Malt, honey, minerals, richness, salt
- Milk or Lemon: A good spoonful of honey
- Where to Buy: Teakruthi Official Website
The aroma of this tea has that typically black tea tannin note, with smooth maltiness and hints of honey. There’s also a mineral rock type note that’s almost salty – but it’s not off-putting. I quite like it.
It brews into one of the most beautiful teas I’ve ever seen. Truly. The colour is bright cherry red yet crystal clear, so you can see that the bottom of your teacup is 100% free of tea dust. Fantastic!
Once brewed, the tea has much stronger malty and mineral notes, losing that initial sweetness. The flavour is much the same – maltiness dominates the cup. It’s rich throughout and has a bitter aftertaste, yet the actual tea body and texture is very light and almost watery.
I certainly felt warmed and comforted by this cuppa and it’s classic malty and tannin notes… but I wouldn’t drink this every day. It’s just a bit too characterful to be consumed regularly.
How to Brew Single Origin Ceylon Tea
Teakruthi’s instructions on the packet sometimes clash with the instructions posted on their website. For Teakruthi Southern Malt tea, you’re directed to brew for 3 to 5 minutes at 95°C to 100°C on their website. The instructions on the packet suggested brewing closer to 90°C.
In the end, I think 95°C is the sweet spot. Brew for 3 minutes if you’re drinking it black, or 5+ minutes if you want to add milk.
Honey is a must with this tea. It really brings out the malty notes and dampens the bitterness. You could add sugar or another sweetener, but I think that the rich gooeyness of honey suits the richness of this tea better.
This is a perfect tea-and-biscuits brew.
Why Teakruthi Southern Malt Tea?
Teakruthi provide excellent quality tea, in the way that it’s sourced, packaged and clearly labelled. This is BOP1 grade leaves, which is nice but not excellent. What I really like is that Teakruthi explain about the history and region this tea came from.
This low grown tea has been hand-plucked from the southern part of Sri Lanka, where the unique composition of the soil makes it particularly special in taste and colour. This blend is considered one of the finest broken teas. […] This is a full-bodied tea has a malty, fresh flavour, unlike any other tea. The southern soil of Sri Lanka nourished the leaves and gave them their black colour and brought strength to the cup. Its beautiful copper colour mirrors its taste in richness.
They also indicate that Teakruthi Southern Malt tea has quite high levels of caffeine, providing around 50mg per cup. For reference, the general recommendation is not to surpass 400mg per day.
Summary
This is a very pleasant tea that’s worth trying – just buy a sampler to start with. You might find the bitterness and strength of the malt a bit too much for everyday drinking, but it’s a nice tea to have in the cupboard regardless. When someone says, “how about something a bit stronger”, this is the tea to pull out. Maybe add a splash of whisky to it as well.
Tea Recommendation
Need something to brew this loose leaf tea in? I recommend the Whittard Pao Glass Mug Infuser. I used it for over a year before I wrote up a full review of it for the blog. It’s my favourite infuser and is ideal for displaying the vibrant cherry colour of this tea! Easy to use, and easy to clean (thankfully).