Kaimosi Tea Estate sits in the North Nandi district of Kenya, a forest farm bounded by equatorial woodland and cut through by the Sirwa river, part of the Williamson Tea Plantation Group. The estate's name comes from the local Nandi phrase "Koi Komas," a reference to two enormous stones on the site. Deep-red to yellowish sandy clay soil, laid down over igneous rock, and a climate of bright mornings followed by regular rainstorms give the bushes what they need to grow steadily; crested cranes, black-and-white casqued hornbills, king swallow butterflies and dancing jewel dragonflies are regular visitors to the estate.
This is an orthodox black tea plucked from mature bushes and graded TGFOP1, Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe: leaf made from the top bud and first two leaves of each new shoot, tender and carrying a good share of golden tip. In the cup it leans malty and smooth, full-bodied rather than sharp, with a coppery, light-toned liquor. Tasting notes run from lemon and orange through honey, milk and malt, with an earthier edge of clay and forest floor underneath.
Steep it in freshly boiled water for three to five minutes. It works well with milk or a milk alternative, and takes sugar, honey or lemon easily if you want to sweeten it, though it also holds up fine served black. Its malty backbone and coppery colour make it a natural breakfast tea, though there's no real reason to save it for mornings only. Kenya has grown tea since the early twentieth century, using stock descended from the Indian Camellia sinensis plant, and Kaimosi's version is a solid, everyday example of what the country's black teas do well.
