Nov 20
Katie’s Teaview Snapshot
 | "If you want to feel good about buying your tea, I definitely recommend Shapna."
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This isn't like most teas. This is a tea with a specific purpose. Plenty of tea retailers concentrate mostly on selling tea and throw the fact that their teas are organic or fair trade out there as a bonus, rarely giving specifics. Truthfully, I generally don't feel swayed much either way by the Fair Trade label since it's a broad term that isn't necessarily very tightly controlled, but Shapna has approached it differently. One of their primary focuses is empowering the individuals who harvest the tea, which they do by dedicating 40% of the profits back to these Bangladeshi villagers and to under served communities in the United States. For more specifics, you should definitely check out their website and learn more about their mission.This is the only type of tea offered by Shapna, available either loose or bagged. It is described as a ground fine black tea, which is something I can honestly say I don't think I have ever tried. The leaves resemble coffee grounds, which is just as intriguing as it is scary. I steeped my first cup in boiling water for three minutes, leaving me with a deep red liquor. The tea smells dark, rich, and sweet, and I expect a hearty black tea.
The flavour is much lighter than I imagined, and it isn't as full-bodied as I hoped. A touch of peppery bite comes out in the aftertaste, and overall it is relatively smooth, but flavour-wise, it isn't really very special. I left the second steep for 4 minutes, and this cup was relatively parallel in flavour and character. The tea itself isn't amazing, and I assume there is no reason to buy this loose rather than bagged, so I would suggest buying the bagged tea instead of loose for ease. If you want to feel good about buying your tea, I definitely recommend Shapna. If you're looking for taste only, you may want to look elsewhere. I think if you're looking for both, you'll be perfectly content with this tea.
— To purchase Shapna Fine Black Tea, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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