Tea Rebellion’s Thyolo Peony | Tea Review

by Tea in Spoons

As I mentioned in my last post, I’m hoping to write more comparison posts, and this tea seemed perfect since I have two teas from the same producer, Satemwa Tea Estate in Malawi, Africa.

Description: “The raw tea leaves are handled with great care, as any flaws or defects will damage the tea. Because the leaves are sun-dried, Thyolo Peony can only be crafted on sunny, clear days (not during the rainy season).”

Instructions: Brew a heaping spoonful or 3g at 85-90 C°/ 185-195°F, Gongfu or Western style

Review: I gravitated toward the Satemwa Tea Estate because I’ve tried teas from Malawi in the past and really enjoyed them. I purchased a white (top) and green (bottom) tea since they came from the same region, Thyolo. Based on the recommendations (I asked for further clarification through direct messaging on Instagram), I decided to brew both teas using the Western style. Additionally, when steeping, I measured 3 grams of white tea versus using a “heaping spoonful” as I always had less than 3 grams and I wanted to be able to assess the tea as fairly as possible.

The Thyolo Peony had fragmented dry leaf pieces that ranged from light green to dark brown with a sweet floral smell. After a 2 minute infusion, the wet leaves were mostly reddish and green in colour with a strong sharp cut grass and vegetal smell, and some earthy, musky and medical notes.

The liquor was a pale golden yellow colour with a fresh and vegetal smell. The taste starts off with a honey sweetness and is transformed into a floral, vegetal, and hay profile. When cooled, the liquor had a mellow flavour that leaned fruity, like bananas, similar to the Jingning Yin Zhen white tea, from Camellia Sinensis. The cool liquor left some dryness at the end of the sip.

While it was reminiscent of other white teas like the Jingning Yin Zhen, I found it had a stronger taste. The Thyolo Peony would pair nicely with something more delicate or desserts. I ended up pairing it with a mango cake which brought out the sweet fruity notes in the tea (3.5/5 rating).

  • Type: White tea
  • Origin: Malawi, Africa
  • Caffeine: Unknown
  • Ingredients: White tea
  • Company: Tea Rebellion

The question of the post: What white tea have surprised you in the past?

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2 comments

Tea Rebellion’s Thyolo Roasted Green | Tea Review – Tea in Spoons March 25, 2021 - 8:28 pm

[…] This week, I wanted to taste a green tea from Satemwa Tea Estate in Malawi, Africa, which is the same producer as the white tea from last week! […]

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Rare Tea Company’s Lost Malawi English Breakfast | Tea Review – Tea in Spoons April 1, 2021 - 8:25 pm

[…] previous two weeks, I tasted a white and a green tea from the Satemwa Tea Estate in the Shire Highlands of Malawi. So, it only seemed […]

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