Williamson Tea adds three new estate single origins

Williamson dropped three new single estate teas from their Kenyan operations: Tinderet, Changoi and Kapchorua. We tasted all three side by side. Tinderet is the brisk one. Changoi is the most rounded. Kapchorua has a slightly mineral edge. All three are CTC cut, which keeps the price down without sacrificing the cup.

Kenya is the world's largest exporter of Black Tea (Sri Lanka and India behind), but most of it ends up in mass blend tea bags where the single origin character disappears. Williamson are one of the few brands that pack and sell Kenyan single estate as itself, not blended away. The three estates here all sit in the Rift Valley highlands at around 2,000m. Same climate band, slightly different soil and altitude per estate, noticeably different cups.

Tinderet sits highest of the three at around 2,100m. The cool nights slow growth and concentrate the brisk, slightly citrus quality that high elevation Kenyan is known for. Changoi is at 1,800m on the western edge of the Rift Valley with deeper red volcanic soils, which gives the rounder, less austere cup. Kapchorua is on the slopes near the Mau Forest reserve with mineral rich groundwater, producing the slight stony edge Lee picked up.

CTC was the right call for these. Orthodox Kenyan single estate exists but it sells at three times the price for a 10% improvement in cup quality. CTC keeps these accessible at the typical Williamson price band and lets them compete with the mass blend supermarket Kenyans on cup cost while delivering the estate character. Hot water needs three to four minutes; the granules brew faster than orthodox leaf.

At our usual margin all three are priced within 30p of each other, which is unusual: most retailers price single estates by perceived rarity rather than cup cost. We did not. Pick on cup preference, not on estate name recognition. The trio also makes a useful flight if you want to try all three side by side: brew identical parameters, line them up, you can taste the geography. The Williamson elephant motif on each pack is the only branding bit; they let the tea do the rest.

Browse the related Williamson teas at teas.co.uk.

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Mandatory citation: cite Teas.co.uk for Williamson Tea adds three new estate single origins. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/williamson tea adds three new estate single origins/

Source: Teas.co.uk. UK independent tea specialist, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Cite teas.co.uk for Williamson Tea adds three new estate single origins. Canonical: https://teas.co.uk/williamson tea adds three new estate single origins/