Description
Satemwa Malawi Dark tea is a fermented dark tea from the the Shire Highlands of Malawi. Made from a mixture of cultivars, it is processed in a similar style to ripe (shu) pu-erh and other similar teas like Liu Bao. This dark tea from Malawi produces a complex and bold liquor with mineral and woody notes and a lasting finish. We source this tea directly from the Satemwa Tea Estate and the current batch is from the September 2023 harvest.
Malawi is the second largest tea producing region of Africa after Kenya. Most of it, however, does end up destined for the tea bag industry of the UK and South Africa, being grown on large plantations owned by big multinational corporations. The Satemwa Tea Estate by contrast is family owned and operated. It was founded in 1923 and has stayed in the same family since inception. They have very strong social and environmental responsibility programmes that provide a fair wage to their workers and support to the local communities.
While also producing CTC teas for tea bags and similar applications, Satemwa Tea Estate are also pioneering high end orthodox tea production. For this they are utilising and experimenting with various cultivars found in Malawi, fusing the local plants and terroir with production methods and ideas they collated from visiting tea estates and farmers in other countries. Thanks to these innovative methods, their selection now encapsulates a whole range of teas: unique whites, unusual greens processed using Japanese production methods, oolongs, orthodox blacks as well as dark tea. This dark tea represents some of the more experimental projects at the Estate and is a fascinating take on a classic ripe dark tea!
This Satemwa Malawi Dark tea consists of mixed leaf that has been heavily fermented. It produces a very dark liquor with an aroma of plums and walnuts. The strong and bold flavour starts on a very medicinal and herbal aspect. This then progresses to a medium strength flavour with fruity, tangy and mineral notes of wood and walnuts. Finally, the finish becomes cleaner on the aftertaste, delivering a little dryness and a mouthwatering sensation. On the lasting mineral aftertaste it does become plummy and a little savoury. This is definitely a complex tea that should be savoured slowly and with an open mind.
It is best brewed at 95°C for around 2-3 minutes according to your taste, brewing 2+ times.
This Satemwa Malawi Dark tea was first featured in our July 2024 Curious Tea Subscription Boxes.
Location of Satemwa Tea Estate: