Tea of the Week: American Classic Tea’s Plantation Peach

With summer coming to an end tomorrow, it’s good time to get in your last fill of summer’s peach harvest. After a season of sunshine, those fuzzy, syrupy-sweet, yellow peaches are now super ripe and ready to be enjoyed with a frosty glass of American Classic Tea’s Plantation Peach.Plantation Peach is made from tea grown in state of South Carolina, in the Lowcountry on Wadmalaw Island not far from the charming city of Charleston. Here, the humid summer season creates a lush, subtropical climate ideal for growing tea.It’s interesting to note that American Classic Tea (which also goes by Charleston Tea Plantation) has been the official White House tea since 1987. I spent a few years living in South Carolina, and can truly vouch that this tea tastes like Southern Hospitality in drink form. A few sips and I’m there, on the front porch of some historic pastel mansion on The Battery.Unlike many other fruit flavored black teas, the peachy taste of this black tea is natural and subtle, not at all overwhelming. The tea steeps to a gorgeously clear, orangey shade of amber, making it ideal for iced tea, sun tea or sweet tea. Southern or not, if you love peach flavored tea, this is one to try.

Tasting Notes for American Classic Tea’s Plantation Peach:

BREWING TIPS:  Brew at 212 degrees F for 4-6 minutes.

THE TEA:  Made with South Carolina grown black tea and natural peach flavor. Even though this is a loose leaf tea, the tea is cut small. The leaves are a very dark drown with flecks of orange from some of the stems and twigs mixed in.

THE SCENT:  A roasted and sweet scent, as if you were grilling some peaches for a summer BBQ.

THE STEEP:  Rich with a honey-like, natural sweetness. Has some caramel undertones and is low on astringency and not bitter. Unlike some other black teas, this doesn’t easily overbrew. I really love the color of this tea–it’s picture perfect for iced tea served in a clear pitcher. Great hot but better iced.

GET IT:  On Amazon or at Bigelow Tea’s (another name for American Classic Tea) site.

FOOD PAIRING:  This is a homey, refreshing tea ideal for serving with American country-style or farm-to-table inspired meals. Wonderful with shortcakes, cobblers, or homemade pie. I especially love this with Callie’s Charleston Biscuits (the ham biscuits are amazing!). If you visit Charleston or Atlanta, definitely stop by one of their shops. The biscuits are also available at several gourmet retailers around the US and very easy to mail order since they are shipped frozen.

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