Away in the Manger

This beautifully layered blend begins with two distinctive black teas from opposite sides of the tea-growing world, each bringing its own character to the cup. Together, Chinese Keemun Mao Feng and Sri Lankan Ceylon FBOP create a rich, aromatic foundation that is smooth enough to sip on its own, yet bold enough to carry the warm flavors of roasted almond and creamy caramel. Keemun, also known as Qimen, is a celebrated Chinese black tea from Anhui Province. First produced in the late 19th century, it earned a reputation for its unusually refined, complex character and eventually became an important component in many classic black-tea blends. We carry Keemun Mao Feng, made with tender young leaves harvested earlier in the season. Compared with heavier Keemun styles, Mao Feng tends to be softer, lighter, and naturally sweeter. In the cup, Keemun shows beautiful nuance. Look for a gentle maltiness accompanied by subtle stone-fruit, floral, woody, and lightly smoky notes, with an intriguing natural character reminiscent of unsweetened cocoa. Its reddish-brown liquor is fragrant, smooth, and sophisticated without being overly astringent. Creating this character takes careful craftsmanship. The freshly harvested leaves are withered to reduce their moisture, then rolled to release their natural enzymes and aromatic compounds. Oxidation gradually transforms the leaves from green to deep brown while building the color, aroma, and flavor associated with black tea. Finally, the leaves are fired and dried, preserving the finished tea’s distinctive personality.

To bring additional body and brightness to the cup, we pair the Keemun with FBOP Ceylon Black Tea from the Nayapane Estate in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Kandy has a long history with Ceylon tea, surrounded by rolling hills and growing conditions that have helped make Sri Lankan tea recognized worldwide. Our FBOP, or Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe, consists of smaller, twisted leaves that brew readily into a beautiful reddish liquor. Where Keemun contributes elegance and subtle complexity, the Ceylon brings strength, aroma, and a fuller black-tea character. Put the two together, and you get a cup with wonderful balance: rich without being overly heavy, aromatic without becoming delicate, and strong enough to welcome some seriously delicious additions.

This is where we take that beautiful black-tea tradition and add a little Steep Me Christmas magic. We begin with the warm, nutty taste of roasted almond, which settles beautifully into the natural cocoa, malt, and lightly toasted character of the Keemun. Then come our super-creamy caramel bits, adding a soft, buttery sweetness that wraps around the tea without covering up its rich black-tea foundation. For the holidays, we take it one delicious step further with a festive blend of cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Cardamom adds a sweet aromatic warmth, cloves bring deep holiday spice, cinnamon gives the cup that familiar fireside coziness, and nutmeg rounds everything out with a soft, nostalgic finish. Together, they turn the roasted almond and caramel into something that feels like a Christmas kitchen filled with warm spices and freshly made holiday treats. And because Christmas tea should look every bit as special as it tastes, we finish the blend with safflower petals, shimmering silver sanding sugar, and delicate silver snowflakes. The result is a tea that catches your eye in the basket before you ever take the first sip. Once steeped, the cup is malty, nutty, creamy, warmly spiced, and gently sweet. Roasted almond and caramel come first, followed by layers of cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and nutmeg, while rich Keemun and Ceylon teas keep everything grounded and beautifully balanced. Drink it straight for the full black-tea character, or add a splash of milk or cream and watch those caramel, almond, and holiday-spice notes become even richer.