Thyolo Moto Malawi guava wood smoked black tea is a unique black tea from Satemwa Tea Estate with plump big leaves and warm and cozy personality that brings me back to my childhood years.

Recently I’ve been trying a lot of different smoked teas. I still remember the first time I had tried lapsang souchong from a nearby tea shop with very strong and very artificial scent and flavor. That was 15 years ago. I have refrained from trying other smoked teas until I got a unique opportunity from Yunomi to try their whiskey barrel wood smoked tea. I was very intrigued and a new love was born. Thyolo Moto Malawi guava wood smoked black tea is one more in the line of unique and interesting smoked black teas.

Name: #421 Thyolo Moto (smoked – Guava OP1)
Tea Producer: Satemwa Tea Estate (Malawi)
Type: Malawi black tea

Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava wood smoked black tea

Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava Wood Smoked Black Tea in Appearance

Leaves look very nice, plump and big, orange pekoe 1 grade. They have a dry, fine smoked ham scent, with strong and sweet background. Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava wood smoked black tea gets the most strange and unique scent in the heated teapot. Unlike any other smoked teas I’ve tried so far. It takes me back to childhood, to cold autumn evenings when we used to play outside, ham was smoking in the backyard’s smoking room and we were piling up dry wood used for heating in winter. We had a big heap of wheat in the garage and used to play inside as if it was a pool. Quite nice memories of a carefree childhood years in the suburbs of a tiny town.

Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava wood smoked black tea

These leaves have quite the same scent – wheat and ham smoking in the background, chilled evenings and deep and sweet soul. Leaves have a notes of fresh grapes and tobacco, with smoke being just a background scent, not overwhelming or intrusive.

Brewing Time

Brewing: 5 g, 150 ml, 90, 120, 180 sec, 95 degrees Celsius

Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava wood smoked black tea is definitely more fresh and green than lapsang souchong. There is definitely some innocence to this tea.  It presents itself as a complex tea, but in heart is very simple and clean with honest intentions. Scent of the liquor has some fruity ripe notes as well, and delicate nice smoked scent. It’s very fresh and friendly with nice balance. Color is clean and orangey brown, bright. This tea has an interesting flavor. It’s dragging a bit of astringency in the tail, but is not quite willing to show it. It has a raw end, like raw wheat and feels almost as some weight is pressing it down. Flavor is lightly sweet and lightly smoked. Second infusion is much lighter, both in scent and flavor, but quite nice and more refreshing.

Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava wood smoked black tea

This tea is good for three infusions. It’s definitely worth trying if you are a lapsang souchong tea lover, or if you are trying to find an alternative. You can find a list of Satemwa Tea Estate’s stockists here.

Thyolo Moto Malawi Guava wood smoked black tea