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Filthy weather outside – fiercely windy, cold and pouring rain. Couldn’t make it to work today due to traffic. But it is perfect tea weather!
Brewed a cup of fountain blend. More piquant and much less astringent this time. Perhaps I overbrewed it last time? Will give it another try later and decide.

This tea brews bright red, with a smooth, almost creamy feel to it and no astringency. It’s a wonderful example of a Ceylon – a cheerful breakfast tea that can be brewed strong ad taken with milk and yet I also enjoy it in the afternoon and evening, brewed lighter. A comforting, reliable tea that your guests are guaranteed to enjoy, no matter who they are. It even brews to a good iced tea. Keep a caddy of it in your cupboard (or at least a box of tea bags) “just in case”. It is a safe bet, and money well spent – the tea that will get you out of a pinch :)
This tea is a Ceylon blend, which perhaps explains why it’s precise taste notes elude me still. Oh well, just another good excuse to brew a cuppa ;)

Dark red, smooth with a very slight astringency and a strong caffeine kick.

This tea brews to a reddish gold colour that has a pronounced yet not unpleasant astringency to it. It is has the muscatel flavours that F&M advertise, but if you like your tea with milk or don’t enjoy teas with a kick then perhaps you would do better buying one of F&M’s other brews. As a Darjeeling this tea is good, it just isn’t very memorable.

A large leaf tea that brews light red with a smooth sweet flavour and a slightly astringent aftertaste. It’s honey-like flavours also work fantastically well with milk, providing that you brew it slightly stronger. A wonderfully versatile tea

Drinking a cup while at an annoying seminar at work. Comforting. A very smooth cup, dark reddish brown with a golden yellow halo.

This tea is not part of Whittards usual range: they were selling a few pouches of it in the summer of 2011 and I happened to pop one into my already bursting basket on the way out :)
This Darjeeling is delicate, and brews to a very light yellowish-green colour with a delightful gentle citrusy smell. The tea is smooth, with a slight astringency and a wonderful (yet not overpowering) citrus flavour. I love to drink it in the evening after supper or as a refresher in the summer. Wonderful tea if you can get your hands on it.

I’ve found this tea by accident on sale in a Whittards shop in York (2011). I haven’t seen it since, which makes me think that perhaps it’s been discontinued, or perhaps it is available for sale only in York. In any case, if you can get your hands on a caddy or two, do so. This is an Irish Breakfast kind of tea, very strong, perfect for a morning kick of caffeine, and excellent with milk or without. Malty but not bitter, it is a wonderful way to start your day.

The Darjeeling in this blend disappears beneath the strong malty taste of the Assam. For an Assam tea, it’s a good tea, but if you are looking for a unique blend then your time and money are better spent on F&M’s Piccadilly Blend in my opinion.
This tea can be brewed light (for a minute or two) and taken without milk or brewed stronger (for 2-3 minutes) and taken with milk. I personally like it with milk