Betty's of Harrogate

I think, but I might be mistaken, that this is the loose tea equivalent of the tinned China Rose Petal Leaf Tea by Taylors of Harrogate. When I was living in Yorkshire, this tea was one of my absolute favourite ones, because of its very floral fragrances, making it an easy-going afternoon tea. The leftovers of a packet I used today must have been forgotten about for some years, and this shows : it smells almost smoked now, although the rose fragrance is still present, and the taste is harder, more bitter than I remember. Still a nice cuppa though. Should get myself a new packet and compare ;-)

A surprise from a swap with Mel (thank you!) which I saved till it was just the right occasion. And oh this is nice and also feels very british. A very nice Christmas tea indeed – I got orange, lemon and cinnamon, and also crazily something apricot like? A very strong base though still smooth. For somebody like me who seems to have a prejudice against Christmas teas this was a winner!

I always find Betty’s tea very light for the supposed amount of tea used per cup (the leaves are always rolled tightly, full orange pekoe) so in order to get the most out of the orange, lemon and cinnamon flavour, I brewed it with 1 and a half teaspoons for longer than usual and added soy milk… A real treat! The citrus doesn’t resist added milk at all and it’s an altogether warming, sweet flavour with the cinnamon softening the fruit.

I made a pitcher of this iced – I was in the mood for a non-flavoured black, but it is too muggy and humid here today to enjoy a nice cup of hot black tea. I made a small amount of very strong tea, then diluted it with ice. It went REALLY cloudy though – I have had this happen before, but not so drastic. It looks like I put milk in it.

Anyway, it is very refreshing. I oversteeped it a little, but the bitterness that resulted wasn’t overwhelming and overall it was quite tasty, though I much prefer it hot.

2nd steep:

Pretty much the same as the first, but it does get a little watery. The second steep is not as fruity as the first, but has a slight floral tinge to the back of the sip. I don’t think this will do a third steep, but it gives a good second steep.

I visited Bettys in Harrogate a while ago and had this. I was very impressed with it, so I bought some to bring home.

The dry leaf scent is not very strong, but has faint notes of peppercorn and fruit. The first few sips are very peppery but the tea becomes more fruity as the tea cools – specifically apples and something that reminds me of ripe cherries. As it cools further, the peppercorn notes disappear and by now, when the tea is room temperature, I can’t taste it at all, just a brisk black tea taste.

Brew lightly. I was served this in the Betty’s of Harrogate flagship store tearoom and they scalded the tea so it went bitter, which is a shame, because it tastes so lovely and delicate when brewed correctly. I pour a little cold water on the tea shortly before pouring on the nearly-boiling water.

It’s also fun to brew this in a glass teapot, because the little coils unwind one by one. :>