Crabtree & Evelyn

I was offered a cup of this tea while browsing around in a Crabtree & Evelyn store. They’ve really expanded on their tea and food offerings recently, and there was a whole display with various kinds of tea, biscuits, and fruit preserves. While tea is still not the first thing people would think of when this company is mentioned, my parents have a tin of their Afternoon Tea, and my previous experiences with it were pretty good.

The base of this tea is similar to the Afternoon Tea, with sweet florals on a loamy/earthy backdrop. There is a slight touch of acidity. The bergamot presence is subtle but lingering on the finish. The overall effect is a soft and gentle tea. My impression may have been skewed toward the positive by the nice surprise of being given a free sample, but it was quite enjoyable!

Had a cup of this with brown sugar while working on some data and doing computer stuff for my parents (you know how it is!) this afternoon. This tea takes sugar well, and its own natural floral-starchy fragrance opens up a bit with the addition. A warm cup of tea is very welcome in the current weather—cold for Californians, probably balmy for everyone else!

Crabtree & Evelyn are probably best known for bath and home products, so when I got this sample I wasn’t sure if I should have high expectations. As it turns out, it’s pretty decent. This tea does brew up to the darkest red I’ve ever seen, which was rather intimidating before I tried it, but the actual tea is quite mild. There’s that distinct Ceylon peachiness to the aroma and taste, and a sort of faint watery sweetness I’ve always associated with lotus root soup. (It’s been a while since I’ve made one of these weird associations!) There is a very mild astringency. I don’t think I’ve had a tea explicitly labelled as “afternoon tea” before, but I can see that this one doesn’t have quite the same kick or body as the typical breakfast tea.

Got two bags when I bought some lotion and was pleasantly surprised! Light but full in flavor, just ensure you don’t steep too long or it gets bitter fast. Pleasant with some milk! Yum!

Fragrant yet delicate. The jasmine does not overwhelm and the tea doesn’t turn bitter. One of my all-time favourite jasmine green teas which I always restock.