Twinings

What can I say about this classic, an eponymous favorite? It helped get me through highschool. I wrote to Twinings as a kid when I noticed that the ingredient changed from OIL of bergamot to bergamot FLAVORING. They tried to assure me that it was still a high quality tea, which may be true, but I’m still a curmudgeon! I drink this from teabags now. The string tag advises “steep 3 minutes” and the pouch warns “do not microwave”. But, why?

I got a box of this a while back because I finished my vanilla Comoro and, uhh, with the borders closed I can’t exactly visit my friend in Chicago and restock my teas…

It’s ok. I feel bad saying that as I used to drink this tea all the time. It’s not a strong tea, and the bergamot is just there. Idk. Am I just having trouble with earl grey teas these days? I’ve been slowly looking for a new one but I haven’t settled on anything yet.

Late-night chai. This one’s a bit expired. If there were any French vanilla notes, I can no longer taste them.

I found a box I still hadn’t unloaded from moving in a year and a half ago, and I found some tea bags I got as wedding favors, from a wedding two and a half years ago. It included this, a Harney & Sons earl grey bag, and some Celestial Seasonings: Raspberry Zinger and True Blueberry, in 3-teabag plastic pouches.

The main flavor here is the bergamot, but I don’t find it overpowering. The citrus note from the bergamot lingers on my tongue. I don’t know how old the tea is, at least three years old, but it’s held up well. And it outlasted that marriage.

A tea bag from Izzy, thank you — I guess this is a tea for today morning, a simple tea, a caffeine boost, but not trying to find some flavours and such. As I have received it recenly, I guess it’s new blend.

This tea exactly delivers that what they say: rich and full bodied. It’s indeed full bodied tea; pretty much rich flavour and almost 3 minutes steeping was quite a lot.

I didn’t add any milk, even it is suggested for longer steeps. It was nicely astringent and a bit bitter, but I have been expecting that. Niko said it reminds him Lipton Yellow Label and I have to disagree. The Lipton tea is way more rough, their tea essence is my nightmare in pure blacks, while this was typical black tea flavour. It’s not though autumn leaf pile or some other “good” flavours. It’s a bit tannic, and “tea-ish” Don’t expect you will find anything else.

Not a tea I would drink daily, but better than Czech Pigi čaj (a bestseller here (rolls eyes) ).

Our annual Mother Daughter Tea with National Charity League was held virtually this year so we received a little package which included this tea, a honey stick and a few other goodies. The theme of the Tea ceremony this year was “Enchanted Forest” so I can see why this tea made sense. I went in with very low expectations, figuring that if we hated it we could enjoy a second cup along the same theme with Dammann Freres’ 3 Fruits Noirs or 4 Fruits Rouges. But I was wrong! I enjoyed this tea. We both did! We joined the zoom call, tea at the ready and it went down soooo easily that it was gone 15 minutes in. It didn’t resteep well, but it was very good the first time around. The berries came through and I didn’t find it too chemical tasting. The creamy vanilla rounded the flavor nicely. It was like the inside of a raspberry tart you can get in france: fruit forward and a little vanilla from the creme patissieres afterwards.

This tea bag came free in a box of something else. It was a step above the Bigelow version that I sampled yesterday. The chai spices were decent but I don’t care for the vanilla. It tasted artificial.

You all know I am drowning in tea. And from today, I am on the bottom of the sea of tea.

But they got good internet connection there, so here is another tasting note.

Izzy (https://steepster.com/izzyscorner), who got really nice reviews last year had busy year so she decided to focus only on her blog and not Steepster in same time. She is doing fine though, so I am happy everything is alright in the UK from her part. She decided to send me, as a Christmas gift, a box full of tea bags (for my collection) and of course, most of them are full. There are some samples from a brand that haven’t started yet, some loose leaf samples… just lots of to drink (great, I don’t have any tea in the cupboards… (irony).

Ah, the tea.
I am quite happy to get tea bags, as I don’t have time or want to spend time with loose leaf. Of course, there is the less happy part — the tea bags are usually worse than loose leaf. As always I try to rate differently.

This tea, as a caffeine-free blend was nice today afternoon. Though something was lacking. The aroma was quite good, citrusy and tangerine, but unfortunately, kind of artificial note hits the spot as well. It wasn’t genuine soemhow.

On the other hand, the taste was quite flavourful, summer-y and citrus. Again mostly tangerine, which is probably expected flavour. It was quite juicy, but I was lacking some depth in this cuppa. It was too straightforward for me. I believe this tea would rock if iced!

Great for a grocery store bagged tea. Mild chai that tastes best with a little milk. Definitely like to keep this in my pantry as an easy go to.

I always keep this stocked since it is so cheap and easy to find. Nice spice, doesn’t taste ultra so the regular must be weak. Nicer with a little milk added in. Definitely keeps a spot in my heart and can compete with most looseleaf chais I’ve tried so far.

I should feel romantic now. Not sure, but whatever.

Tea I got from postcrossing, directly from Japan. Postcard here: https://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/JP-1450698

Images downloaded from Twitter post. All of them, as I wasn’t able to find official website.

Tea:
They suggest two minutes and I went for 2 minutes steep. It was alright! It reminded me apple pie, it was on the sweet side, very ripe red apples. Highly aromatic, but not annoying; sweet.

In conclusion: fine tea, with sweet apple taste, maybe too sweet for some. The base wasn’t noticeable at all, which is kind of sad.

This listing says duplicate, yet I don’t see an original, so I’m posting here. Before I ran out of milk, I was drinking tons of this tea. I have to steep it for longer than I’d usually steep a black tea in order for it have a rich enough flavor. It tastes nice as a latte but really wouldn’t be too great straight. I wish the bergamot were stronger. So I’ll finish this box but would go with different decaf EG options in the future. Not a bad choice, not as weak as some others, but could be more flavorful. But I had a different decaf EG the other day, and actually found that I prefer this one. Hmmm rankings are hard.

A tea from Madeline as US version, but again, I think it will be pretty much same as UK, or international one. Thank you!

3 minutes were suitable instead of recommended four; it was really strong and bold almost biting and bitter. And tannic. I am not really sure it has got some other qualities than strong taste and probably high level of caffeine.

As always, drank plain. Not really call it smooth as they claim to be honest. And to be honest… it’s builder’s brew for sure. Won’t call it bad, but it’s not a tea I would look forward trying when seeing it somewhere. It’s common.

My favorite decaf EG. It avoids the overwhelming flat, stale aftertaste that many decaf teas have. The bergamot oil is good quality, which helps a lot. Good with a splash of milk. Sometimes I want real tea in the afternoons, so decaf is my only option unless I want to be wide awake all night.

A tea bag from Madeline, thank you!

Ah well, I don’t recall when I had Darjeeling for last time and moreover tea bag! Of course I was sceptical; but actually it is quite good.

I mean… decent and expected from tea bag. It is quite highly tannic, and somehow generic black tea flavours. Bold even after two minutes steeping, though they suggest three.

There is some note that I am not able to say simple descriptor of. It’s freshness, but not in minty way. Some kind of light notes, but not the florals. I noticed it only in Twinings Darjeeling (I recall I had it earlier for sure, but not US version).

Anyway, finished my cup and it gave me so needed caffeine boost (I am becoming addicted or what?!).