Ceylon Orange Pekoe Tea

So apparently Twinnings does OP in a k-cup. I had no idea…
Being my first day at work though, I gave it a try. Not terrible overall, I’d say. I don’t mind overly strong black tea as long as there is milk and sugar around. It always reminds me of the way my friend who descends from Ireland makes tea. Ie he lets tetley steep forever. and ever. ha. Wait, did I just compare Twinnings to Tetley? Ooops.
Anyhow. Always feels like bad luck bringing tea from home on my first day. It never goes well when I do, people look at you funny.
If you do it once settled in, nobody pays attention. But on the first day? yeah, not a great first impression, though I haven’t figured out why just yet!!

Seems the main complaint with this one is its bitterness. Can’t say I disagree. It’s a very dry, papery, bitter flavor, but with a little sugar it mellows a bit. It’s not bad, and for a bagged tea it’s a decent option, one that I’ve purchased more than once. However there are better Orange Pekoes out there. Oddly enough I like the Stop & Shop brand OP tea better, it’s a little lighter and not as dry.

I’m surprised by how low this tea is rated on here. Of course it’s not the best tea in the world, but, in my opinion, it’s a nice basic black tea. I enjoy drinking this in the late afternoon…it doesn’t have the strength of the morning Irish or English Breakfast Tea, but it’s pretty smooth for an inexpensive bagged tea. To be honest, I’ve never tasted a Ceylon I didn’t like, and this one is no exception.

This tea has a unique taste, and it’s not too citrusy to be overpowering. Just a little touch. I steep this longer than most of my other teas because it has a tendency to taste watery. It’s not my favorite tea, but I have a cup on occasion.

It tastes like straight black tea. Not into it.

I was in Indiana this past weekend visiting some friends and I knew I wasn’t in DC anymore, Toto, when I walked into the supermarket and asked a clerk where the tea was.

He looked at me. “What kind of tea?”
I’m sure I gave him a “are you stupid or just sh*tting me” look in return.
“Do you mean the kind in bags that goes in hot water?” he clarified, complete with hand motions miming lifting a tea bag in and out of a mug of water.
After he directed me to the tea aisle, I realized he was differentiating between tea and iced tea – the kind you make with a powder and was nowhere to be found near the bagged teas.

My mind. It is boggled.

Anyway, among the boxes of bagged tea, there were a few lone tins of loose tea by Twinings. I was thrilled to find them, even though quality-wise, I knew they weren’t that great. I needed caffeine. So I snagged a tin of the Ceylon Orange Pekoe, which was what got me through several semesters of 8 AM classes in college, albeit in bagged form.

Ceylon Orange Pekoe is nothing special. It’s just a plain black tea. There is no subtlety to the flavor, and no fruit taste I can discern. But it was tea. And it was caffeinated. And it helped me get through the hours in Indiana with my friend’s crazy family until it was socially acceptable to move to alcohol.

My go-to morning tea before I started to get fancy. I will always come back to it!

This is perfect for my office workday daily cuppa.
No fuss, no muss, tastes fine with the not-quite boiling water from the coffee maker’s “hot water” tap, doesn’t need milk or sugar. I always keep it stocked in my desk drawer.

This tea is perfectly adequate given that nothing else is available. Slightly fruity and floral. Becomes astringent easily. I’ve had worse tea, but. I’ve also had better.

It’s a strong and bitter tea, I tried to add 2 packets of sugar to make it better (I drank this in a mug so 2 is the minimum) but it only barely helped the taste