Prince of Wales

I am still at my parent’s house and this set of teabags has also been here since last Christmas when I got them. My mother goes to McDonald’s almost every day to get an iced tea there. I assume that’s just an excuse she uses to get out of the house. :)

Anyway I still like this a lot – see previous notes for more info

Thank you to Twinings for sending three teas of our choice to try! This is the sample I most wanted, based on reviews I have read here on Steepster. I was especially interested in whether this one would resteep.

I was a little surprised when I just read that this is a blend of Chinese teas because I could have sworn I tasted some Indian leaf in this. Then I read that it is Yunnan and southern province teas and it made sense, because there is a lot of assamica varietal in yunnan plus they tend to have a slight maltiness.

This is good. It is smooth. I took it without milk and sugar and it was not harsh. There was a hint of tingling or peppery flavor from the yunnan. It is not premium loose leaf tea but is very drinkable and easy to carry and make, so I think it qualifies as a Cheapster Steepster because….I like the resteep even better than the first steep! It is not strong, no, indeed. But it is now ever so lightly smoky and is even smoother.

This is nothing like the PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold that makes me hide under the bed until it has been tamed with milk and sugar. It is more delicate, but not frail. I doubt it would wake up an Assam lover but it is good mid-morning tea for me!

Had this iced today. Made it hot and then added ice. This is an excellent quick iced tea. No sugar necessary.

Day # 5 of 24, and tea of so late in the day I think it will probably keep me up……….

This one comes to me from teawing. Thank you! I have to admit, the more teas I try from Twinings, the more I realize I dismissed bagged tea way too soon. It turns out, I never had the steeping right and always used too much water. This time I was sure to use between 6 and 8 oz of water rather than the 12 or more I used to use in my pre-loose leaf days.

I am drinking this one straight up. I like the mellow taste of this. It is not as full tasting as the Keemuns I usually drink for breakfast tea. However, this one is smooth and light enough to drink on its own. I wish I had more to say about it, but alas, it is gone…… I will definitely look for Twinings when out and not able to get my usual loose leaf. They seem to be pretty reliable for good tea.

8 oz water freshly boiled, one teabag, 4 minutes. Straight up.

I’m still getting used to the idea that I can have caffeinated tea as often as I’d like at work, so it’s taking a while to get back into the routine of making a cup. For now, the bags have it: making it easy to make multiple cups in the course of a day. I’m looking forward to when the bags won’t cut it anymore and I’ll be inspired to move back into loose leaf. :)

This is my last sample from the great Twinings sample giveaway.
I have heard good things about this tea, so I have looked forward to giving it a try.
Odor of the tea is softly malty and a bit fruity.
Taste is not real strong and I can taste a little bit of the paper bag.
Not a terrible a cup of tea,just a little light on taste for me.

I think I’ve either finally been spoiled by loose leaf, or this box of tea was stale. I’ve tried a couple of cups now and it tastes like dust and paper. Or maybe I’m just working in the library too much…

TTB Tea #16:

I’m not a black tea person- especially bagged… but I know black tea is part of the tea culture in the UK and since this is named for one of the royal family, why not? I’m a sucker for novelty teas.

The liquor is a dull brown color… CRAP! forgot to weigh this. Sigh… Oh well… Slightly sweet smooth flavor. Quite pleasing for even the not black lover like myself. Paired nicely w/ lunch- chicken parmesean. Not sure I’d drink it not paired w/ some sort of food though.

A relatively mild, pleasant breakfast tea. I bought this at the Twinings store in the UK section of Epcot, because my boyfriend and I woke up one morning in our Disney hotel and realized that Mickey doesn’t provide teabags for his guests. How lame is that? The hotel had a hot water heater and plenty of coffee, but not a single tea offering!

Anyway. So this is a great morning tea when you don’t want the forcefulness of English Breakfast or Earl Grey, but still want a properly ‘English’ sort of tea. Tastes very good with milk and sugar. I had the bagged version and it was lovely; I bet the loose tea is even better.

Last night I stepped on nasty sheet of ice without realizing, fell down, and almost broke my nose. Well, I didn’t break my nose, but I woke up this morning to find out that my right foot is too swollen to fit into my clogs even half way. Every step was painful and getting from the bed to the kitchen was such a chore, and I was limping at the speed of a sea turtle at a dune.

Why am I bothering to write this misery in this steepster-verse full of happiness and joy and kindness and tea? Well, because I did make it to the kitchen, and while making myself an ice pack, I boiled some water so I can make myself a cup of tea to make me feel better. And this Prince of Wales was the one I chose. Usually this is too mild for breakfast, but I was aching and cold, and just wanted mild, soothing tea past my throat.

This tea is like an everyday friend, not overly friendly or gorgeous or welcoming, but calm and elegant, always ready to give a smile when you’re feeling somewhat down. Not a cheer-up tea, but a tea that makes you think that it isn’t all so bad. Oh, and “everyday” includes the price tag. Likely to be a staple on my cupboard.