10 Tasting Notes
Drinking this tea takes me back to the basement of Marks and Spencer with a cafeteria tray in front of me filled with scones, clotted cream, jam, and a pot of Gold tea all to myself. Hey, don’t judge…I was on vacation.
It’s a very tasty and mellow blend of black teas. The flavor holds up well with milk.
I picked up a box of this tea while I was on vacation in England. I really, really wish I had picked up several more.
This is more or less a twist on a Lady Grey tea. The lemon and orange zest help temper the bergamot oil. It’s a sweet and sweetly aromatic citrus tea without the aftertaste of a typical Earl Grey. I could drink this everyday without tiring of it. However, sadly I’ve only got about 20 bags left, so I’m stretching as far as I can until I can find a suitable replacement from a US company. It’s a shame that M&S doesn’t sell their non-perishable goods online.
Some describe this style of tea akin to drinking a campfire. And with some poorer versions of the tea, it pretty much is. A good lapsang souchong has a smoky aroma, but a mellow, almost sweet taste and heavy mouthfeel that counters the strong aroma. Sadly, this is not a good lapsang souchong, but it’s adequate. The flavor is a bit bland, so really all you notice is the smoke.
My favorite morning breakfast tea. Got turned on to this blend when I found it on clearance at a store and figured I’d give it a shot. Now I’m more than willing to pay full price.
Strong enough to wake me up, but pretty smooth for a black tea blend. As others mentioned, this one goes bitter pretty quick if you let it steep too long.
Preparation
Weak, weak tea. It made me sad how little spice taste is in this tea, and I happen to adore spiced teas, especially in winter. I smell cinnamon notes, but I really only taste black tea. Did someone forget to put spices in the bag?
Alas, you get what you pay for I guess. Like Teacast, this came in a package of Bentley teas that I bought at an embarrassingly low price (and there are a number of $1-$2 boxes of teas out there that I DO like). Maybe I’ll have better luck with the next flavor.
Very straightforward cup of hibiscus and mint tea. The mint is a background player here and does not intrude upon the tartness of the hibiscus flower.
It’s good both hot and cold. I tend to drink it hot at work and leave the bag in the cup to make it stronger and stronger with every sip. At home, I like to prepare it as iced tea and mix in pomegranate or grape juice to sweeten it.
This tea kicks my butt in the afternoon when I’m starting to get sleepy. Nice and strong, even seems surprisingly forgiving when I accidentally steep it too long. Distractions at work? Never! Probably because it is so strong that my tastebuds aren’t given a chance to notice anything tannic about it. I drink it straight, but it probably would mellow out with some milk.
Something happened to my palate a few months back in that all traditional Earl Greys started to take on a soaplike aftertaste from the bergamot oil. It didn’t matter how long or how little I steeped it. Heartbroken, because I happened to like Earl Grey, I started looking for alternatives with a similar flavor profile.
I found this Lady Grey in a supermarket and decided to give it a try. Overall, a very tasty afternoon tea for a cheap price. The lemon helps cut the bergamot flavor and leaves it with a nice, crisp citrusy flavor. Not at all tart and no soapy aftertaste. I like keeping this one at work.
I go back and forth between this tisane and Buccaneer. I think I prefer the mintiness of this one. I’m fairly certain that this has chunks of coconut in it, even though it’s not listed as an ingredient. It’s a soothing blend of chocolate, peppermint, and vanilla. Fortunately, the rooibos does not come through strongly at all. Overall, a very good dessert tea.
