100
drank 1837 Black by TWG Tea Company
33 tasting notes

This has got to be one of my all-time favorite black teas, I have yet to find something to replace this at my #1 spot, and although a few have come close nothing has de-throned it just yet. Being one of TWG’s signature teas, I usually pick it up at one of their salons while in Asia or UK and keep a good supply of it so I don’t run out. Awesome value for the price too, IMHO.

The brewed leaves smell of ripe forest berries muddled with black Vietnamese sugarcane, makes me want to eat them. The aromas of the liquor itself are a bit more subdued, kind of like a hot caramel was poured on top of said berries. The taste is very smooth, but surprisingly not fruity like you would expect based on the smell — center stage are some wood barrel notes, like ones used to age a berry wine or liquor. Although it is excellent unadulterated, 2-3 tsp of raw honey (per 300ml) makes the berries explode to the forefront while the caramelized sugarcane balances it out, reminds me of a dark berry creme brulee. Rockstar all the way.

Flavors: Berries, Caramel, Fruit Tree Flowers, Wood

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 2 tsp 10 OZ / 300 ML

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Musician, pilot, philanthropist, tea lover. Nothing beats a spiced oolong at 10,000 feet. Except maybe a cuppa dian hong with my feet next to the fireplace. Or some fresh bai hao yin zhen before bedtime. My rating system is pretty much like this:

1-20 : ‘Blech’ cuppa. Didn’t even finish the one I brewed, rest went in trash. That bad, at least for me.

21-40: ‘Meh’ cuppa. Finished it but threw away the rest of the tea or used it for other purposes like baking, gifts for in-laws, or serve to unwanted houseguests. Kinda like Twinnings or Lipton bag tea.

41-60: ‘Standard’ cuppa. Won’t buy any more, but will certainly brew all that I have left. Probably will use it to blend with other teas or as a base, or large quantities of iced tea for parties and such.

61-80: Good cuppa. Now we’re talking. Worth buying more if at the right price, love blending some of these too. Sometimes a few oddballs will find their way into this score just because I liked the fruity flavor or having it as an iced tea. Also my starting score range for new kinds of tea until I develop a good feel for my preferences or learn to better distinguish quality characteristics.

81-99: Awesome cuppa. You’ll probably find this in my pantry pretty regularly, unless it has been discontinued or I’m waiting for my next trip to Asia or Europe to pick up some more. Holds up well to multiple infusions (unless black/herbal), and will typically drink it unadulterated/straight. I’ll gladly pay premium prices and chances are I’ll be ordering and tasting a bunch of other teas this producer/company offers.

100: Cuppa bliss, oh where have you been all my life???! I will burn frequent flier miles and journey to the ends of the earth while paying nearly any price to make sure I have this stocked at all times. Over time as I discover some magical new teas, a few may fall off this list. Try to keep it max 1 per type of tea.

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