14 Tasting Notes

92
drank Gunpowder & Mint by Twinings
14 tasting notes

My tastings of this tea so far probably don’t do it justice, as my wife picked up a couple of packets that were on sale at a bargain store because their use-by-date had nearly expired. It’s now two or so months past the use-by-date, but as the packets were still sealed I decided to give it a go.

I like mint teas, particularly as an aid to digestion after a heavy meal, but I don’t enjoy an overly-minty flavour. What I like about this tea is that it has a good body, with a noticeable but not aggressive mint flavour.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 2 min, 0 sec

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84
drank Earl Grey (loose leaf) by Twinings
14 tasting notes

Twinings Earl Grey is my “must-have” morning tea. It has a delicate sweetness that appeals to me in the morning, but I prefer more robust teas for the remainder of the day.

There is simply no comparison between the loose tea and tea bags in Twinings Earl Grey – the loose tea wins hands down. And fortunately it is readily available on supermarket shelves around here (regional Victoria, Australia), unlike some other varieties of Twinings loose tea.

As with all other teas, I drink mine black with no sugar.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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100
drank Russian Caravan by Twinings
14 tasting notes

Twinings Russian Caravan has been my everyday “quaffing” tea for many years. It has a smooth but robust flavour that is perfect for any time of day. It doesn’t leave your palate feeling bitter, unlike the rough ride you get from a lot of the budget brand supermarket teas.

There is simply no comparison between the loose tea and tea bags in Twinings Russian Caravan – the loose tea wins hands down. And fortunately it is readily available on supermarket shelves around here (regional Victoria, Australia), unlike some other varieties of Twinings loose tea.

As with all other teas, I drink mine black with no sugar.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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100
drank Lapsang Souchong by Twinings
14 tasting notes

Lapsang Souchong has been my favourite tea for many years. There is simply no comparison between the loose tea and tea bags in Twinings Lapsang Souchong – the tea bags still have the smokey aroma, but the loose tea has the same distinctive aroma as well as a richer and more robust flavour.

When my little brother was younger, he used to refer to my Lapsang Souchong as “bushfire tea” because of the smoky aroma. I often drink this tea alone, as my wife doesn’t like it – in fact, she won’t even let me brew it in her teapot! I always look forward to sharing a cup with my best mate whenever he visits (thanks Geoff!).

Nowadays it’s almost impossible to find Twinings Lapsang Souchong loose tea on supermarket shelves around here (regional Victoria, Australia), so I’m usually stuck with the tea bags. Occasionally I treat myself to the loose Lapsang Souchong from Lupicia.

As with all other teas, I drink mine black with no sugar.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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Profile

Bio

I inherited the tea-drinking gene from my mother and my grandparents. My sister inherited the coffee-drinking gene from my father – unfortunately I couldn’t save her!

In my teens, I thought that Twinings loose tea was the pinnacle of quality tea. It wasn’t until my wife stumbled across the Lupicia store in Melbourne and brought home some Lapsang Souchong (the Twinings loose tea variety seems hard to come by around here nowadays) that I realised there’s a whole world of quality tea out there.

I drink tea every day, although I’ve been trying to limit my intake of black tea – I recently realised that I was downing eight-to-ten cups of strong black tea a day! I love the rituals in tea-making as much as the tea itself, and I always look forward to sharing new teas with friends over a chat at the dining table.

My father was given a gift of some oolong tea in Hong Kong, which he hands out very sparingly, and I’ve just started to explore oolong teas myself.

Generally, however, my taste in tea leans towards black teas that are big and bold, such as Lapsang Souchong. I do also enjoy green tea, but I fear that Lapsang has ruined my tastebuds forever! Ah, Lapsang, you are a fickle friend…

I live in regional Victoria, Australia, with the missus and three little ‘uns. Coming from an Italian background, my wife prefers coffee to tea, but will occasionally try a new tea with me. My tea rituals seem to have captured the imagination of my two oldest children, and the highlight of 2011 (apart from the birth of our third child) was when my six-year-old was asked what he’d like to drink with his evening meal, and he replied “I’ll have Russian Caravan please!”

Location

Victoria, Australia

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