Robert Godden Send Message

I must admit, I was not in the best frame of mind before I drank this.
Having wandered around a tourist precinct for a while, I was overjoyed to spot a sign saying “19 whole leaf teas”. Once I got into the cafe, there was a ‘MIghty Leaf" catalogue offering 19 teas. So far so good. It’s not a common brand in Australia, so I was excited.
I picked white orchid, but then changed my mind and ordered this one. I asked to smell them both, but when I opened the tin, they were tea bags.
Sorry, they call them “pouches”. Not sure if they’re stupid or think we are – it’s a tea bag.
Bad start, I should have walked.
So, anyway the beverage comes to the table. It’s in a takeaway cup. I have no idea why. The label said to steep for 5 minutes, I asked how long it had been steeped, and then set the tea timer on my phone. Then you’re supposed to pull it up against the plastic lid to strain it, apparently.
By the time the five minutes is up, the half-asleep staff have served appallingly poor and misrepresented food, and I’ve tried Mrs Devotea’s “Organic Darjeeling Estate”, which is a fine collection of words for – you guessed it – a teabag, and also unimpressive. I’m seriously annoyed, and I invest all my hopes that this tisane will lift my spirits.
And it doesn’t.
The mint notes are good, the rooibos thin and stale-tasting, the chocolate very rough and ready. I drank one third, then left, never to return.
I must say, if I was one who took milk and sugar, I think it would have been much improved.
But, it’s pretty unlikely I’ll ever bother trying it again.