English Tea No. 1

My first cup of the day – this is really a good tea, which is especially surprising to me since it’s a bagged tea. I like it a lot.

It is bold and the bergamot is light. Smooth and delicious.

I thought I would start today by going another steep with yesterday’s leaf. I really expected a lifeless cup that I would pour out after a few drinks. This is the 3rd steep of an inexpensive tea. Steeped 6 minutes with boiling water. When the cup is really hot it is a bit bland, but when the cup cools the flavor jumps out. It isn’t as bold as yesterday but then my first steep was way too long (4 minutes). I think if you keep the first cup at 3 minutes or less all three steeps would be pretty even. Ahmad is a champion at inexpensive blends. Worthy of a try.

1 scoop leaf + 12oz boiling water + 3 minutes = a cheapster Steepster mug of joy. Light bergamot and a solid black base. This is a good one.

Ahmad is my favorite bargain brand. A 100g tin is around $6. Some of their varieties can be found in a one pound box for less that $7. The bargain price isn’t important if it isn’t drinkable. This is actually quite pleasant. Enough bergamot to satisfy without overpowering. Not Earl Grey but closer than a lot of teas claiming the name that cost a whole lot more. Been craving their Darjeeling lately. Guess I need to clear a spot in my drawer.

A review of English Tea No. 1 by Ahmad Tea
I left tea to infuse for a good five minutes and enjoyed smelling the simple malt scent of this tea that is lightly flavored with bergamot.

The color is a darken amber and it as rich as it is full-bodied. There is no astringency, nothing to not like about this blend. It truly is well balanced in aroma, the color stays the same for several infusions and the strength in tea’s character remains as when first tasted.

It is an excellent cup of tea with last infusion it reminds me of the London Cuppa. It still leaves the palette dry when first tasted, a back of throat kind of dryness. Not syrup or licorice like. It is like dry white wine or vodka, but more wine dryness than anything else.

A review of English Tea No. 1 by Ahmad Tea

I want to compare this tea with my other English teas to see if indeed I can note differences in the cup. As yet I have not been able.

I placed one tea bag into my cup and added boiling water and left to steep for a few minutes. I am having it plain since I want to enjoy more of the bergamot flavor that is to be found in the cup.

Aroma is most dry, scenting fruity; citrus to be exact and having a dry palette when first tasted. As this tea is lightly flavored with the bergamot makes it smoother in taste; the malt is lessened somehow, yet having still a dry effect on the palette.

Infuse: for 3-5 minutes

Tea’s brew is dark amber in color when steeped for the full 5 minutes.

I continue to play and enjoy these new teas that I have obtained this year. I say this because I find that they are similar and I try to discern what stands out in one cup as opposed to another tea of similar nature/derivatives.

The bergamot oil makes this tea more wholesome throughout since it is evenly distributed in aroma, flavor and the strength of the tea. Steeping it longer or less is pretty much the same cup of tea. I note the smoothness in the roasted flavor of the tea with no after taste. It is not as full bodied as The Kopili Assam tea and not as bold either.

This English tea is smooth and rich; silk-like in quality and taste, making for a well-balanced cup of tea.

I fixed myself a cup of this tea with honey today and it was very warm and welcoming. The sweetness made the tasting of it more like liquor, licorise without the anise. As well as brought out the malt flavoring in the cup of tea.

I am happy that I tried it, as such; since I do not usually put anything in my teas. In all the honey enhanced the flavoring; made it richer and bolder for a fuller bodied tea, whole-roundly.

A review: English Tea No. 1 by Ahmad Tea

I like returning to this tea; after having had The London Cuppa. As this tea is lightly flavored with that famous bergamot making it for a delightful cup for all occasions. I mean it is balanced in aroma, color and strength.

Tea was infused for five minutes and I removed the tea bag and I don’t feel the need to add anything to it. Tea brews a lovely amber color and smells nicely full-bodied. It is clean on the palette with a good heft possessing of color, strength, substance and roundness. This all mean that the tea holds its own.

I continue to enjoy another cup of this fine tea that is highly flavored with bergamot. Noticing more and more the citrus flavoring, as I am, happily reminded of when one has had an orange and the texture lingers in your hands and nostrils as the smell is carried in the air. It is a lemon-like (citrus) scent but only in the oil; strong and bitter but not in taste as the bergamot does make this tea smoother and milder in taste.

The aroma, the color and teas’ strength all are evenly distributed in the cup.

A review of English Tea No. 1 by Ahmad Tea

Company: Ahmad Tea
Tea Name: English Tea No. 1
Tea Type/Varietal: black
Region:
Steeping Vessel/Amt. Leaf: tea bag
Liquor Color: reddish brown
Leaf Characteristics:

1. Steepings

1st Steeping:
Water temperature: 200 Fahrenheit
Time: 3 minutes

I purchased a cup of this tea from a small sandwich and snack shop one morning while waiting for the library to open. It seems I am always waiting for the library to open, since I am not employed and can’t drive myself about; I am dropped off too early prior to businesses being open. I am a vagrant of sort.

Anyhow, I bought a cup of this tea since the associate of this shop said this was the only tea that they had or carried. It was a good cup of tea. It was nicely hot, that aside; the tea was smooth with a good heft in the body; tea’s aroma was that of a roasted brew. I mean it smelled strong and when sipping this tea it was malty with a smooth finish. I did not add any sugar or cream. I simply had it as was given to me, plain and it was quite enjoyable.

Overall, the tea was a nice blend of Ceylon tea with a smooth texture and not robust enough as Assam teas tend to be.

I know that I enjoyed the tea from beginning sip to ending sip.

I need to get moving. This tea makes a virtue of necessity. Its brisk and fruity with just enough caffeine to start moving. I might be noticing a hint of dairy, or there just might not be enough caffeine.

A fruity, perhaps even flowery tea, quite brisk and light, very light. In fact its too light in here. That’s not the tea, I’m late for work!