Tea of the afternoon, for me. It wasn’t entirely on purpose, just what appealed to me. I picked these up on holiday last year – they’re part of a box set which contains whisky, heather and thistle flavoured teas, plus this one. A novelty if nothing else! These are bagged, so it’s hard to say much about the leaf other than that it’s very finely shredded – think CTC. I gave it 3 minutes in boiling water, and added a decent splash of milk. It brews up pretty strong – literally just my cup of tea!
To taste, it’s actually sweeter than I expected (with no additions, I hasten to add). I was expecting quite a brisk cup with maybe an edge of bitterness, but it’s not like that at all. I can definitely tell that there’s a high proportion of assam in this blend – it’s malty and almost thick-tasting in the best possible way. I can also detect some ceylon – it has an edge of citrussy brightness that emerges towards the end of the sip and helps to cut through some of the sweetness. I’m guessing there’s maybe something Rwandan in there, too, because it reminds me a lot of Teapigs breakfast blend, and that’s what distinguished that one for me. I could be wrong about that, though. If not Rwanda, then maybe Kenya…I’m pretty sure I’m in the ballpark with those guesses, anyway.
I’m more impressed with this one than I expected to be. It’s a fairly plain, straightforward, easy-drinking tea, but it’s also bold, deliciously malty, and really just a good, solid cup of tea. This could easily be a daily drinker.
