Oh my! Oh my! Doulton’s tea arrived today and I have never seen such a box of tea! It felt like Christmas in July! And since my daughter just left London, and sent me photos of Baker Street and of Speedy’s from the new Sherlock Holmes, I decided this had to be the first tea I try!
Since there was darjeeling in the mix, I decided to go with a slightly shorter steep time. The steeped tea smells sweetly smokey. The smoke is not too strong – definitely smokier than Queen Catherine but not as smokey as Wuyi Shan Lapsang. The tea is sweet and smooth. I took part of it plain, and since youngest and I were having it with grilled cheese I also tried it with milk and sugar. I think I like it best with additions and it was a wonderful complement to the meal. The brightness of the darjeeling is there, with the slightest, and I do mean SLIGHTEST, tingle to the tongue when the tea is plain. This was not noticeable with milk added. I can see how someone could easily crave this tea. It has body and presence. Thank you, thank you, Doulton, for all the excitement that is buzzing in my house today!
Even youngest tried it and liked it fairly well, and she really doesn’t do smokey tea.