TWG Tea Company

2025 TTB. Somehow, this is reading more fully “cherry” than “sakura leaf” to me. I don’t really know how to explain the difference, but I know that it tastes more like black cherry soda than like sakura mochi or a straight sakura leaf herbal. The base isn’t really impressing me either. It’s drying in a way that I don’t really expect from green teas. I can’t seem to find an ingredients list anywhere, which is also annoying me – people might have allergies, etc. Maybe this would be better as a cold brew? Thankfully I only made a small cup because I’m trying to taste my way through the TTB.

Drank this with a splash of milk – though I tried it plain first. To be honest, I think I preferred the tea before the milk addition. It’s a pretty aromatic and especially citrusy and bright bergamot used in the blend, and the chocolate notes themselves also have a fruity lean more typical of European chocolate/chocolate teas as well as that chocolate liqueur sort of undertone that can sometimes read as a bit “Tootsie Roll”. It’s personal preference, but I just think the milk clashes with those fruitier elements. Still a good tea, but now I just know this isn’t how I’ll prepare it in the future!!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/C53o9qqOjEr/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apw7Zb7G0M

My first tea review! I’ve been collecting and drinking for years now, but only recently found out about Steepster, so here I am! This was purchased for me as a birthday treat, and what a treat it was! A beautiful scent right out the tin, whilst maybe being a bit too perfumey, but the taste is nowhere near as strong as the smell, but still delicious. I’d recommend it!

This tea was so much better than I thought it was going to be. I think I expected a generic, bland lemon tea – mostly because the dry aroma was frankly pretty stale smelling. However, once the water hit the leaves it was like a bit of magic happened. Despite the name, this smelled and tasted pretty strongly of oranges. Very fresh, juicy oranges. It also had a bit of a creamy and vanilla-like finish, so the overall combination was very much like an orange sherbet or creamsicle. The word sunny kept coming to mind as I drank the mug – I think because of how natural, light, and lively the whole mug was. I don’t want to oversell it until I’ve had a chance to retaste, but this is probably one of the best TWG blends I’ve tasted even if it feels quite far off what it was maybe intended to be…

Basically this is like a really full-bodied and rich milk chocolate flavoured tea, and that’s not totally my jam because I just don’t love the taste of straight chocolate. I mean, the quality is totally fine. It’s very well flavoured/balanced objectively speaking. Cost is another, but TWG is notoriously pricey…

However, it’s finally eggnog season so I have a fridge freshly stocked up on eggnog for the winter and I decided to add a generous glug to my mug. Let me tell you, as a person not big on chocolate, this tea with a dose of that custardy eggnog goodness? Yeah, that slaps. It’s SUPER rich, but very delicious.

This is basically just a simple chocolate flavoured black tea so I’m not sure what makes it a “New York” breakfast specifically, but it was pretty fine tasting. Full bodied and incredibly smooth, with a rich chocolate flavour. It is, however, the style of chocolate flavouring that has a bit of a boozier undertone – like a chocolate liqueur. Not something I’d gravitate towards regularly, but no complaints either! Probably great with milk.

Just something I snuck in during the evening earlier in the month. I think it was a day where most of my advent teas were fruity and I was just feeling something a touch more decadent. Definitely sweet, though not quite as distinctly caramel as I’d wish. However, I enjoy the taste of rooibos and a sweet rooibos was still a nice thing to sip late at night while winding down and, probably, watching Vlogmas which Jann – which became a bit part of my advent routine this year.

Another very, very simple and rooibos-forward blend with a gentle caramel sweetness. Like the vanilla rooibos I just reviewed from Mariage Freres, the flavours here definitely shine as the cup cools. Nothing is wrong with this tea per-say, but for such a stripped down tea I’ve definitely had much better caramel rooibos in a similar blending style. It’s also super expensive, and you’re really paying more from TWG’s reputation than you are for the quality of the tea itself.

Having this iced with a creamer. The flavors aren’t as bold as I was hoping for. The mint is the most noticeable, but barely cuts through the light cream. The chocolate flavor only exists as a suggestion in the background with the malt. I keep hoping to find a replacement for a Teavana chocolate mint tea that I loved and still haven’t found a match for. I suppose one might consider this tea okay without the expectation I’m coming at it with. I’ll have to double up the amount in my steeper to try to pull more flavor from this.

Our last “tea house” stop in Victoria was the Pendray Inn.

This one was a little different because we actually went for breakfast service instead of afternoon tea, but I’m counting it in my comparison of places because it was essentially the same as an afternoon tea service. We got a pot of tea, the three tiered tray, and scones but just fresh fruit and French Toast instead of finger sandwiches and sweets – which is arguably maybe better? Also, it was cheaper than both other afternoon tea services for essentially the exact same quantity of tea and food.

One thing I really liked about Pendray was their they tea menu actually listed the companies that their teas were from (mostly Westholme and TWG), whereas the other two places we went were ordering wholesale catalog blends and rebranding them under their establishment names. Just a small quirk that made this place stand out to me!

I ended up getting TWG’s Alexandria, which is a spin on a classic Moroccan Mint, just because I wanted something a little more “fresh and perky” to start the day and I was a little sick of pots of black tea after the last two places. It was very nice and smooth with a pleasant smoky grassy note with the sweet snap of spearmint!

Butchart was probably my overall favourite experience, but this was a SUPER CLOSE second. We had an absolutely charming view of their courtyard with some stunning vines wrapping over the windows – but glancing around their seating area it seemed we were just exceptionally lucky to get one of the best tables in the space. For the most part, it was a tightly packed room with not necessarily the greatest overall seating.

Food was excellent though, and I liked our server a lot too!

Tea Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs9DIT9rRYC/

Song Pairing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxDMNfdoyos

Opened the bag of this and was confused. It smells more rose like than sakura like. It also had a very TWG like scent to it, which makes sense with it being a TWG blend, but I’m puzzled now as to what exactly about their teas gives me that impression.

I’m having a hard time picking out the sakura. It comes off more as a general floral blend. I can MAYBE pick out some sakura in the finish, but for a tea named Sakura! Sakura! I expected a shock of sakura. I did just have a cup of another sakura tea with very distinct flavor, but I really feel like this tea should be focusing more on it’s name sake or changing it’s name to Sakura! Rose!.

Parents received this as a gift so I’m using it as my daily drinker.

Pleasantly surprised because compared to the last Earl Grey I had (Gianfranco’s by Postcard Teas, a very fancy store), this is much more drinkable. The black tea is very mild and pleasantly sweet. Nothing strong, bitter or astringent here, though the citrus notes are also very faint (almost non-existent). But this is my perfect afternoon cup on fuss-free non-gongfu tea days.

A gift from Dustin!

I didn’t look at the description of this one before opening the pouch and was surprised to be completely overwhelmed by the most delicious chocolate aroma! I’ve never heard of New York Breakfast as a blend, so I just assumed it was a breakfast blend like any other. Whether other companies make this blend, or make it in the same way, I don’t know. I do know that this version is one of the chocolatiest chocolate teas I’ve had the pleasure of drinking. It’s not at all watered down, the base is flavorful, and the chocolate is large and in charge. Really a delightful tea and one I’d like to keep around.

Take your senses on a tour with the Royal Orchid tea. A whiff of this will transport you to the most inconceivably palatial and resplendent orchid plant conservatory. A taste of this intoxicating blend may perhaps give you auditory hallucinations…

“Bienvenue, welcome to Château de Versailles, how would you like to be pampered today, your highness?”

If your answer is: “I’d like to titillate my taste buds” – Then you’ve come to the right place.

A pleasant smooth blend with strong floral notes nicely coupled with an undertone of semi-fermented Formosa oolong. Delectable aftertaste of sweet orchids without any hints of sourness fills your buccal cavity with every sip.

If you choose to enjoy this in your garden, you might expect butterflies and bees diving headfirst into your cuppa. Can’t blame them though, they’re probably thinking that there’s a smorgasbord of ambrosial flowers waiting to be pollinated on the other side of their golden demise.

The dry leaves smell like chocolate, the brewed tea leaves smell like chocolate.
The tea itself tastes like hot chocolate – without the sugar.

One’s primary gustatory cortex may be fooled into thinking that the drink actually contains sugar.

Upon prolonged steeping, the tea remains smooth, with it’s predominant flavor largely undisturbed by the tannins released.

Nothing much to dismantle here – tis’ a pleasant, unsophisticated dessert tea for the sweet tooth.

One thing’s for certain is that you and your kids will probably enjoy this healthy substitute from a sugar loaded hot chocolate drink.

A bit disappointed at how weak it comes out. I expected full bodied Assam flavour but this is just similar to usual flavoured tea, the Assam is not that easy to notice. Chocolate bit tastes like unsweetened oatmeal in water. The sticky thickness is obvious. Smells lovely of sweet chocolate.
I’ll try brewing it stronger to see if it can be better.

Better than I expected.
I don’t usually like floral teas so I was anxious when I smelt the perfumey aroma of the leaves, but after brewing it lightens. The tea do taste like how it smells, mainly of rose, when you swallow it the lemon acidity starts to kick in inside your mouth. It kinda feel a bit awkward as the two flavours seem separated somehow (maybe it’s just the rosy being too strong for me to taste the lemon, but I believe it exist ). The tea has no bitterness at all and is overall refreshing, if you like rose it can be a go.

I was really excited when I saw this tea as I am a honey lover…I eat honey with a spoon. The tea itself is ok. I feel that it’s mild but it’s not one I love. The taste is odd, and as others mentioned it’s kind of a waxy taste (not sweet). The smell is reminiscent of honey but not strong enough.