TWG Tea Company

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Recent Tasting Notes

59

Nice Moroccan mint-y sort of tea. Can’t really taste the vanilla, but the balance of green and mint is very pleasant.

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58

Ah, that’s a nice cuppa.

Preparation
200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 30 sec

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85

Once again enjoying this generous sampling from Doulton

This time I decreased the steep time by about 30 seconds and found that the cup was even better than I remember it. The slight bitter taste that I noticed the first time around is not present now, just a very beautiful bergamot flavor. The tea is robust – surprisingly robust for a Ceylon. The bergamot is very strong here… citrus-y with a pleasing floral note.

Nice!

Preparation
Boiling 2 min, 30 sec

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85

Another gift from Doulton! Thank you!

And like Doulton, I too adore Earl Grey teas. There is just something so amazing about that bergamot – the aroma, the flavor, the way it lingers on the palate. Pure delight.

The aroma of this Earl Grey is strong, especially true of the dry leaf. No big surprise there, because most Earl Grey teas boast that same strength in aroma. Generally, if I find an Earl Grey that is lacking in it’s aroma, it’s been my experience that the tea is lackluster at best. Not always true, but, it is generally the case when it comes to Earl Grey.

The tea base is quite bold, with a slight bitter note to it – not distastefully bitter, though – so it surprised me to learn that this is a Ceylon base, as they tend to be much more mellow.

The bergamot is pleasant in this blend – not quite as floral in flavor as in other blends. No perfume-y flavor to it, just a very delightful, slightly sharp bergamot flavor.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec
LiberTEAS

I like the second infusion of this tea better than the first. The Ceylon is a bit softer, less astringent, and no more bitter note. Not that the bitter note was bad, but, I think I prefer this particular tea without it. I like how the bergamot is mingling with the Ceylon… it is a very cohesive taste – not perfume-ish. A nice citrus essence without being fruity – if that makes sense.

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82
drank Napoleon by TWG Tea Company
1112 tasting notes

This one courtesy of Doulton!

Again, I was so looking forward to trying this one!

My first impression was that it tasted like flavored coffee. The caramel was pronounced for me, and very toffee coffee. Dark. I didn’t pick up on vanilla or spice. It was a very enjoyable after dinner cuppa, but it was almost like an after dinner cup of coffee! Because of that, and the high cost of this tea, it is probably something I wouldn’t go ahead and order. To totally misconstrue James Joyce for my own purposes:

When I takes tea I takes tea, And when I takes coffee I takes coffee …

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec

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92
drank Napoleon by TWG Tea Company
259 tasting notes

I packed up 6 samples to go out to various members of the Steepster community and still have a couple to go…in the meantime, I decided to reward myself by steeping Napoleon.

I really cannot say that I am disappointed at all but my expectations get very high for some tea brands. If this were a TeaVana or an Adagio I would probably rank it close to 100. Keeping that in mind, the brew smells and looks rich, honest, and sincere. The predominate flavor that I get is a great solid black tea with generous vanilla overtones. As a lover of vanilla, I am certainly pleased. There’s nothing synthetic here, nothing cheap or cheesy.

Overall, I’m delighted and will almost certainly reorder unless I find a better black vanilla. TWG stands for “The Wellness Group,” by the way. I can most certainly see this tea promoting wellness. Named in honor of Napoleon, this tea makes me feel a bit more successful and a bit European!

ICED TEA: I put this on ice last night and the results are very pleasing. The appearance is cloudy (does not bother me but I might not serve it to guests) but the taste is delicious—the vanilla comes through loud and clear. Very nice!

Stephanie

I’m looking for a good (no, an exceptional) vanilla black tea! I wish TWG’s site would enable online ordering. I tweeted them to ask when it would happen, but they, so far, have ignored me!

the quiet life

Stephanie- You can order TWG tea online at deandeluca.com :)

I’m also in search of The Best Vanilla Black Tea! But I’m very very happy with Lupicia’s vanilla. :) I’ll have to give this a try, too!! The description sounds yummy! :)

sophistre

Most of the people whose tealogs I’ve read have sworn by SerendipiTea’s Colonille. I’ve got a sample and it’s pretty decent, but I think it really depends on what you’re looking for, and everybody’s taste-buds are different!

JacquelineM seems to have had a smashing success making her own vanilla tea, for anyone curious about how-tos.

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99

This tea is absolutely lovely. A blend of green and black with a subtle spice aroma. I’m carefully conserving my supply!

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83

I’m burning through my tin of this stuff awfully quickly. I stare into the tea cabinet and wonder what to brew, and I never think I want the Singapore Breakfast. Then I smell the vanilla, and it’s over. The blend of green and black teas is even and surprisingly stout, and the vanilla on top makes it sing. Now the indoor respite is perfect. Look at those poor fools outside the window, tromping through the old snow. Nah nah nee boo boo.

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98

If I were given one of those impossible philosophical chores—-you are stuck on a desert island and can only bring one tea, or if you had to pick one tea only to drink for the rest of your life, my immediate answer would be Earl Grey. I’ve loved Earl Grey teas and tasted quite a few of them. When I saw that I could try TWG via mail order, I was ecstatic.

The packaging is delightful. When you open the inner lid on the canister (yes, there are two lids) that Earl Grey aroma is overpowering in its seductive goodness. I noticed this first—many Earl Greys signal their presence with a whiff of vaguely citrus aroma. TWG most certainly has the full fledge bergamot odor—indeed, I felt that I was romping about in a Calabrian bergamot grove. The citrus aroma has overtones of pear, and you can make out the distinctive touches of orange, grapefruit, lemon, and lime clearly.

I loved this tea! Drinking this tea after another Earl Grey is like having the most expensive, exquisite, carefully made deep chocolate after a Hershey’s bar. They are from two different planes of experience. Compare the pedestrian, everyday life, which can be drab and dismal, with the most exquisite day you can imagine—a day in sun-drenched Italy, perhaps and you can conjure up the sense of discovery I had with TWG Earl Grey Gentleman. It’s deep, rich, satisfying, filling, and almost a full meal on its own. It does not need sugar and milk, but I tried some with my second cup and the sugar and milk are not strong enough to mar the flavor at all.

A second steeping was flavorful and satisfying. I plan to try other TWG Earl Greys.

They have nine listed on their website:
Breakfast Earl Grey
Earl Grey Fortune
Smoky Earl Grey
Earl Grey Gentleman
English Earl Grey
French Earl Grey
Earl Grey Theine Free
Earl Grey Buddha
Earl Grey d’Amour

teaplz

Your descriptions are so wonderfully colorful that I couldn’t help but place this tea on my Shopping List!

Stephanie

I’m on the lookout for more Earl Grey’s. I need to find that perfect one. Your review was very helpful—thank you!

LP

oooh, how did you mail order?

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60
drank Tea 380 by TWG Tea Company
181 tasting notes

This is one of those teas that you can’t drink every day. You have to be in the right mood for its white/oolong/floral-ness. It’s fragrant, and sometimes overwhelmingly so. Reminds me of certain vienna green teas, except without the chocolate nibs.

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60
drank Tea 380 by TWG Tea Company
181 tasting notes

I’d forgotten about this as it was sitting in the back of the cupboard. 2 cups. Great if you’re looking for a lighter morning tea.

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60
drank Tea 380 by TWG Tea Company
181 tasting notes

Oooh, haven’t had this one in a while. It’s delicious at any time of day.

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60
drank Tea 380 by TWG Tea Company
181 tasting notes

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