East India Company sells a selection of their teas in the gourmet food section of a major Sydney department store. It immediately caught my eye with their nice little tins – printed directly onto the tin rather than the usual sticker on plain aluminium – and the name that evokes long-distant memories of the Raj and a life of decadent leisure.
I rarely throw away a cup of tea unless it is completely undrinkable or totally oversteeped, but after two mouthfuls this tea went down the sink. I absolutely adore Ceylon teas, but this was so acrid and full of tannin it tasted like burnt sugar and dishwater. The dubious honour of the worst tea I have ever tasted belongs to Fortnum & Mason Christmas Tea, but this is a very close second.