Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Upton Tea
Tea Description:
Description:
A mellow, whole-leaf blend of Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling. An exceptional tea that is smooth enough for drinking plain, and sturdy enough to take milk or lemon. From our London blender.Origin:
EnglandSteeping Suggestions:
Leaf Quantity: 2¼ g/cup
Water Temp: 212º (boiling)
Steep Time: 4-5 min.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
According to the production description Richmond Park Blend from Upton Tea is ‘mellow’. I disagree. That’s not a word I would use to describe this tea at all. However, the product description for Richmond Park Blend from Upton Tea does go on to say that it is sturdy enough for the addition of milk or lemon. Eventho I don’t add anything to my cup of tea I will agree that it’s a more sturdy tea overall.
At first sip I wasn’t sure if this tea was on a level playing field when it came to the other black teas offered from Upton Tea. This was a tea that I’m glad I didn’t judge at first sip. It ended up growing on me. It took me a little time to understand Richmond Park Blend from Upton Tea. Once this tea and I ‘became friends’ I ended up enjoying it a lot more.
Keemun, Ceylon, and Darjeeling are blended together for this offering. The flavor layers are ever changing throughout the sip. It’s heavy, then malty, then sweet-woodsy, then smoky, then earthy. This does live up to multiple infusions but be careful not to over infuse!
This is a complex blend that I encourage you to try but be patient with because it’s ever changing and taking the time to get to know will pay off in the end!
Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Fortnum & Mason
Tea Description:
Blending teas from India, Ceylon and China, this noble tea offers mellow sweetness and golden brightness and is truly fit for a queen. Presented in a decorative tin, it will be a lasting memory of the happy and historic occasion.
Taste & strength
Sturdy and refreshing.When to drink
Ideal at any time of day.Brewing information
Use boiling water and brew for 3-5 minutes depending on taste. Best drunk with milk.Storage advice
Airtight container, preferably a tea caddy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason smells like a maltier black tea with cinnamon undertones. Very pleasant to the nose and the tongue because Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason is one of those black tea blends you’ll remember for some time. The black tea base is blended from teas from 3 regions…China, Ceylon, and India. Not only does it have a bit of maltiness to the smell the taste follows suit. The cinnamon I smelled I could also taste but not as a flavoring just a natural cinnamon from the blend of these 3 quality teas.
Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason is an eye opener without being too strong or harsh but it does have some heft to it which makes it ideal for mornings or an afternoon pick-me-up!
Two thumbs up for Jubilee Tea From Fortnum & Mason in my book! A nice, strong black tea!
Ceylon Idulgashinna Blooming Mushroom White from What-Cha
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White/Bloom
Where to Buy: What-Cha
Tea Description:
A hand tied ball of silver tip white tea, possessing delicate fruity tones which become stronger with subsequent infusions. Tangy apricot notes become apparent with some subtle malt tones in latter steeps.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I have to admit, the only reason I bought this tea was because it has ‘mushroom’ in the title and it intrigued me since I’m very allergic to mushrooms. Though the tea itself has little to nothing to do with mushrooms, it still felt kind of cool to get to say I was ‘having them’. #TeaOnTheEdge #ButNot2Edgy
I only bought a sample amount; two blooms. When I opened up the package I was pretty taken aback because the smell was very pungent and defined. It certainly smelled strongly of apricots but also something sort of akin to sweet and sour sauce? I wasn’t expecting that level of smell at all, though it was intriguing to say the least.
I made three 12 oz. infusions of this one over the course of a work day, making sure to take note of the differences. I certainly freaked out a few coworkers at my new job; they saw this unfurled tea bloom from a distance/in passing in my mug in the breakroom and assumed something fungal was growing in my mug and that’s because the bloom certainly wasn’t the most attractive one I’ve come across – there’s no “flower” tied into it just an arrangement of white tea leaves tethered together. Which is fine: I wasn’t drinking this tea for the aesthetics however I’ll admit I did expect the “mushroom” to tie in with the overall shape of the bloom but it certainly didn’t look like any mushroom I’ve seen.
The first infusion was a mix of sharp, lively, tangy notes of apricot and peach. Again, the intensity of the ‘tang’ reminded me a little of sweet and sour sauce. Actually, in particular I couldn’t help but think of a very particular flavour from highschool cooking class I’ve only experienced once: we made vegetarian meatballs with a “sweet and sour sauce” that used apricot jam and ketchup in the sauce and this was quite similar to my memory of that sauce. There was also a very slightly malty taste to the finish of this infusion.
The second infusion was about 50/50 malt and apricot/peach with less of the piercing tang. It was probably the smoothest infusion overall and I’d say my favourite. Finally, the third infusion was more malt than anything else with light notes of apricot and a bit of a peppery finish. I swear there were also very light cocoa notes on the top of the sip as well.
Overall, I thought this was surprisingly delightful – more so than I actually expected it would be if I’m being completely honest/transparent. What started off as a bit of a ‘gag’ purchase actually resulted in a wonderful tea session and intriguing learning experience. Also, credit where credit is due: What-Cha has done a marvelous job describing the overall flavour of this tea on their page for it. While I was taken back by the intensity of the apricot notes there’s no doubt in my mind that their flavour description was super accurate. I absolutely recommend trying this tea!
Halpewatte Ceylon Black Tea from M&K’s Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MK’s Tea Co.
Tea Description:
The basis of Earl Grey tea! Ceylon tea is a sweet, brightly orange colored (once-brewed) black tea harvested in the lush hills of the island of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon). This is a fantastic introductory tea, a great tea for the black tea lover, and an extraordinary tea for blending purposes. Ceylon tea is just brisk enough to be uplifting, but light enough to not be bitter or off-putting. It truly is a remarkable black tea that belongs in every tea-lover’s collection.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I started the day with this tea, hoping that it would be clean and refreshing. Thankfully I was right, and it made a great choice in lieu of breakfast. The dry leaf is straight and pretty long (I’d say an average of 2cm), and a fairly uniform black-brown with just a few lighter brown leaves. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3.5 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a vibrant red-brown, and the leaf itself has also taken on an impressive red-brown hue. It’s very autumnal looking! The scent is sweet and a little chocolatey, which wasn’t something I was expecting from a Ceylon.
To taste, this is pretty much a classic Ceylon in many respects. It’s very fresh and clean tasting, with a bright edge of citrus running throughout. It comes across as a “light” tasting tea, to me. There are no thick or heavy flavours that are cloying on the palate, just the delicate, refreshing sweet/citrus play off. There is a touch of maltiness towards the end of the sip, but it doesn’t dominate the flavour or drown out the fresher notes. I can also detect just the tiniest bit of chocolate, which shifts the balance of the aftertaste away from citrus and more towards the generically sweet. It’s almost like it’s a tea of two halves, but they’re two very good halves so I’m not going to complain.
This tea is delightfully smooth and creamy, with no bitterness or astringency at all. It’s a real joy to drink, and I’m finding it an especially good choice this morning with its bright, citrusy “wake up” profile and edge of comforting sweetness. Delicious!
Ceylon Sapphire Oolong Tea from Mela Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Oolong Tea
Where to Buy: Mela Teas
Tea Description:
Sri Lanka’s first Oolong tea, one of the landmarks of 150 year-old tea history. Enjoy the milky notes of this partially oxidized tea with its gentle aroma and light taste.
12-15 tsp per 2oz (12-15 cups). Teas can be re-steeped within 2 hours of first infusion by adding hot water to taste, giving 24-30 cups per 2oz.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ceylon Sapphire Oolong Tea from Mela Teas…the name rolls right off the tongue and swishes flavor-fully on the taste buds, too! Ceylon Sapphire Oolong is a great name for this tea. To me it says beautiful yet powerful. Spunky yet graceful. Strong and worldly.
The flavor is pretty bold for an Oolong. There are certainly some floral notes but backed up with earthy tones, too. Mid-sip presents sweet-woodsy flavors followed by more sweeter floral notes. The aftertaste is NOT a stale floral lingering taste like some woodsy and earthy Oolongs tend to have but is rather delightful and hydrating.
This holds up to multiple infusions while morphing the flavoring on the tongue only slightly with each additional infusion. It’s been said that most Oolong fall somewhere between a black tea and a green tea. I’ve experienced both ends of the spectrum and this one seems to fall more with the darker side of things which I really enjoy.
Ceylon Sapphire Oolong Tea from Mela Teas is a KEEPER in my book! It’s ideal for sharing or keeping in your stash for special occasions.