When I first became a hot tea drinker – and such a thing was relatively unheard of when I was growing up in the hot and humid South where sweet iced tea reigns supreme – I began with breakfast blends and always added milk and sugar. Then as I discovered higher quality teas, milk and sugar went by the wayside, and so did all those dusty blends that needed smoothing and soothing.
Now and then I still enjoy a breakfast tea. They can be quite nostalgic for me. But they have to be good enough to be enjoyed sans additions.
When I received this sample of Morning Blend from the Sisters to review, I knew it was a breakfast tea but my prior experience with Fraser made me pretty sure it would be drinkable even without additions.
This isn’t builders’ tea. This is a blend of Assam, Ceylon, and Chinese black teas that steeps up to a cup quite suitable for breakfast and quite nice on its own if you like your tea plain. It is lightly malty, with very light briskness and medium body. The aroma is complex with fruity notes.
The description says that there is orange peel in this tea but note that this does not taste like an orange flavored tea. If you were given a cup to taste with no information about the tea, I don’t think you would say it was an orange tea or even that you knew there was orange peel in it. Ceylon teas naturally have fruity notes with some high grown ones having pucker worthy lemon notes, which can be too harsh for me at times, and I perceive the orange peel in this as simply part of the classic Ceylon citrus note, but citrus fruity and not so astringent. It adds a bit of interest to the high notes here without taking center stage.
As usual, I roped a passerby into trying the tea while giving as little information on what to expect as possible. The verdict? “This is very smooth.” Not something you hear about breakfast tea every day.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fraser Tea
Description
Why choose between English, Irish, or Scottish Breakfast teas when it’s possible to enjoy the finest qualities of each in a brand-new way? Boldly blending Assam, Ceylon, and Chinese organic black teas, our signature Morning Blend Organic Black Tea is crafted with a focus on flavor, health, and well-being in mind.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Ginger, Peach, & Apricot Tea from Boston Tea Company
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Boston Tea Co
Product Description:
| DETAILED DESCRIPTION: Spice up your cup with fragrant Asian ginger and the sweet essences of juicy peaches and apricots, that blend beautifully with our premium Chinese black tea. Take a peek at the delectable mix of our fabulous full-leaf black tea in our clear-topped copper tin! |
| CONTAINS: 140g (4.9oz) of Finest Grade Black Tea |
| SERVINGS PER CONTAINER: Servings per container approximately 60-80 cups of tea (Note: One serving of Full-Leaf Tea can be brewed multiple times.) |
| HEALTH: Rich in antioxidants, including flavonoids, ie: catechins and polyphenols, these substances found in tea provide many health benefits, such as: prevents tooth decay, lowers cholesterol and assists in preventing heart attacks. |
| Boston Tea’s loose leaf tea reflects the passion projected in our company’s motto: ‘Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Tea.’ Our full leaf tea embodies natural beauty, rich aromas and the finest quality that our worldly master tea blenders ardently seek. Found in the lush plantations of Sri Lanka and mountainous regions of India and China, Boston Tea blends its tea to create the heartiest, strongest and most flavorful cup. |
| Double your tea-drinking pleasure; try any of these flavors hot or iced! |
| Gluten Free: Yes |
| Kosher: Star K |
| Ingredients: Ingredients: Chinese black tea, Ginger Pieces, Peach Pieces, Apricot Pieces, and Natural Ginger-Peach Flavor |
Tasters Review:
I LOVE Apricots and Peaches. I always have! As a matter of fact…when I was a toddler my mother used to buy me dehydrated apricots and I would eat them right out of the bag! I mean, what little kid voluntarily eats Apricots, eh!? It’s like I couldn’t get enough of them! I still like them to this day!
I also like Ginger in many things…mostly food. Usually I don’t gravitate to the Ginger Teas that I see right away because the ones I have had in the past are either “Too Much Ginger” that is overwhelms the rest of the ingredients or it’s “fake tasting”.
It seems I have struggled to find many Ginger Flavors that work with my palate…until NOW…
This Ginger, Peach, and Apricot Flavored Black Tea from Boston Tea Co is terrific!
Another description I found for this tea – in short – is listed on Steepster as:
Ginger bits, lush peaches and apricots blended with Chinese black tea and enhanced with natural ginger-peach flavor add up to a delightfully sweet-tart refresher.
That pretty much sums it up! My thoughts are that the Peach and Apricot seem to be pretty good friends in this flavored black tea. It seems to have the perfect amount of ginger for my liking!
So far…this is one of my favorites from Boston Tea Co.
Golden Monkey Tea from Georgia Tea Company
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: Georgia Tea Company
Company Description:
Black tea from the Fujian province of China. Golden Monkey tea is hand-processed each spring with a careful plucking of only one leaf and one bud. It is among the finest Chinese black teas available today. The name comes from its unique appearance: the leaves resemble monkey claws. If you enjoy full-bodied teas with an abundance of flavor, we urge you to give this tea a try.
Golden Monkey tea hails from the Fujian province of China, one of its most prolific. This region accounts for one-fifth of China’s total tea output. And the high quality of its teas keeps them in high demand. This region’s exports of tea account for a quarter of the country’s total. Fujian teas benefits from an excellent climate, combining mild temperatures, abundant rainfall and mountainous terrain. It has a long history of cultivating tea: over one-thousand years.
Taster Review:
Over the past month I have been fortunate enough to try several teas from Georgia Tea Company and I have to say I have enjoyed my tea tasting experiences immensely. Their customer service is TOP NOTCH and the aroma of their teas are out of this world. Nearly everything I have tried I have been anywhere from pleasantly surprised to completely blown away with the wonderful taste!
Today I would like to tell you about Golden Monkey from Georgia Tea Company. I used to LOVE Adagio’s Fuijan Baroque and Adagio’s Yunnan Jig and I still do…but…Georgia Tea Company’s Golden Monkey seems to be the taste of both crammed into one tea but even BETTER.
Their Golden Monkey has a cakey and chewy goodness to it…malty and bold. The taste lingers long after your sip is complete. I found myself longing for that next sip and after my cup was gone thinking about another.