This isn’t the first time this surprising little treat has found its way into my tea sample pile, and frankly, I am elated every time a new bag shows up. Beyond my affinity for all things British (and most things Downton Abbey), this tea is a pleasant surprise for your standard pre-bagged tea, serving up a hearty black tea in a seemingly ho-hum round filterbag. Balancing out the base are beautiful berry notes– but nothing artificial, this feels as if Bates himself freshly squeezed some berries into his morning cuppa. (Side note: fellow Downton fans, do we really feel like Bates would be the one to take the time to slip berries into his tea? He seems like more of a straight-English-breakfast man to me. But I digress.) Perfect to toss in your bag when you need some tea from your emergency stash, or a great, un-finnicky brew to keep at your desk: this one can handle varying temps and lack of elaborate home brewing setup.
Perhaps the flavor doesn’t scream Bates to me, but its no-fuss-no-muss simplicity and tastiness certain seem right on par with everyone’s favorite unassuming valet. Now if you’ll excuse me: I’ll be heading to the downstairs for tea with the rest of the service crew.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Republic of Tea
Description
This tea is no longer on the website but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Have a cup on Lord Grantham with Downton Abbey Tea Blends #RebpulicofTea
Grantham Breakfast Blend is one of the Downton Abbey themed teas from The Republic of Tea. This blend is built from a strong assam base with added ginger, meant to be masculine and just a touch fiery. The ginger came to life right as I poured hot water on the leaves, surprising me with an almost-chai smell for a moment. As the tea steeped and cooled, the assam really took the lead, providing deep and malty black tea tones.
This tea echoes Lord Grantham, pictured on the tin, clad in upper-class white-tie attire. Both the man and the tea are strong enough to help you power through an early morning of managing accounts, spicy enough to manage bold daughters, and warm enough to provide comfort during a family tragedy.
After trying this flavor, I had to take a look at the other Downton Abbey blends on Republic of Tea. They have several options, a few of which include Miss Patmore’s Pudding, black tea with vanilla sponge cake flavors, English Rose hibiscus tea for the lady-like sisters, and Downton Abbey Estate Earl Grey, for your more traditional tea outings.
These teas would be great for a Downton-themed tea party of your own!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Republic of Tea
Description:
Full-bodied, malty, organic Assam black tea is infused with the spicy flavor of organic ginger root. Try with a splash of warm milk and sweetener for a flavor reminiscent of sticky ginger pudding. This energizing tea is perfect for an early morning foxhunt or preparing for the dramas of the day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mrs. Patmore’s Pudding Black Tea . . A Downton Abbey Inspired Tea!
Over the Christmas break, I took some vacation time. I ended up still working a good chunk of the time but I was able to at least binge watch a few shows that I had been wanting to. Downton Abbey was on the list of shows I wanted to start so I was saving this tea until I had a few episodes watched. Unfortunately, the flashy ads for The Crown (staring Matt Smith, one of my favorite doctors from Doctor Who) caught my eye and I ended watching that series and not watching Downton Abbey. Shame on me. This is one show that I know I need to watch so hopefully I’ll be able to soon.
Since I wasn’t able to watch the show, I thought I’d go ahead and drink this tea. I honestly can’t believe how much I love this tea.
This tea is a bagged tea from The Republic of Tea. I’ve found that I either really love their tea or am just not a fan of it. Their green pear tea is one I find myself craving and the fact it is a bagged tea adds a nice convenience factor for me. 99% of the tea I drink every day is loose leaf but I do find myself running out the door quite often without the foresight of getting my morning tea ready to go for the commute. That is when this tea works perfectly in my busy life, plus it tastes amazing!
Mrs. Patmore’s Pudding Black Tea is a flavored black tea with notes of a dessert quality. The description is spot on with this one. You really don’t know this is a black tea because the flavoring does take over but in a good way. There is a vanilla cake like feel through each sip with a rich and lush caramel throughout. Absolutely delicious and one that I am considering getting a whole tin of.
Definitely a perfect tea to curb those sweet tooth cravings that hit me in the afternoon but also a great tea to enjoy on my morning commutes.
A dessert tea at its finest in a convenient tea bag form. Not sure if this is a dutiful tribute to Mrs Patmore’s Pudding but I’m quite tickled with this one!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: The Republic of Tea
Description
This decadent dessert tea has the homemade flavors of vanilla sponge cake drizzled with rich caramel sauce. The full-bodied base of premium black tea lends itself well to a splash of milk, making it a perfect afternoon tea to partner with puddings, scones and shortbread.
The award-winning TV series, Downton Abbey® has entranced millions of viewers and become a modern media sensation. Every episode is an explosion of drama, relationships and intrigue. Downton Abbey is home to the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants. From the pen of Academy Award® winner Julian Fellowes, Downton Abbey is the most watched drama ever on PBS!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Downton Abbey English Rose Herbal from The Republic of Tea
I sipped this last night as an accompaniment to this dessert . The flavor is a vivid magenta berry-rose-hibiscus blend. Its sweetness complimented the chocolate nicely.
This tea packed a ton of flavor without requiring a black tea base. A lot of herbal teas seem to be lacking something to me, like they’re watery or sad somehow. They’re like children, floating around Disney World, looking for their parents. Incomplete; a little desperate.
Not here, though. This is a very robust little number. It Keeps Calm And Carries On, undaunted by the challenges facing herbals.
The flavor is part of a Downton Abbey collection, and I wish I could say something intelligent about the show here to tie in the tea. But alas, I’ve never seen this British mega-hit. It’s on my huge pile of TV Shows To Maybe See Someday.
And that pile is daunting. I miss the days when people would say things like “Have you read [book x] or seen [movie z]? YOU SHOULD.” Now it’s TV shows. Entire series of TV shows. “You should watch the 8 seasons of Once Upon A Time!” or “Have you seen Doctor Who? YOU. WOULD. LOVE. IT.”
I could easily chug through a book or dedicate an evening to a movie. But shows are a challenge. They’re easily 10 hours per season. And, of course, most shows get more than a season.* So you’re in it for 20-100 hours of your life.
*(Note: this does not include Firefly. Firefly’s short life is both wonderful and manageable. I would recommend Firefly to you, except I don’t want to burden YOUR TV list. That would fly in the face of this entire digression).
I’m just going to recommend this tea to you on its own merits. It’s tasty. It does exactly the job you want it to. A cup will take 5-10 minutes to consume. This will not burden your time in any way.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The Republic of Tea
Description
This vibrant, ruby-red infusion of rose, raspberry and hibiscus has fruity, floral notes and a touch of sweetness. Inspired by traditional British desserts, this caffeine-free, luscious tea is perfect as an afternoon treat. Enjoy hot or cooled over a tall glass of ice.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
