Hi Tea Friends!
Recently I received two wonderful teas from Edgcumbes Coffee & Tea shop to review for you guys. I have a bag of Rusper and a bag of Blend No.45. Both are black tea based blends from different regions to achieve a desired flavour. I’m going to be reviewing Rusper today so keep your eyes peeled for the Blend No.45 review.
What is Rusper? “Top quality Assam and Kenyan teas have been expertly blended by Edgcumbes to produce a rich, full and malty brew. Our most popular House blend”. This was the information from the front of the packet.
Here is a little information about the company that coincides with this tea.
Back in 1981, Frank Edgcumbes Rendle retired from his job as a jute and tea trader in Calcutta (now Kolkata) and moved back to the UK.
He was distraught to discover he couldn’t find any decent loose leaf tea. So he sat at the kitchen table with a set of scales, and blended some high-quality Assam and Kenyan tea leaves.
He called the blend Rusper after the West Sussex village where he grew up, decided to sell a few bags, and named the newly formed company Edgcumbes – our traditional family name.
We still believe that locally, fresh-roasted coffees and hand-blended loose-leaf teas ALWAYS taste better than commercially packaged products.
The packet by the way is a brown paper food style bag with bendy wire clips on the top to keep it sealed. It also has air holes for the tea to breathe. I would recommend moving the tea to a canister/caddy to make the freshness last which is also stated on the front of this packaging on the label.. Otherwise it’s good, basic packaging with the following details on the front:
Origin – Assam, India. Kericho, Kenya. Grown 1000-7200 ft above sea level.
Ingredients – Premium black teas.
Flavour – Rich Assam Malty notes with the characteristic brightness of top quality Kenyan teas.
Brew Guide – 2-4 mins, 1 cup, 100C.
Opening the packet I can see very finely chopped leaf remnants in brown and red colours. It bares a dry, sour wood scent.
I will be using the steeping parameters as recommended above. Once steeped a drop of milk will be added.
The resulting tea liquid is mahogany in colour (before milk) and bares a rich, malt and wood scent.
This tea is hearty and heavy, filled with rich flavour and strong enough to call itself a true British cuppa. Malt and wood tones dominate the strong yet dry tea and it has a slight sour after taste.
Adding sweetener reduced the sour after taste though ti is still present. It also smooths and blends the malt and wood a little better. Meaning that milk and sweetener make this a very nice builders cuppa.
As a fan of strong tea in general I like the strength and classic quality that this blend offers. Simple yet tasty and sure to win the heart of any tea lover, Brit or otherwise!
Until next time,
Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Edgcumbes Coffee & Tea
Description:
Rusper tea is our original house blend of tea and it is perfect for your everyday cup of tea! It is a blend of Assam and Kenyan teas and makes a very easy to drink cup of tea which still has a great taste!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Blend No.45 From Edgcumbes Coffee and Tea
Hello Tea Friends!
My last post mentioned this tea in brief as I received a sample to review from Edgcumbes. Today I will review it after a wonderful introduction to the company. This particular tea, Blend No.45, boasts a gold star from the 2016 Great Taste Awards.
Blend No.45 contains Assam, Darjeeling, Keemun and Laspsang Souchong. It sounds like a finely tuned blend of black teas, and the Lapsang Souchong makes me thing of smoke and fire. This is all pre-tea, at least this is how I am perceiving it before I try.
The packaging has a little more information:
Origin – India and China
Ingredients – Luxury black orthodox leaf tea
Flavour – Rich, strong and flavoursome
Brew Guide – 3-5 mins, 1 cup, 100C.
Opening the packet I get a waft of smoke and wood, strong and dark but also beautiful at the same time. For those that have yet to smell Lapsang Souchong I liken it to a bonfire. The leaves themselves are large/partially broken and are a collection of brown, gold and red colours.
I will be steeping this with the recommended guide above.
Once steeped the resulting liquid is golden red in colour and bares a smoky, wood scent with some sweetness.
Let me start by saying that the Lapsang Souchong smells much stronger than it tastes. It’s fragrant with sour wood and dry smoke notes that lighten to leave a slightly sweet after taste. Smoother than I anticipated and it doesn’t need milk nor sweetener. Strength is medium but still strong enough to use as an every day ‘pick me up’ tea.
This was my favourite blend out of the two. It had a lot of flavour and charm, particularly the Lapsang Souchong not overly dominating the other teas. It puts a perfect twist on the classic black tea. It’s also perfect for this time of year, no doubt I will have a pot or two of it on Bonfire night.
Until next time,
Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Edgcumbes Coffee & Tea
Description:
A unique blend of Assam and Darjeeling Second Flush, with Chinese Keemun and a hint of Lapsang Souchong. A pinch of this tea will add that exotic touch to your favourite daily brew.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!