I remember the first full day of my study abroad semester in London like it was yesterday (instead of 2009– wait, am I getting old? Don’t
answer that). After a sleepless trans-Atlantic flight and a lazy day of getting acclimated, we were invited to a proper cream tea at a local historic hotel. My love of tea had begun long before my international journey, but it was fairly exclusive to basic herbals and the occasional green– every time I tried to drink straight black tea, I got this stomach-turning ick and would set it aside until it turned cold and eventually would be dumped out. Something about this particular day, though– maybe it was my eagerness to acclimate to my new (kinda) foreign home, maybe it was jetlag– but I poured myself a cuppa, and it was like the heavens parted above me. I was ALL. IN. As if in an instant with my first sip, I understood what all the fuss was about in this country I was to call my home for the next six months– cream tea? Yes please.
Pretty much not a day went by for that next half-year that didn’t begin with my favorite strong cuppa, wasn’t intersected mid-day for a break with another, or my commute home that wasn’t warmed and nourished by a creamy, strong to-go. I learned that the best–and only way to brew really *good* English breakfast was to drop your (strong, very strong) tea bag in some hot water, swirl for a few seconds and immediately draw out, leaving dark, golden-brown nectar in the cup.
And that’s how I judge my English Breakfasts to this very day– can it brew to full strength in just a few stirs? Does it hold milk and sugar (or now, a few years later for me– coconut milk and honey) well?
And I was abundantly pleased to see that Hope & Glory fit the bill– and with the ‘organic’ delineation to boot! This robust breakfast tea does the English stereotype of strong tea justice, and hits that perfectly balanced, comforting flavor that I’ve come to expect from a well-brewed cup. For a pyramid bag, the leaves were well-intact, and I’d absolutely keep this one in my desk at work for a mid-day pick-me-up without the fuss of loose leaves.
Well done, Hope & Glory!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Hope and Glory
Description
A lively, full bodied blend of Assam and Ceylon organic black teas. Assam provides body and thickness to the tea while Ceylon gives it brightness and citrus character. This blend is best served with milk.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
