Hello Tea Friends,
This tea was actually a gift from my wonderful sister in law who knows I have a passion for tea. You cannot imagine my excitement when I received this; not only does it come in a beautiful tin but there is nothing finer than a Christmas tea to get you into the festive spirit.
Opening the tin revealed the blend which was decorated with a large star anise piece on the top. It’s so beautiful! The blend itself is a little festive as it has red safflower petals decorating a dark brown blend. It bares a soft yet spicy scent, like cinnamon and clove.
Brewing Parameters: 1.5 tsp in a large mug with boiling water for 3-4 minutes.
Once steeped a dark brown liquid with a red hue sits in my glass that bares the same generic spice scent as it’s raw form.
The first few sips reveal a dark base, wooden and thick with some bitterness with a delicate spicy after taste. Specifically clove, cinnamon and cocoa nib which is probably where the bitterness comes from. I imagine it would be reduced with a bit of sweetener.
The spice is not actually as strong as I expected, it’s more subtle against the black tea base. In a way it’s nice, sometimes ‘in your face’ flavoured teas are too much. There is also some dryness in the after taste though the spice lingers a while.
I would say while this was more of a subtle spice it was Christmas-esque and suited for all day drinking. I imagine a pot of this on Christmas morning would go down a treat! It’s subtlety may even win over some plain tea drinkers.
Until next time, Happy Steeping!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black blend
Where to Buy: Fortnum & Mason
Description: Warm yourself up this Christmas with the exotic flavours which have been added to this Fortnum’s blend. This Christmas Spiced Tea has a festive seasonal flavour from zesty clementine and bold spices. With the addition of delicious cocoa nibs, this tea finishes any Christmas afternoon treat.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
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!
Fortmason Black Tea from Fortnum & Mason
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fortnum & Mason
Tea Description:
This blend of Indian and China teas is also perfumed with the delicate aroma of orange blossom to produce a subtle, floral flavour.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
So this review is for the bagged version of this one; and dry it doesn’t smell like a lot. I don’t really know why but my first thought was “Fresh Linens” and then just simply “Fresh” when smelling, even though I couldn’t really identify anything in particular flavour wise.
Steeped up there’s something REALLY appealing about the smell; it’s just a tiny bit fruity and really, really floral. I know this is supposed to be orange/orange blossoms so I’m not really ‘surprised’ per say, but it’s a lot better than I expected. I really hope the steeped smell carries over into the taste! Also, I should point out that orange blossoms are actually my favourite flower and have been since I was in highschool and had to read the screenplay for Federico Garcia Lorca’s play ‘The Blood Wedding’. However, despite that, I’ve never actually seen one in person let alone smelled one so I don’t have a lot of familiarity (or really any) with how they should taste.
I actually didn’t like the first few sips of this; it seemed a little harsh and perfumey. However, once it cooled down a little bit the flavours seemed to calm down as well and I got really into this one! I don’t taste anything actually like orange and I don’t know if I should be – do orange blossoms actually smell like oranges? I wouldn’t think so. The description for this one is kind of unclear as well: it says “scented with orange” do they mean the fruit or the flower?
What I do taste is this really aromatic and fresh floral note that reminds me of rose, but not rose. I want to describe it as a combination of my Grandma’s perfume and roses on steroids – in a good way on both fronts! It’s quite sweet and soothing. It’s making me feel like, ugh, I don’t know quite how to phrase it? The simile that springs to my mind is “Innocent young adult discovering her first love through a summer romance”. It’s like Nicholas Sparks version of tea! I’m totally in love with this blend! I need more!
