Premium English Teas

Tea Information:

Leaf Type: Black

Where to Buy: Rington’s Premium English Teas

Tea Description:

The Breakfast Blend 100’s is a hearty blend of the finest Assam and Kenyan leaf teas.

Taster’s Review:

After having a few less than exciting experiences with some of the teas I’ve tried from Rington’s, I wasn’t sure what this Breakfast Blend Black Tea had in store for me, but I braced myself, thinking I probably wouldn’t really care for it. But you know what? This is actually quite pleasant!

The flavor is bold and robust. I’m not getting a lot of astringency from this tea and there’s no bitterness. To brew it, I put one tea bag into a mug and brought the kettle to near boiling (205°F). Then I poured 8 ounces of water into my mug and let it steep for 2 1/2 minutes. I’m not sure if it’s the slightly lower temperature or the short steep time that contributed to the smooth, pleasant flavor of this tea, but I’m finding it enjoyable.

Maybe I’m not quite the snob I thought I was. Ha!

Yes, after having experienced several very disappointing bagged teas I had resolved that maybe, just maybe, I had crossed over to the land of tea snobbery. But I’m not hating this bagged tea as much as I thought I would so maybe I just had a few experiences that weren’t up to snuff and I’m not quite as snobbish as I thought I was.

Sure, I still prefer loose leaf and I shudder somewhat when I encounter a bagged tea. I still put my nose up when I pass the tea aisle in the grocery store. But, I can appreciate the convenience of the bagged tea – it’s certainly easier when you’re away from home to pop a bagged tea into a teacup and add hot water than it is to do the loose leaf thing. And it’s nice when you can find a bagged tea that you actually like. (I’ve had so many disappointments when it comes to bagged teas that I’d find in a hotel!)

All that aside, I’m finding myself quite pleased with this cup of tea from Rington’s. The flavor is strong without being too aggressive. It has a lovely malty note and a rich taste. While I’m drinking this straight up, I’d imagine that it’d take the additions of milk and/or honey (or sweetener of your choice) quite well. And this would be a nice choice for iced tea, too!

liberteas

Anne (aka the Mad Tea Artist) has celebrated her 29th birthday for many years now. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her hubby and her youngest daughter. Her oldest daughter is married and has bestowed Anne with the proud title of "Gramma" and her grandson is about the cutest boy you ever did see. Anne started her journey with tea as a casual drinker and became more serious about her tea drinking when she realized that she couldn't drink coffee. Shortly thereafter, she started becoming obsessed with the beverage and she started creating small-batch, artisan blends of tea that she sold online as LiberTEAS. After a few years, she realized she wasn't cut out to be the sole proprietor of a business so she closed LiberTEAS and started reviewing teas online. She met Jennifer through another blog that they both reviewed for and they decided to start their own review blog. This review blog! Throughout her journey as a tea reviewer, she discovered 52Teas and became enamored with the idea of creating a new tea every week. When the founder of 52Teas decided he wanted to move on, he offered the business to Anne but knowing that she wasn't cut out to be a sole proprietor, she instead offered the company to her oldest daughter who employs her as the Mad Tea Artist for 52Teas!

This post was posted in Black Tea