A little on the groggy side this morning I dove straight for this Breakfast Tea from Taylors of Harrogate. So groggy, I failed to notice it was decaf!

Thankfully this tea is brisk enough to wake me up by force without the caffeine.

The aroma is nice, light and malty. I sensed some hint of a honeyed touch. The flavor is malty, strong and brisk. Could use a lump of sugar and a dollop of milk if you’re into that sorta thing.

Morning Cup #55

What’s in your cup?

This morning I grabbed a Pure Ceylon Black Tea from Dils Tea/Tea Packs USA from the box.

This Pure Ceylon brews like a malty assam. There’s some hint of honey in the aroma and top notes of apricot maybe.

The body and flavor seem a bit mismatched. The maltiness doesn’t mesh well with the grittiness of the brew’s finish.

Morning Cup #47

What’s in your cup?

This morning I plucked a Pure Ceylon English Breakfast Tea from Dils Tea/Tea Packs USA from the pile.

I like to think sometimes that if you’ve had one breakfast tea, you’ve had them all. That’s wrong, and I know it. But it sure seems like it sometimes.

This English Breakfast Tea is prototypical. Made from CTC style black tea which is malty and astringent, this tea could use a little milk and either honey or sugar. The aroma is light and airy as expected, but the body packs a punch throughout the finish.

Morning Cup #43

What’s in your cup?

Today’s cup is English Breakfast Tea from Taylors of Harrogate.

This blend of black teas from India, China and Sri Lanka brews up astringent and firm. The body remains light. Nicer than expected.

The aroma offers some hints at stone fruits such as peach, but only the subtlest of those comes through in the flavor.

Morning Cup #33

What’s in your cup?

Tuesday is Iced Tea Review day!

As it happens, most iced teas have a subdued flavor. Something about the chilling process seems to reduce the pucker and boldness of almost all teas when they’re iced. Not so with this refreshingly bold iced Lemongrass Green tea from ITO EN.

From within the bottle you can note the beautiful organge-amber liquor (color) of this Lemongrass Green from ITO EN.

With clear tones of astringent and citrus-y lemon and the light floral sweetness of Jasmine.

It’s a shame that the puckery astringent nature of the lemon provides such a bitter flavor that it overpowers the green tea itself. I was hoping for something a little less bold, and a little more relaxed in the flavor.

That’s not to say this tea isn’t good. Quite the contrary. This bold wake-up is an uncommonly fresh take on what an iced tea can be. With a decided bite, this ready to drink beverage provides a fairly bold and lengthened tail.

I would recommend this tea to anyone who is a fan of breakfast teas, gunpowder green teas, strong Sencha and lemon.