{"id":2257,"date":"2016-12-05T09:00:25","date_gmt":"2016-12-05T15:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=2257"},"modified":"2021-03-06T12:22:35","modified_gmt":"2021-03-06T18:22:35","slug":"taste-test-british-teas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=2257","title":{"rendered":"Taste test: black teas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Coffee will always be my favorite pick-me-up, but I was inspired by my recent trip to the UK to learn more about tea. I’ve had a long history with coffee, but my experience with tea has been pretty minimal. I drank stuff like Chinese restaurant tea, oolong tea, and jasmine tea growing up, but it wasn’t on a regular basis. Asians don’t typically add milk to hot\u00a0tea (bubble tea is another story!), so when I first visited England at the age of 20, I accepted tea when offered but turned down milk. I got a lot of puzzled looks and\u00a0was repeatedly asked,\u00a0“are you SURE you don’t want milk?” Knowing what I know now, that was probably the English way of saying, “what’s wrong with you?!”<\/p>\n

For my most recent trip to England,\u00a0I was determined not to offend the entire\u00a0country like I apparently did last time, so I decided that this\u00a0was a great time to drink more tea, with milk<\/em> this time! I collected 9\u00a0brands of tea\u00a0in an effort to determine which I like best. Most of these teas are classified as English Breakfast teas, but there are a few exceptions (as noted). For these tea comparisons, I am using the following system and parameters, which I know are subject to some debate.<\/p>\n

Step 1: Put teabag in cup.
\nStep 2: Pour boiling water (212 degrees Fahrenheit) on teabag.
\nStep 3: Let steep for 4\u00a0minutes.
\nStep 4: Remove teabag.
\nStep 5: Add\u00a0a splash of milk (between 1\/4 and 1\/2 fluid ounce – I generally used the lesser amount unless the tea itself called for more). No sugar.
\n(I used lactose-free milk. I’ve experimented with alternative milks like almond and soy, but I just don’t think they taste right with tea.)<\/p>\n

Barry’s Tea Gold Blend \u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The lone Irish tea in the lineup, this is a tea I picked up from the “international” aisle of my local American grocery store.<\/p>\n

\"tn_barrys4\"\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Plain: Light bodied, with a pretty amber\/golden color. Smells and tastes rather like Chinese restaurant tea. I could drink this all day.<\/p>\n

\"tn_barrys1\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Touch of chestnut flavor, with a lovely dry finish. Very good cup! I enjoyed this tea equally with and without milk added.<\/p>\n

\"tn_barrys2\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: Singer-songwriter (I’m choosing Damien Rice<\/a> for this example). Delicate and special in its own way.<\/p>\n

Score: 8\/10<\/p>\n

Darvilles of Windsor English Breakfast Tea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tn_darvilles\"<\/p>\n

Plain: Smooth, rich, and balanced in flavor. Quite easy to drink! In coffee terms, this was most akin to something like a medium\/full city roast.<\/p>\n

\"tn_darvilles2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Very smooth, with a touch of malt flavor in the finish. This cup of tea was\u00a0less complex than some of the others in this lineup, but it was still very pleasant, and I think it would be particularly good served with sweets.<\/p>\n

\"tn_darvilles3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: the lush textures and lyricism of the main theme from Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, 4th movement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Score: 7\/10<\/p>\n

Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

I picked this up at duty free in Heathrow airport. In the US, this tea is available at Williams-Sonoma stores.<\/p>\n

\"tn_fortnum\"<\/p>\n

Plain: Sweetest brew of the bunch – this tea had a lovely harmonious flavor with just a touch of brightness and sweetness on the finish.<\/p>\n

\"tn_fortnum2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Mild, smooth, with a delicate flavor of honey. Kind of addicting. More milk = more sweetness, which isn’t surprising, but it really didn’t need much in the way of milk. I liked this tea equally black and with milk.<\/p>\n

\"tn_fortnum3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: “Sirenes,” Claude Debussy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Score: 9\/10<\/p>\n

PG Tips<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Note that PG Tips is the sole company (in this group) to package their teas in pyramid-shaped bags. This presumably changes the flavor extraction? Personally, I found the shape of the teabag kind of creepy.<\/p>\n

\"tn_pgtips1\"<\/p>\n

Plain: Among the darker-colored teas in this lineup. Not much flavor to write home about — I felt it was rather bland.<\/p>\n

\"tn_pgtips2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: A disappointment in my view – no matter how much milk I added, there was no real flavor. This tea tasted oddly hollow and like dirty dishwater compared to the others. Nice color, though – but sadly, appearances only get you so far!<\/p>\n

\"tn_pgtips3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: I refuse to link to anything, but just think of\u00a0anything Phil Collins released as a solo artist in the mid-1980s.<\/p>\n

Score: 3\/10<\/p>\n

Twinings English Breakfast<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tn_twinings1\"<\/p>\n

Plain: This tea had an unusual scent of cardamom that stopped me in my tracks. I\u00a0enjoyed how fragrant it was! The taste wasn’t quite as striking though – it tasted like cardboard.<\/p>\n

\"tn_twinings2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: More tan\/khaki in color vs. the reddish hue that some of these other teas are exhibiting. Not too bad with milk – very drinkable, with no notes of cardboard.<\/p>\n

\"tn_twinings3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: U2, Joshua Tree-era. Nothing wrong with it, it just didn’t excite me.<\/p>\n

Score: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Typhoo<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

This was the one teabag I saw that was in a round shape, unlike the flat rectangular shape of most.<\/p>\n

\"tn_typhoo\"<\/p>\n

Plain: What the heck is this tea made up of, shattered hopes and dreams?? I had this overwhelming feeling of despair while drinking this tea! This doesn’t happen often when I do tastings, but it was reminiscent of the “Eeyore coffee<\/a>” I reviewed last year, where I just felt very, very sad while drinking it. I wonder if milk will help.<\/p>\n

\"tn_typhoo2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Nope. Even with milk, this tea came out drab and depressing. I was hoping for something a little more peppy, comforting, or life-restoring, but the flavor in this cup just made me reflect on life’s disappointments. Maybe this would be a good cup for when I want to wallow and listen to The Cure’s “Disintegration” from start to finish.<\/p>\n

\"tn_typhoo3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: “Whiskey Lullaby,” Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss<\/a>. No matter how good of a day I’m having, if I hear this song, I’m immediately devastated.<\/p>\n

Score: 2\/10<\/p>\n

Taylors of Harrogate English Breakfast Tea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tn_taylors1\"<\/p>\n

Plain: Deep golden brown color that reminded me of a pint of ale. A little toasty and pleasant in flavor.<\/p>\n

\"tn_taylors2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Not particularly filled with personality, though I will say it was perfectly drinkable. I found this a little bit dull on its own, but I bet it would be a lovely foil for a dessert or cookie\/biscuit.<\/p>\n

\"tn_taylors3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: Pachelbel’s Canon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Score: 6\/10<\/p>\n

Yorkshire Tea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tn_york1\"<\/p>\n

Plain: This tea had among the strongest flavor. Overwhelmingly tannic for my taste – I would not be able to drink this\u00a0without milk. Perhaps 4 minutes brew time is just too long for this tea.<\/p>\n

\"tn_york2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Comforting flavor. Not particularly complex. I liked this tea best with a touch more milk than the other cups. In coffee terms, this reminded me of a dark\/french roast coffee where adding milk tames some of the more intense flavors.<\/p>\n

\"tn_york3\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy: “Welcome to the Jungle,” Guns N’ Roses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Score: 5\/10<\/p>\n

Yorkshire Gold Tea<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"tn_yorkgold1\"<\/p>\n

Plain: Gorgeous red color to the brewed tea. Very light-bodied, with intense high notes of flavor. Like the regular Yorkshire blend, this was hard to drink black, though where the regular Yorkshire reminded me of a dark roast coffee in character, the Gold\u00a0was more like a light\/city roast. Overwhelmingly bright flavors. My mouth was puckering like mad.<\/p>\n

\"tn_yorkgold2\"<\/p>\n

+ Milk: Strong tannic flavor, even with dairy added. I had to add so much milk to tamp down those neon-bright flavors that by the time I was done, the cup tasted like milk.<\/p>\n

\"tn_yorkgold4\"<\/p>\n

Musical analogy:\u00a0“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go,” Wham!<\/a><\/p>\n

Score: 4\/10<\/p>\n

Overall winner<\/strong>: Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend tea. A splurge, since it’s expensive and I would have to make a special trip to acquire it locally, but it really is delicious.<\/p>\n

Best buy<\/strong>: Barry’s Tea Gold Blend. This particular tea is available at my local grocery store (in the international foods aisle), is reasonably priced, and makes a very good cup of tea both with and without milk. This is now my everyday go-to choice if I’m in the mood for tea!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coffee will always be my favorite pick-me-up, but I was inspired by my recent trip to the UK to learn more about tea. I’ve had a long history with coffee, but my experience with tea has been pretty minimal. I drank stuff like Chinese restaurant tea, oolong tea, and jasmine tea growing up, but it […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"Stepping out of my comfort zone by doing a taste-test of British teas. When they're good, they're very good... but one was downright depressing.","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[238],"tags":[278],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/tn_TeaCover.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1271,"url":"https:\/\/coffeecantata.co\/?p=1271","url_meta":{"origin":2257,"position":0},"title":"Review: Boxcar Coffee Roasters Burundi Rugoma Lot 5 (Boulder, Colorado)","date":"August 27, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This bag comes to me courtesy of my awesome friend Ebonee. Thanks, homeslice. :) Boxcar was founded in Boulder, Colorado and now has a second cafe location in Denver. 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