So rarely overcast here in Los Angeles, I decided to brew up a strong Sunday morning cup. The leaves are tiny, so I used a Sowden Softbrew rather than a standard tea-pot.
It seems like the quantity (if not the quality) of Assam has dwindled in this blend as the resulting tea is significantly less malty than I remember it being a number of years ago.
While the tea stands up to milk, it reminds me more of an English Breakfast blend (with an emphasis on balance) rather than a more intense Irish Breakfast blend (which is what I recall this tea tasting like in the past).
Fairly one note, almost more fruity than malty, and growing slightly bitter without additional flavor once you pass the 8 minute mark, (though I have stepped this as long as 20 minutes in the hopes of finding more flavor) I don’t think I would buy this again. If I had to choose a tea from Taylors of Harrogate, I find I prefer Ntingwe Kwazulu for a hearty morning cup which has greater depth as well as complexity than this blend (and I recognize the irony of saying that, as I wouldn’t be hugely surprised if the “African” tea in this blend is from the zulu estate rather than Kenya).
