English Tea Store

Does it seem like AJRimmer sent me endless samples yet?!  Thanks again, AJRimmer!   But WHAT am I doing steeping up another cup of hibiscus.  I needed at least a week.  It probably hasn’t been a week.   This will be a boring note as YES this is heavily hibiscus, but there is also a sweet note of strawberry flavoring to balance the tart out, so it wasn’t overwhelmingly tart.  So thanks, strawberry!  However, the description for this tea never mentions strawberry, rather orange and pineapple, which I’m not tasting at all.  I think the second steep was a bit too weak, but that’s my fault. A bit boring, but not hibiscus overload.
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons //  20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // many minutes after boiling?  // 4-5 min steep

I was very dubious about this. It does not look great, and it comes from a merchant who specializes in neither green teas nor Japanese teas, which worried me because of how important freshness and storage can be to these sorts of teas in particular.

After trying it – it could be worse. The roasting is a bit odd. It tastes almost more like kukicha than sencha, and sort of stale. But it could be much worse!

With milk, this is an all right black tea. The flavoring is pretty light. I can’t really tell what it’s supposed to be, but it’s pleasant. The base is the main flavor, and it’s not very deep or special, but not bad. One serving from the tea box was plenty.

This tea was a pleasant surprise. Based on its finely chopped appearance, I expected it to be somewhat bland and simple in flavour, but it isn’t; it has a nice smoky note overlaying a rich, slightly astringent malty taste.

The leaf processing style does mean that brewing this in a gaiwan without pouring all the leaves into one’s cup really puts the gongfu in gongfu cha, but it’s worthwhile for the detailed picture of the flavours this presents. It works very well Western-style too, as you’d expect. For being so finely chopped, it re-steeps relatively well. I was able to get four solid steeps out of it in a gaiwan.

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – Tuesday, March 30th: National Virtual Vacation Day Tea #2

Another fun vacation choice: Scotland of course.  I had to pick at least one tea with the country in the name of the tea.  I stocked up on this one a while ago.  I’ve had variations of it from other tea shops, which is why I haven’t written a note for this particular one until now!  It’s a little less like “toffee” than past variations but I still enjoy this one.  Deep tasty puerh with a bit of sweetness.  No off-putting puerh flavors here.  I’m glad I bought more!
Steep #1 // 2 teaspoons for full mug // 20 minutes after boiling // 2 minute steep
Steep #2 // 15 minutes after boiling // 2-3 min
Steep #3 // just boiled // ? min

I forgot to take some notes for this one, but I made a cup in honor of our Valentine’s Day sipdown prompt. Lime gelato is not a typical Valentine’s dessert, but if my husband were to choose he would absolutely pick something with lime (most likely key lime pie). This steeped up a serious red color (thanks, hibiscus), but the lime flavor definitely stood out. I’m not a fan, but my husband would probably call this one a favorite.

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge Thursday, June 17th: National Eat Your Vegetables Day Tea #2

additional notes:  Now as I steep this up… I’m realizing it’s very similar to the other tea today.  Just without the green tea and probably some other veggies thrown in there.  It’s an okay blend but gone now!
2021 sipdowns: 84

Mastress Alita’s Sipdown Challenge Tuesday, February 9th: National Pizza Day –Tea #3

Thanks very much for the sample, AJRimmer!  I had a second steep of this tonight and the other last night, so it counts for Pizza Day.  I figured there was a fair amount of vegetables in this blend, so it COULD count for Pizza Day.  I was trying not to look at the list of ingredients before sipping, to try to blind taste test it… it both smells and tastes like mostly cantaloupe with a hint of tanginess, like maybe a single piece of hibiscus made it into the infuser.  I did notice cucumbers in the blend, so this is almost like a no caffeine version of their cantaloupe cucumber green tea.  Other than that tartness replacing any flavor that might have been from green tea, I can’t really tell a difference.  Not as much citrus as I would think from the ingredients, when I finally look at the list.  I’m just VERY happy this wasn’t heavily noticeable on the loathed tomatoes.  But the cantaloupe flavor is fine with me. This is actually very cheap right now! 
Steep #1  // 25 minutes after boiling  // 3 minute steep
Steep #2  // just boiled //  very long steep

Fruity flavor, but goes great with a touch of sugar and cream. Exellent daily tea.

The flavor isn’t clearly pumpkin, but as a latte, this is pretty enjoyable. Hard to say what the flavor is supposed to be at all, but it tastes generically desserty and nice. Another mildly flavored black tea I wouldn’t buy again. Not bad, just average.

Advent from AJRimmer day 3

Been hesitating to post this because of user error. I steeped this up and poured it into my travel mug, then headed out to check on a friend and grocery shop, not really having time for this cup until I made it back home. By then, I think the time in my travel mug altered the taste of this. I feel like it’s been doing that lately and I did a peroxide baking soda soak in it not that long ago. It’s been holding onto a soapy flavor when I wash it out after drinking teas out of it that are oily. This smells warm and spicy, but the flavor coming through is light spice and soap. NOOOOOO! I hate messing up a good tea, especially a pumpkin tea. I have a second serving worth, so I get one more chance!

Mastress Alita’s sipdown challenge – December Tea #2 -A winter holiday tea

This will fit for this prompt!   This was more the spices of eggnog and not really eggy (seems to be trying to go the “pumpkin” spice route there…) But I enjoyed trying it! 
2022 sipdowns:  121
Holiday Tea 2022 #5

Thank you again, AJRimmer!  Had this a couple days ago…  I’m not sure how any black tea could taste like eggnog, but I guess this isn’t the worst eggnog tea I’ve had?  I’m not even sure of the elusive English Tea Store ingredients, but whatever here DOES kind of mildly taste like eggnog if you mixed it with black tea.  Very odd that it does taste like this.  English Tea Store’s description says it should also have rum flavor?  I can’t tell that’s here at all. But otherwise it’s like a sweet, creamy, mildly spicy flavor… like eggnog.  I don’t hate it! 
Steep #1  // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 26 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep
Steep #2  // 2 minutes after boiling //  3 minute steep

A lovely Rooibos tea, strong vanilla flavor, great all day drinking tea. Maybe good for a mocktail too?

Thanks very much, AJRimmer!  I will eventually get to all these samples. haha.  I wasn’t expecting much from this tea, seeing as how chocolate teas are normally somehow gasoline tasting  and lacking and English Tea Store’s teas have been generally disappointing… but the flavor of this tea resulted in how I would hope it would be.  First off, it’s dark.  I can’t do chocolate teas that aren’t deep and dark.  Second, no gasoline here.  Plenty of chocolate flavor.  Dark dusky chocolate.  I like that they actually include cocoa shells!  I thought I was seeing coconut in the blend, but it’s actually chamomile petals for some reason?  I don’t think they bring anything to the flavor anyway.  It’s a good pairing between this type of black tea and chocolate flavor in general.  It is what it says it is. Of course, it can’t actually be hot chocolate, but this is the closest thing to hot chocolate that a tea can be.  I wouldn’t mind having a bit of this around when I want a chocolate tea — there aren’t too many good chocolate teas.  Next time this will be a sipdown.
Steep #1  // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 20 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep
Steep #2  // 3 minutes after boiling //  3 1/2 minute steep

The first time I had this tea, I found the blueberry flavor pretty clear, authentic, and tasty. Every subsequent time, it’s turned out weird, harsh, and artificial. I drank my whole ounce of this hoping to accomplish that first flavor again, but it wasn’t a very good time.

The flavor is a little bit chemically, but the orange is sort of nice as well. I like drinking it cold. It’s pretty good, but not great. I didn’t try a resteep because the chemical scent of this one is pretty unappealing.

Thanks to tea-sipper for sharing this one! The flavor is lightly fruity, and I feel like I can sense the cucumber. I’ll definitely have to give my sister a cup of this the next time I see her! I wish I could taste even more cucumber, but this was pretty pleasant!

This is definitely unpleasantly chemically when warm, but when it cools, it’s decent. Desserty rooibos flavor with a really nice vanilla. Quite sweet and light, but with some depth to the flavor.

Similar to other ETS herbal teas. So muddled and artificial. This one really isn’t good at all though. Not too sour, just really lame.

I know I’ve been hard on ETS teas before, but this one is legitimately tasty. And it doesn’t just taste the same as many other peach blends. It does its own thing, but the peach flavor totally comes through. It’s bright and tasty, and it makes a totally lovely cold cup of tea. I cold brewed a second steep, which turned out great as well.

The nuts smell so good, but when I took my first sip of this, it was jarringly sour, salty, and weird. Maybe it’s oversteeped, but I usually steep herbals like this for a long time with no problem. I added a lot of milk, and it actually tastes really good now. Such a contrast to my earlier experience. Suffice it to say, I don’t know how to rate this one.

This tea tastes like a generic, low quality fruit tea with its hint of artificiality. It’s fruity and not overly sour. It doesn’t taste like any particular fruit. It’s best cold, but not great generally.

Thanks again for the swap, AJRimmer!  Sadly, this was not one to write much about.  I’ve certainly had worse chocolate teas, but this was mostly rooibos in flavor (as well as mostly rooibos as a blend itself) with only the faintest hint of chocolate, and possibly an even fainter hint of almond type flavor which I guess would be like those sorts of chocolates?  But it seems the name itself is combining multiple brands of chocolate candies, so not sure what they were going for here.  Maybe I’m imagining the almond and it’s really chocolate.  So really this is heavy rooibos, light chocolate.  I’m glad to only have a sample —  next time it will be gone.
Steep #1  // 1 1/2 teaspoon for full mug // 29 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep
Steep #2  // just boiled //  3-4 min