Marks & Spencer Tea

Hmmm, I’m glad the bag didn’t say loose LEAF tea because that would violate the truth in advertising standard. This is loose….stuff. Not quite as large as CTC but bigger than dust, I guess. When I see tea bits that are this size, it scares me. I want to lower the infusing basket into the water with one of those grabber thingies while wearing a hazmat suit. I am a tea wimp.

The directions say to steep for 4 to 6 minutes or to desired taste. HA! At six minutes, this stuff will stage a coup and there will be an international incident. I went with 2 1/2.

And it really could have gone a little longer. I tried to like it plain, but it hurt me. This was a bit bitter without being flavorful. The color was reddish. I added milk and sugar to redeem the cup, and I suppose it did. This is now a pretty typical breakfast tea with a malty Assam flavor. I do feel more like I am drinking coffee. I don’t drink coffee, by the way. And the color looks like a Hershey bar with that reddish tinge some chocolate bars have.

For Breakfast blend lovers, malty lovers, and Assam lovers, this isn’t terrible. I will drink it, especially when I don’t really want to pay attention to my tea. Ooo, I bet it will be good as really sweet Southern style iced tea! Grateful to oldest daughter for picking it for me when she was in N. Ireland.

I am surprised. I can definitely finish the pot, and I will try steeping a little longer next time and resign myself to adding milk and sugar to this one every time.

I got my new tea this morning! Hooray!

Wow, this Darjeeling has such a bright Muscat grape flavor that it almost hurt my sinuses to sniff it! Very citrusy, fruity, and bright! This one got a thumbs up at tea tasting today. It was the favorite of my guest, and I liked it very much though I would be hard pressed to name a favorite of today’s teas.

Where can we buy this tea in USA?

A decent decaf for later in the day.

I.
NEED.
TO.
BE.
CALM.

SO I HAD TO WATCH AN EPISODE OF KITCHEN NIGHTMARES FOR CLASS.
Oh my gosh. I don’t watch that show because it just… it’s not my thing? But I had to watch it for class and I’M LITERALLY IN TEARS. THAT WAS THE MOST PAINFUL SHOW I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. IT’S BEEN HALF AN HOUR SINCE I FINISHED AND I’M CRINGING.

Calming tea. Need to be calm. Need to not strangle those people because they don’t know how to run a restaurant oh my gosh I legit would have QUIT the second I figured out how the restaurant functioned.. well it didn’t function at all.

Calm. Calm. Calm. I need this tea. Reduce my headache and be caaaaalm.

(If you want to know what I’m talking about, it’s the Amy’s Baking Company episode of Kitchen Nightmares: http://www.sockshare.com/file/1486DE835B457C1C3)

Backlog.
THIS TEA.
It’s pretty good! Marks & Spencer doesn’t exist where I live, but I did manage to get my hands on some when I visited the Philippines and I brought it back home with me.
I actually really like this. Out of all the tea bags I’ve tried, this would be my favourite. Between this and the Lupicia chamomile one… hmm.. I don’t know! They’re both pretty good :)

It is my favorite tea. Very good blend

A strong, roasty tea that’s good for accompanying breakfast. However its kind of plain to my tastebuds now that I’ve started becoming an earl grey addict. The brew is medium brown. Steeping for too long will result in a sharp and bitter tasting tea. Go with what your eyes and tongue tell you with this tea.

It is lightly flavoured but isn’t bland. The mintiness isn’t too strong. Overall it is a pleasant cup of tea for evening consumption. The effects are quite potent though. Based on what I’ve experienced, one cup is all it takes to start feeling sleepy. After finishing the whole pot, I went to snooze comfortably on the sofa.

Amazing. Very flavourful tea, you can taste every single spice and it isn’t bitter at all. Affordable too! One of my cupboard staples.

Well, it’s not as good as the Extra Strong Everyday Teabags. I liked the malty flavor in those. But I wanted to try the Gold Blend ones because my body reacted negatively to the strength of the Everyday Teabags.
Smells kind of odd, reminds me vaguely of cod liver oil capsules.
After steeping the taste is pleasant though. Mellow, smooth, and good with milk.

This is currently my morning breakfast tea. M&S rates it a 3 (strong) in strength which seems accurate to me, but I never add milk or sugar. Great flavor!

I like it, great!

Its good!

I was a little nervous to try this, as I’ve had a many unpleasant cups of chamomile (drinking tea should never be a stressful experience), but it turns out I had absolutely nothing to worry about. This tea is a perfect herbal tea. (Keep in mind I’m not much of an herbal tea person, working on getting there) All the flavors are balanced, you can taste them all, but none outshines the other, and it’s just harmonious and actually tastes good. It’s obviously a high quality tea, and I can’t recommend it enough.

I don’t like spicy foods or drink due to a pathetic level of heat tolerance. This is the only affordable chai tea (£1.99!) I have found that has the lovely warmth and deep flavours of traditional chai without blowing up my mouth!
A winner from marks and spencers

This is my go-to when I’m feeling under the weather. I slip in some honey and the lemon and ginseng soothes my ailments. Not too ginger-y either and that’s how I like it.

My girlfriend only drinks this tea; unfortunately we live in New York and so are dependent on the kindness of others traveling to the UK (M&S doesn’t ship overseas)

Does anyone know whether any any other retailers sell this tea? Other ideas for keeping a US #3 junkie in stock?

Thanks,

I’m not sure what it is about this tea, but I can see why they sell so much of it in a single box. It has become a part of my morning ritual, and I have a cup the minute I wake up.

Mmmmmm. Love this. It’s one of those teas that make me go omnomnomnom. Malty taste

This tea is a light pinkish-red color that isn’t off-putting, thankfully. It carries a sweet aroma of raspberries that doesn’t smell too artificial. Has a tart and subtle flavor, but the addition of sugar or honey balances that out nicely. Pleasant and refreshing. I expected the raspberry to be overwhelming but it’s quite gentle.
I would recommend this cold steeped for 30 – 45 minutes

A decent budget jasmine green tea which fares well in taste and fragrance.
NB: Do transfer the bags immediately to an air-tight canister, after opening. I found its scent and taste “deteriorated” quite fast when kept in its cardboard box.

A very strong black tea. If you’re a coffee drinker trying to get into tea, this is a good place to start. A bit tannic, but robust. My dear friend from college who has been living in England brought me a box of this as a gift. It is my lifeline for staying alert in my night shift work.