Original Blend

I keep meaning to post more on here, but it hasn’t really taken shape. I periodically enjoy reading peoples reviews but rarely contribute. I still drink a lot of tea. But it’s been a busy year. Right off the bat, I had a daughter born. Then I started a new job as a mail carrier in March and usually work over 65 hours a week. My tea before and after work(often late) are my most relaxing parts of the day. I have some interesting teas on the way in the coming days, but in the meantime decided to write this one. I have often had a box of this on hand. I’m always looking for what can be considered the perfect ‘everyday’ cup of tea. Usually in a teabag, not hard to make, and completely satisfying.

Well, this tea isn’t it. (I’d really say right now that honor would likely go to Punjana). But it is a good basic black tea that’s nice to have on hand. I’m having the American version of this, but keep wanting to try the Canadian as I’ve read it’s much better. As it is, it’s a good cup for what it is. Inexpensive, dependable, but doesn’t really hold up to milk in it. I’d either have it straight or with a little honey. Good for sipping on a rainy day or when you’re not feeling great. The Wade Whimsy’s, the porcelain figurines that come in them, are really better than the actual tea. I think they’re moving those to online only though. What a shame. I really need to try that Canadian Red Rose soon…

Look, we all know why you are drinking this. You wanted the cute little ceramic frog but you got some sort of squirrel instead. Or maybe you are over a coffee drinker’s house and they unearthed this box with a flourish of pride from some hoary old cabinet. It’s neither good nor bad- it’s just tea. Don’t make it into sun tea, that’s what the Lipton’s is for.

Flavour: Mild black tea in the American idiom. Not complex. When served sweetened, notes of date and carrot cake are the order of the day.

Aroma: Moderately aromatic. Notes of date, sweet spice, pastry, and snapdragon blossoms greet the nose.

Mouthfeel: Moderate in body. Just barely stout enough to satisfy.

Appearance of brewed tea: Rich caramel brown tea topped by an appealing thin oily lacing. A good looking cuppa, I’d say.

Caffeine: Below average caffeination for black tea.

Virtues: I find the aroma and appearance of this tea to be quite inviting. Moderately intense flavour lacks distracting off-notes. Inexpensive and readily available in US supermarkets.

Faults: Intolerant of indifferent preparation—tastes soapy and grassy if brew water is insufficiently hot. Flavour and aromatic intensity of this tea seems to vary from year to year; the American-market Red Rose I recall from the 1980s was a more robust tea than the Red Rose of today.

The Verdict: This is my favourite inexpensive and widely available tea sold in US supermarkets. Careful brewing will reveal some unexpected rewards. I find American-market Red Rose entirely serviceable for drinking when I’ve run out of finer teas. Cheap and cheerful.

I have a habit of throwing a cinnamon stick into tea and this one does quite well with that. It’s my father’s favorite. Sometimes you’re just feeling a plain cup without much to-do.

This tea is a good morning tea.. It has a mild flavor that can get slightly bitter. I think this tea has a different type of flavor that I don’t taste in other tea.

This plain black tea blows Lipton away. Its flavor is just better. Yes its a plain, cheap black tea, but compared to its competitors (Lipton) its no contest.

This makes a good Iced Tea as well.
If your looking for a fancy, high quality tea…this is not your tea. If your looking for a plain cup, nothing special, this is a good choice.

It also comes with a free ceramic sea animal figure! (Its a limited time promotion….very silly)

This is one of the few black teas that I absolutely cannot drink hot. But that’s okay! This tea has such a pleasant bitterness and dusky flavour that it is perfect as an iced tea in the morning before breakfast to get one’s palate working and woken up. I also enjoy it with just a touch of lemon juice and honey in the evening.

You know that tea you get because it’s familiar and you don’t have to think about how long to steep it or how hot the water has to be and all that good jazz? Well, Red Rose Original is that tea for me. I can’t mess it up no matter how hard I try and it makes me feel good.

I grew up with my grandma drinking Red Rose, she collected the figurines and would always make a pot when I was growing up, I never drank it but she loved it, when my grandma passed a few years ago, I picked up a box of Red Rose for nostaliga’s sake. Lo and behold, my love affair begin.

Red Rose original is really nothing special, it’s your basic bagged black tea that you get at the grocery store. It’s comparable to a Lipton and that kind of thing.

HOWEVER, it is my favorite tea, I always buy new teas but find myself going back to my reliable Red Rose, I boil my water throw a tea bag and a slice of lemon into the mug, pour hot water over it and let it steep for who knows how long, mostly 5 minutes, and you’re good to go.

In conclusion: It’s a pretty average black tea that for me is the best. It’s familiar, it’s delicious and it’s a big hug in a cup.

as far as American teas go, I find Red Rose to be one of my favorites. I find it to be much better if attention is spent to warm the pot or cup before steeping with freshly boiled water. In other words, bring the pot to the kettle. I let the tea steep for about five minutes.

The Canadian version is better as it is stronger and has more body, but the American version is quite satisfying!

To be honest I am not sure if I am putting this review under the correct maker but it sounds close enough. Whenever I go to Calgary, Canada they have Red Rose tea in the room. It’s quite a lovely black tea but I’ve realized that it is one of the quickest steeping black teas I’ve drank yet. I usually steep mine between 30 seconds and 1 minute. Too long and it’s too bitter. I do occasionally steep it a bit longer if I am going to make an iced tea out of it. It has a light floral flavor and I prefer to drink it when it has cooled slightly.