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“Backlogging this morning’s tea. I didn’t have quiet enough to make as much as I needed so I topped it off with ROT’s Vanilla Almond. Just a tiny amount, but it really made a difference. I...” Read full tasting note
“(loose leaf, not bag, bought from the bulk dry goods canisters, not in a retail tin) Usually I keep this around for hot toddies, iced tea with lemon and sugar, or head colds that need lemon and...” Read full tasting note
“1st cup this morning finishing up sample tin. Not bad, but I’m currently enjoying my second cup from a whole leaf tea bag which is clearly superior. The more I choose tea over coffee in the...” Read full tasting note
“Another sipdown! (132) Now that I know a little more about tea I smell mostly Ceylon in this. I like the smell of Ceylon, so it’s not a bad thing. This one is pretty boring. I think I’ve said this...” Read full tasting note
The Perfect Cuppa – A robust blend of quality black leaves, hearty enough to make any Brit smile. A savory mixture of Indian, Sri Lankan and Kenyan leaves is great with a splash of milk.
The Republic of Tea is a progressive and socially conscious business recognized for being the leading purveyor of more than 200 premium teas and herbs, ready-to-drink iced teas and more. Founded in 1992, The Republic of Tea sparked a tea revolution in America with the purpose of enriching people’s lives through the experience of premium teas and a Sip by Sip Rather Than Gulp by Gulp lifestyle.
This tea wasn’t bad. I can’t say anything I didn’t like about it in particular. The only problem I do have with it is that it’s very, very ordinary. It’s like the base taste of a tea without any of the excitement. Which is exactly what it’s suppose to be! Original black tea. Judging it on that and not on flavor blend, I’d say this is a good one. If I’m ever looking for plain black tea I won’t hesitate to look here. But will I brew this tea for breakfast? Probably not – I’ll save that space for a more exciting blend.
I was hopeful but a bit skeptical when I bought this. I’ve enjoyed RoT teas before. But the design of the tin didn’t exactly say “English Breakfast” to me. And when I opened the tin, I noticed the tiny unbleached circular bags. That was my first impression: tiny! And so I wasn’t especially surprised that this brewed a pretty weak cup. They barely put any tea in the bags to begin with. Wasn’t especially impressed with the flavor either — I’d prefer a Twinings or PG Tips or TyPhoo or Tetley to this one every time. It wasn’t awful… I just felt like I would need 2-3 bags to make a decent cup, and even then it would never be an outstanding tea for me. (But don’t get me wrong, I’ll still probably use up my tin. It just will never be my favorite English Breakfast tea.)
This is actually pretty good for a bagged tea. Much stronger than I expected. Next time I’ll definitely steep for less time, though. Maybe four minutes is all that’s needed. This is the usual hot tea we serve where I work.
Anyway, it’s your standard black tea, ordinary, and surprisingly high in caffeine. If I was looking for a wake-up rush and was out of coffee, two bags of this would do the trick. Also, I think a lemon slice and some honey would make this glorious. I’d be happy to try the loose leaf version if the opportunity arises.
(Full leaf version)
I decided I’d give this another shot. I once thought it too dark, though this time I steeped it for just a bit, enough to get the flavor without being overpowering, and I kind of like it. The way I made it would probably be too weak for most people, but I’m used to sweet savory things. I still prefer Earl Grey, though.
Brews extremely fast for me, no more that two minutes for the first steep, and then it can be used again. :) Usually I prefer loose tea, but this British Breakfast blend was my savior for convenience when I was sick. I drank, and I’m not exaggerating, 20 cups of this when I was at my sickest. That’s probably not so good…but it did wonders for my sore throat.
Perfectly smooth with honey.
Confession: I can’t tell the difference between British Breakfast, Irish Breakfast, and Scottish Breakfast. I mean, I looked it up, but I can’t taste the difference. Black tea is black tea. I mean, I can taste the difference between PG Tips and Barry’s. And I know Earl Grey is different because the bergamot (mmmm bergamot) sets it apart. But that’s about it.
So yeah, as black tea blends go, this is fine. As has been my experience of late with RoT tea bags, it’s just fine. I’ll take PG Tips any day.
Oh, and it’s better with milk ‘n’ sugar (or oat creamer and stevia, in my case).
Flavors: Tea
LOL! Nik I have been drinking tea of all sorts for close to 70 years and to me, it ALL still tastes like ‘tea.’
Heavy duty unleaded breakfast teas are my happy thing and have been for yours, but I’m not sure I could correctly classify them in a blindfold taste test. Everybody’s blend is a little different. Irish Breakfast blends tend to run heavier on the Assam (done properly, there’s a good burnt toast vibe), and although I always expected those Scots to drink tea the consistency of road tar, Scottish Breakfast blends I’ve tried are surprisingly light. I’m with you—if I need to wake up, just hand me my PG Tips and a carton of milk.
In regards to black tea, how do you both, Nik and White Antlers, differentiate what’s good to your palate?
Well…if it tastes like what I have come to expect tea to taste like, it’s good. that would be a bit malty, a bit tannic, even slightly metallic if it;s that kind of tea. I also like my black teas brewed strong. If it tastes like fake fruit, fake cake or cookies or any kind of pastry or food item, it’s not good. I dislike Earl Greys because the bergamot always tastes overdone. I can pick out some things that I find pleasant in tea, though. For example, Mokalbari estate assam has a very soft plum note that I love but I can’t always taste it when I drink it.
I have a long history practicing and using TCM, so if I drink an herbal, I don’t expect it to satisfy what ‘tea’ tastes like to me. I never drink herbals for pleasure; they are always used medicinally. That includes chamomile before bed, spearmint or peppermint after a heavy meal and so on. Unlike you, derk and a lot of folks here, I don’t a highly sensitive palate nor do I have the gift to ascertain hard to tease out notes in tea. That’s probably not a very erudite answer, but it’s the best I can do. Keep in mind that I am very old and had a TBI in my teen years so my senses are not as keen as those of someone who is 30 years old and in sound mind and body.
> LOL! Nik I have been drinking tea of all sorts for close to 70 years and to me, it ALL still tastes like ‘tea.’
I think we’re doing it right, then, friend. =)
> In regards to black tea, how do you both, Nik and White Antlers, differentiate what’s good to your palate?
I like the flavour to be bold but not bitter (and I know much of this is preparation-dependent), the brew to be smooth going down my gullet, and not having a dry-mouth after-effect. Associating goodness more with how it feels is probably why I can tell the difference between PG Tips and Barry’s but not Darjeeling and Kenya.
Nik-you summed it better and up more concisely than I could-‘associating goodness more with how it feels…’ YES!
Thank you both for you insight!
