6 Tasting Notes
I am a Twinings enthusiast. Whether it is their Lady Grey or their Lapsang Souchong I am almost always pleasantly surprised. That has not been the case with their Darjeeling. I don’t find it repulsive. I just don’t find it anything. I don’t have a problem with mild teas, I would just like a bit more of the muscatel flavor you may find in more pungent varieties. I don’t mind the bitter tannic quality of this tea… I just found it devoid of character.
Traditionally, I am not a big fan of white teas. I prefer the black stuff. That being said, I had a gift card to Teavana, and when I asked the gentleman at the counter for an Earl Grey recommendation this is what he suggested. I was skeptical, but why not? I went home and brewed some immediately. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised! It was delicate and well balanced. The bergamot was not overpowering whatsoever! I would definitely buy this again!
So, I found myself at work without my usual tea. Being that I was in a tight spot, I thought I might just grab some tea bags from the cafeteria at the hospital I work at. What did I pick up? You guessed it: Tazo Earl Grey. I don’t want to say that it was terrible. “Some tea” is better than “no tea,” but I would never go out of my way to pick this stuff up at the market. It brews up quite dark, which isn’t a problem, but it is overwhelmingly perfumey, and there seems to be some sort of chemical aftertaste. Not good. Do not buy! Hopefully the Tazo English Breakfast tea that I bought for later in the day is considerably better. We shall see!
While I am a Twinings aficiando, this is not the first tin I would grab when having a cuppa. That being said, I DO enjoy it (just not as much as, say, Earl Grey or Irish Breakfast). The flavor is delicate, and I believe does well without the addition of milk. Very nice, and good when I am in the mood to change things up.
I love this tea! For the most part I’ll drink Twinings Earl Grey loose leaf at home, and when I go to work I’ll transition to bagged Irish Breakfast. For what it’s worth, I think that this tea (with a little bit of milk and sugar) is the best part of my work day! The flavor is strong without being overpowering. As many other have already said, it does definitely have a malty taste and the assam is well balanced. It’s my “at-work-go-to”!
