Another Dessert Tea!

It appears that Whittards are particularly fond of dessert based tea and so this week we turn to the delightful Loose Leaf Apple Crumble Flavoured Tea!

This tea was discovered by Tom B and the tasting sample kindly donated by Rach T.

Brewing

"Always drink lightly brewed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of leaves per 6-cup teapot. Warm the pot first with a splash of hot water. Add the tea and pour on boiling water. Brew for 2-5 minutes. Do not add milk."

The instructions don't differ much from the other Whittard teas. Again milk is not required and I went for ~5 minutes brewing time (this is a very light tea).

Colour

Very pale brown.

Aroma

A lovely light smell of apples with a hint of cinnammon. This might not quite send you to an English orchard as the advertising blurb claims but very enjoyable.

Taste

I expected this tea to be along similar lines to the Sticky Toffee Tea but once again I was surprised! It is very light with hints of apple, cinnamon and vanilla and much more reminiscent of a herbal tea.Personally I'm a fan of strong tea so I feel this is unlikely to become a regular addition to my afternoon. That said, however, it was a refreshing change and definitely worth a try.

Television

There's no music this week as I had guests around for the tea tasting. Instead our conversation had an old episode of Supermarket Sweep for background featuring Dale Winton's orange face (though not as orange as

David Dicknson

!). Hilarity of course ensued as the ineptitude of the contestants became apparent.

Conclusion

Light and refreshing. Smells of apples and cinnamon. Delightful.

Web-link

http://www.whittard.co.uk/tea/flavoured_tea/loose_apple_crumble_tea.htm

See you all next week!

A Workday Tea

Since I realise that not everyone has the time to invest in loose leaf tea this week I present a nice tea in teabag form.

I was first introduced to Lapsang Souchong via the comedic stylings of one Bill Bailey and as such had to try it. Since then, for reasons most likely linked to regular consumption of a pot (or two) during revision for my final year exams, this has become a tea I drink in order to focus myself and work harder.

Brewing

"Use one tea bag per person and pour on boiling water. Leave the tea to brew for three to five minutes, or until you think it's ready. Then drink it black, or with a drop of milk."

I tend to brew this tea for the length of one song in my playlist (this usually falls neatly between 3 and 5 minutes) as I'd feel strange timing my tea in the office.

Similarly, I drink this tea without milk due to the lack of adequate fridge facilities in my office (all my work teas can be enjoyed without milk)

Colour

A deep brown.

Aroma

Step 1: Cut down a pine tree. 

Step 2: Build a bonfire from it. 

Step 3: Inhale.

Or alternatively take a deep breath over your mug of Lapsang Souchong.

Taste

In a word: intriguing. 

This tea tastes of smoke (from the aforementioned pine trees). This is indeed odd but surprisingly refreshing. 

Although this week I haven't any tea tasters to hand I do recall introducing my housemates to it last year. I believe the consensus was: strange but good.

Music

While writing this (and enjoying the tea) I have listened to: Pearl Jam, Queen, The Eagles, Supertramp and Blink-182. A good mix of strong beats and good lyrics to keep me working.

Conclusion

To quote The Mask: "SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSMOKIN'!"

Web-link

http://shop.twinings.co.uk/shop/lapsang-souchong-1.html

See you all next week!