My Vintage Tea Party
Ramblings and Reviews From a Lover of Tea and All Things Vintage
My apologies for it being so long since I've updated (again...), life continues to be busy, frustrating, and sometimes difficult. I won't bother going into too much detail but just know that my free time has been limited for one reason or another, but I am not abandoning this blog because I really enjoy updating when I can. This post will cover one of my most enjoyed Christmas gifts: a three month tea of the month subscription from the British department store, Fortnum and Mason. You've never heard of Fortnum and Mason, you say? Well, let's just say that it is, without a doubt, the classiest department store I have ever seen (not in person, but virtually). Founded in 1707, they have the finest teas, groceries, clothing, etc. and I believe I read that it is where Buckingham Palace acquires grocery items. They are famous for their wicker baskets (hampers, as they call them) stamped with their F&M logo, which are stocked with grocery items of your choice. Needless to say, I had to try some of their teas, and what better way to try a selection of them than to sign up to receive 2 samples a month? My subscription covered December, January, and February and I have only tried 3 of them so far. December included Royal Blend (Assam and Ceylon blend) and Jasmine Dragon Pearls (a Chinese green), January included Ceylon Orange Pekoe, Dong Ding (a Taiwanese Oolong), and February included Countess Grey (a blend from China and Ceylon) and Peony King (a Chinese white tea). Each delivery comes with a lovely little envelope with an overview of the teas that are included. Details include the origin of the tea, its strength, what time of day is best to enjoy it, what it pairs well with, and a short description of each tea. Here is the January envelope as an example: So far, I have tried the Royal Blend, Ceylon Orange Pekoe, and Jasmine Dragon Pearls. My favorite has been the Royal Blend-- the strongest bodied of all the teas I received. According to the description, it was first blended for King Edward VII in 1902 and was known as King's Blend until the 1920s. It's no surprise that it is my favorite, as Assam and Ceylon blends are what I tend to prefer.
For those who are not familiar with tea blends, it is important to note that Orange Pekoe tea actually has nothing to do with oranges and does not have an orange flavor. The name refers to the tea's grade; it's leaves are large, dark and even in size. Some say that the name is a reference to the House of Orange, the Dutch royal family in the 1600s, as Holland was the first European country to obtain tea. I enjoyed this tea as well, although it was not quite as strong as the Royal Blend and therefore not on my "ohmygosh this is my favorite!" list. Although I enjoy black teas the most, I still enjoy green tea and Jasmine scented greens are my top choice. The leaves have been rolled into little "pearls", which unfurl as you brew them. I love the subtle, floral flavor, and it is one that I drink when I just need to relax. I'm looking forward to trying the others; I have not tried too many Oolongs (pronounced either wu-long or oo-long) which are slightly stronger bodied than greens and lighter than blacks. I am curious to try the Countess Grey to see how it differs from Earl Grey, and unfortunately I don't think I am going to like the Peony King. I have an appreciation for white teas and have tasted one or two that I liked, but they just tend to be too light for me. But of course I will still give it a try and let you all know what I think! I am a bit sad that I received my final box of tea, but in reality it is for the best since now I can focus on trying what I have and not end up with a cupboard full of little packets that I never will get around to opening. Few things in life are sadder than wasted high quality tea. I hope you enjoyed the update, and feel free to post any questions or comments!
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Well, hello there! I has been over a month since my last update and a lot has happened over the course of these last few weeks! As most of you know (as I don't think I have any readers that I don't know personally), I had to undergo surgery to remove my gallbladder-- it wasn't functioning correctly and probably hadn't been my entire life. For the last year and a half or so I had been suffering from a serious loss of appetite, and when I was able to force myself to eat something I ended up with horrible nausea. I'm not quite to the point where I can honestly say "I feel so much better!" but I am holding out hope. I mean, how can I not eventually feel better now that the offending organ has been evicted, right? Also, my class started in September and has been keeping me far more busy than I would prefer. But anyways, down to business. Today's tea is a blend called Boston Harbor which was one of three different blends that I picked up in Boston. What really caused me to buy this tea and not a blend in a cute little wooden tea chest (they were made to look like mini versions of the chests thrown over during the Boston Tea Party) was the fact that it is by Davison Newman and Company; the very brand of tea that was tossed into Boston Harbor in December 1773. Davison Newman and Company are apparently Britain's oldest tea merchant (the tin claims it was established in 1650), and I do love tea companies with a long and interesting history. The tin that the loose leaf tea comes in is definitely display quality, and the quote on the lid which reads "The Three Sugar Loaves and Crown" is a reference to a book published in 1938 by Owen Rutter called "At the Three Sugar Loaves and Crown." The book details the history of Davison Newman and Company, and since I aim to learn as much as about tea and its history as possible I will probably try and find a copy. The tea itself is a blend of Darjeeling (the tin misspells it "Dajeeling" which almost made me weep) and other black teas from India and Sri Lanka. In the 1700s, tea was exclusively from China so this blend is not an authentic one like the kinds that would have been around at the time of the Tea Party.
I always try and be honest when reviewing teas, so I will say that this is probably not one that I would buy again. Don't get me wrong, I have enjoyed it, but it is not a very strong tea and therefore not my preference. The reason for this not being a very strong tea is because it is a Darjeeling, which brews light and mild. Many people do prefer this, so if you are the type who likes a subtle flavor, you will like this one. There are no other flavors, so this is just another basic black blend with none of the boldness of some of the others I have reviewed. In short, it's nice but it didn't blow me away. My current favorite in my tea stash is the Queen's 90th Birthday Blend from Twinings! First let me begin by saying that I am embarrassed by the fact that this tea is (way) over a year old, but in my defense I store tea properly so it is still good. Anyway, I will be reviewing some of my favorite tea ever: a Ceylon tea from Duffy's Easter Fair 2015 (a special event at Tokyo Disney Sea that lasts about a month). I am a HUGE fan of Duffy the Disney Bear, and a few times a year Tokyo Disney Sea (TDS) comes out with limited edition Duffy merchandise, so I make a point to order a few things to add to my collection. Here in the US, Duffy is simply not as popular as he is in Japan; probably because our culture feels that teddy bears and cutesy things are only for children. I'm pretty bitter about that, to tell you the truth. But moving on. The quality of the merchandise from TDS is amazing, and the designers of the products really put thought into every last detail (are you listening, United States Disney? You need to step up your game). This particular tea came loose leaf, and they even added little sugar flowers that dissolve to add a tiny bit of sweetness. Yes, it even came with a special tea scoop. These are the kinds of details that keep me buying from TDS. The actual tea, which I mentioned was a black Ceylon (grown on the island of Sri Lanka) really is amazing. The minute I opened the air-tight tin I was overtaken by the beautiful scent. When steeped 3-5 minutes (I usually go for the full 5), it creates a full-bodied black tea that really has that "punch" that I love about Ceylon teas. I will be so sad when all of it disappears....I believe I have enough for one more cup.
There isn't any other flavor to this tea-- it's just plain black and the sugar flowers are not flavored either. I actually prefer it that way so I give this tea high marks for being both good quality and delicious. The tin it came in is also beyond adorable, and I will continue to use it to store loose tea. I must admit, I am a sucker for "themed" blends. Part of it is the decorative packaging, but I also just love trying new and creative tea blends.
Today's review will be of Twinings's black tea blend commemorating Queen Elizabeth II's 90th birthday. I am a huge fan of the Queen-- her style in the 1950s was positively iconic, and she has always shown unrivaled elegance and class (and a wonderful sense of humor). First, I will begin by saying that the tin the tea comes in is absolutely beautiful. Featured all around the tin are small depictions of some of the Queen's favorite things such as horses, a fancy hat, a deer, and so forth. I am disappointed that the artwork is printed on a paper sticker that is wrapped around the tin rather than directly on the tin itself because it seems easier to damage, but we can't have everything I suppose. The tea itself is loose leaf and, according to the writing on the side of the tin, is a blend of black teas from Assam (India), Kenya, and Sri Lanka. I am very pleased with the flavor as I love a good, strong cup of black tea. Many times, commemorative blends will contain some other sorts of flavorings such as flowers or fruits, but this is just a straight black tea blend. If you are like me and let it steep in the cup for the maximum amount of time, you will have a deep, rich flavor-- which I believe is mostly due to the Assam, as it is known for being quite strong. If you prefer milk in your tea, I'm sure it would be delicious in this blend; however, I like it best without so I can't tell you for sure. I give this tea blend high marks, both for presentation and taste and it is certainly a blend I would keep around! Today's tea review will be of a black, Bohea (pronounced boo-hee) tea by Oliver Pluff and Company. This particular blend was made especially for the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, which is where I bought it along with a couple of other blends that I will be reviewing in the near future.
Although I would be willing to bet that few of you have ever heard of Bohea before, it was quite a popular black tea blend among the British and the American colonists during the 17th and 18th centuries when tea was becoming the next big "thing." I know that most people probably think that England has been taking tea since the dawn of time, but it actually did not make it to the west until the 1600s. But I digress. On the night of the Boston Tea Party, chests of Bohea, Congou black tea, Souchong black tea, Singlo green tea, and Hyson green tea were hoisted over the sides of British ships and dumped into Boston Harbor. All of these teas came from China, as we did not have Indian teas until the 19th century. To give you an idea of just how popular Bohea was, of the 340 chests in total, 240 were filled with Bohea. Being the history nerd that I am, I wanted to "taste history" (for lack of a better phrase) and see for myself if this favorite of fine ladies and gentlemen of the 1700s was worthy of a permanent place in my tea cabinet. The short answer is: yes, I would buy this blend and keep it around. If I had to describe its flavor in one word, it would be "smoky." It is rather odd that I like Bohea as much as I do, because as a general rule, I don't like smoky teas. I once tried a Lapsang Souchong and immediately poured it down the drain after the first sip. It tasted almost like barbecue sauce. However, the smokiness of the Bohea blend is more subdued and pleasant. Aside from that, I wouldn't say it is a particularly strong blend-- which I tend to prefer to lighter bodied teas; but I think the unique flavor makes up for what it lacks in body. In closing, I would recommend this blend to someone who is looking for something "different" from a run-of-the mill black tea. I don't believe someone with little to no experience with tasting different varieties of teas would like it very much, if my dad's reaction is any indication. He likes strong, sweet black tea (we are Southern, after all) and he recoiled at the smoky scent of Bohea. But if you are like me and love to be adventurous when it comes to tea, by all means give it a try! |
About Me
Greetings, readers! My name is Jordie, and I am a tea obsessed, history loving young lady who just happened to be born about 60 years too late. Archives
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