My Vintage Tea Party
Ramblings and Reviews From a Lover of Tea and All Things Vintage
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!
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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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