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
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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!
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!