Heather Tea

My aunt gave me a bag of this after her trip to the UK. It has an aroma that I can’t quite place but it’s an interesting/good smell. Maybe malty? It has a very light floral taste that you can easily miss. It’s also pretty harsh tasting. Sugar & milk do nothing to help this tea.

First steep astringent, malty, slightly floral.
Second steep actually more pleasant: no astringency, only sweetness, balance, maltiness

Varietea Subscription Box (October) – 2/30

This was the tea of choice from my Varietea Box when I got home today. To be honest, I’m not sure what I made of it. It tasted predominantly like an English Breakfast tea, but the heather gave it a vague floral essence, lightening the blend somewhat. I think I’d like to try it again sometime, though it’s not a tea I will probably remember much about come tomorrow.

233/365

Since I’m in Scotland at the moment, it feels only appropriate to drink some Scottish teas. This is one I’ve tried before (last year?), but I don’t have the clearest recollection of it. I drank a couple of cups today – the first in my Timolino (with milk), and the second back at the hotel (without).

It’s a smooth black tea, breakfast-style, although on the lighter side. I’d say Ceylon was the main constituent, but there’s clearly some Assam in there, too. It’s malty and sweet, but without being too heavy. The heather isn’t particularly strong, but contributes a pleasantly floral-herbal note. That really helps to set this apart from your average bagged black. It reminds me a little of flower honey; while obviously not as sweet, it has the same heady wildflower richness that makes that so distinctive.

I’d like the heather to be a bit more prominent, I think, because at the moment it feels like this is mostly about the black tea base and I feel like that maybe shouldn’t be the case. It would be a more unique tea for it…

I like this one for an occasional cup, but it’s probably not something I need to keep around.

Tea Swap Tea

Similar to Twining’s Breakfast tea. Bitter, too malty, and thick mouthfeel.

Bitter, malty, and salty. I must have oversteeped it, since it’s nowhere near the light and floral brew that others have described. I’m getting no hints of heather.

I’d say this is comparable to Twinings English Breakfast, but smoother.

2/5/2014 mid day cuppa 12oz/180F/2 teabags.

Really would have been better with three teabags, but these were the last two, so, two. Pleasant light floral from the heather blends nicely with the brisk base black tea. Not a tea I’ll buy again, but definitely one I would pick over others if I saw it on a breakfast buffet. A nice, if weak, cup of tea.

This is very rich-tasting tea, but easy to ruin by over-steeping, in which case it becomes very bitter.

With milk, this is one of my favourite teas. It is light and floral, rather than being bitter or overpowering, like some black teas.

Very light and soft. I added honey but wouldn’t again as I think due to the lightness it has to stand alone to be enjoyed.