Queen Anne Blend

Morning tea! i figured that i should really get around to trying the rest of my F&M teas since my parents are headed to london in a few weeks and are already asking me what i’d like them to bring back. Not that i need more tea but it’s an “easy” solution to things.

I sort of cheated with this one today and added a splash of maple syrup..so i’ll have to rate this later when i have it straight but so far, this is a decent cup that i quite enjoyed!

I have been away from Steepster for so long! Sigh, have been too busy to taste tea properly lately…

I am happy that when I finally have the time to do so, I am rewarded with a great cup! It’s smooth, brisk, and aromatic. It reminds me of the endless cups of wonderful Ceylon teas that I had when I visited Tea Trails in Sri Lanka last year. It’s unusual for me to like plain black tea so much but it is just THAT good. :)

A bog-standard (but very pricey for those of us outside the UK/EU) black tea. I have tried this at different temperatures/steeping times three times (the 3-5 minutes suggested seems far too long), but I keep coming up with: Pretentious Lipton for Wanna-Be Anglophiles in Brooklyn. There are a couple snooty tea joints in NYC that serve this to rave reviews, but you could totally swop it with Lipton and they’d be none the wiser.

It’s a perfectly serviceable cuppa and that smooth F&M DNA comes through but there is nothing noteworthy about it to me. More style than substance, though I am judging a bit more harshly than normal due to the very high price of F&M overseas.

SIPDOWN!

I was beginning to despair of having the advent finished by end of January but there is a light at the end of the tunnel!

This was the most easy to drink of the plain black tea blends, enjoyable but not earth shattering, reliable, good with no additions, but no replacement for my dear Queen Catherine. Mild and innocuous. Not too sour, not too brisk, not too malty, just a nice, drinkable breakfast or afternoon tea.

Big bags tea and I thought I have finished all Fortnum & Mason teas already, but apparently not.

I was working on my thesis and in one moment I just found a dead end and I just couldn’t find any solution. I asked the company, they didn’t know. I asked my thesis leader teacher — she did not reply (I wrote it in the morning). I wrote another teacher (in the afternoon), probably it was too late for him as well. I was drinking this tea with my brother and father (both drinking coffee), explained them my problem (it is one of several parameters) and brother came up with solution. I will have to explain why I have used a bit another parameter than used in the formula from book, but at least there is some solution and hopefully working one.

Anyway to this tea… it is fairly generic black tea, although they claim they use Ceylon and Assam tea. I couldn’t notice it and maybe it is due to age as it is indeed old one and moreover bagged. It was quite heavy on tannic notes, a hint of bitterness and pretty much forgettable tea. I would love to find out if looseleaf is better, or fresher tea afterall, but it seems they do not export to the EU teas right now.

Not all teas are winners. This is sad example of that.

Bright, refreshing black tea. I enjoyed a pot of it this morning as my morning fix. While it isn’t anything really special, it is a good, basic cup of tea.

Thank you Sil for sending this tea my way *cough cough many years ago oops.
Hey, better late than never, right?? I’m finally going through all my teas that I’ve been meaning to get to!
Dry, it smells like an ordinary black tea. Once I poured water over the top, I got that dank, musky black tea smell. Don’t know if this tea is supposed to be like this, but I’m assuming it’s the age :(( Dang. Should’ve had this tea years ago when I got it! But it’s v dark and amber in colour. Prob going to throw some milk and sugar into this

A nice black tea. Steeped it in fresh boiling water for 3 minutes. A little malty, and strong but didn’t get dry mouth like I do with lower quality teas. It’s nothing note-worthy, but I’ll gladly finish the bags I have left.

I also steeped this 3 times before I chucked the tea bag..

Fortnum & Mason has several breakfast blends; out of all their “Famous” tea line, I’d say this is my least favorite. It is the most harsh (I tend to like smooth or crisp teas) of their teas. It has a bit of malt, and a good amount of bitter, and other dark flavors.

I think all of their teas are of excellent quality; just not to my personal taste. I would encourage people to try their teas, especially if you like breakfast type blends. If not, try their Grey teas (Earl Grey, Countess Grey, etc)

Some tea bags from MissB! :) Thank you.

I brewed this as usual, and am (OMG) having it plain. I can’t even.

It’s pretty good. A little astringent though. I definitely wouldn’t steep this at boiling.