Lady Londonderry

Picture it: Tennessee. 2011. (Ah, Golden Girls, I love you)

Anyway, my parents and wife are watching Ghost Hunters, and I’m bored out of my mind, so I update steepster with the teas the wonderful SimplyJenW sent me. I look up the Lady Londonderry and squeak happily during a quiet moment in the show, scaring the crap out of everyone in the room XD. I opened up the package and the scent of Strawberry Lemonade washed over me….oooooh yes. I’m in love. I don’t care that it’s nine pm. I need a cup of this now.

The taste delivers on what the scent promised…it tastes like a strawberry lemonade tea and I love it. It is beautiful. I am very grateful to Jen for sending me so much, and I am very excited to find it is Metropolitan Tea Company. One of their warehouses is literally around the corner from our home, so I can find most of their teas in the area. I can’t wait to get to Kensington and see if they have it, though I’m sure they do.

SimplyJenW, I can’t thank you enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Many thanks to Lady Londonderry for this, her namesake tea :)

We had a huge meal out and when I got home I was craving a light, summery, but black flavored tea that would be nice with milk and sugar. Most of my dessert teas feel wintery to me, and I was rejecting each flavor left and right before coming upon this one. Ah, lemon and strawberry — this could work!

Once brewed, I tasted a medium bodied tea with a sort of sweettart flavor. It didn’t read lemon or strawberry per se to me, but definitely fruity. Really nice, and just what I was in the mood for. Summer afternoon perfection.

Oh Lady Londonderry, how I love catching up with you so! Light, airy, refreshing base of ceylon and assam with intended notes of strawberry, lemon, and a hinted floral finish. Only a pinch of sugar and few drops of cream round out the overtones of your respectable character.

Today I’ve cocooned myself indoors, setting aside the hot Southern California sun for another day. This afternoon a leisurely nap has been taken and has been molded into music writing duties with the hubs. At the moment I give myself sway to go over the week ahead and review the tasks, projects, and scheduling that helps me to carry out my intended desires. I have a creative room where my music, drawing, writing, reading, and spirituality nestle. Completely feminine feel and equally as fortifying and empowering. Alas the Sunday hours continue to wane, and I’ll be preparing dinner nourishment before I take my sleep to begin the week anew. It is where the Lady Londonderry and I are holding court. Lovely Lady, for now you have my full and undivided attention.

I’ve been drinking Lady Londonderry since the days when Jackson’s of Piccadilly sold it in tins. Metro’s blend, which I purchased from the English Tea Store, is more overtly fruity than what I recall, but very enjoyable nevertheless. What makes Lady Londonderry special is how good it tastes with a splash of milk — a pleasant surprise for a tea flavored with lemon and strawberry. It’s a special treat on a quiet Sunday afternoon … or any other afternoon.

I decided to try this iced, and accordingly used more leaf than usual, but I think that was a mistake, as the tea tastes pretty bitter even with sugar added.

Last tea of the day today,

I cold brewed it today because I remember someone mentioning that it’s great iced/cold last time I wrote a note for this one (around my birthday). So since the Steepster hivemind usually it correct, I figured I’d give it a go and drink it cold!

I think I tasted more lemon last time when I was drinking this as a soda. This time around, I DEFINITELY get more strawberry notes a top a brisk black base. Kind of malty? Just a whisp astringent, as well. I wish I tasted more citrus/lemon: I feel like that would create more of a “lemonade” profile. However, this is pretty tasty as a more strawberry focused tea.

Next I suppose I’ll need to drink this one hot, just to have tried it that way.