Orange Pekoe

So there was one major wicked storm in my area last night. Pea sized hail – my poor plants, 3" of rain in my gauge this morning – however last night the wind was blowing the rain sideways, so who knows. My house and yard ended up being spared, there are some pretty big trees that were downed in the area.

So I had wanted to make sun tea today. But that didn’t happen because when I woke up it was still grey and dreary and drizzling. I went to the farmers market and saw fresh basil. I grew basil this year in one of the deck pots, but I didn’t grow enough of it. So I use it sparingly. I picked up a large bag of fresh basil for $2. Once I got home I put 3 bags of this tea along with all the basil into a 2L jug of water and let it “counter brew”.

This tea is delightful. It always makes an awesome sun tea, so the counter tea brew works well for it too. It is pretty light as it has only been brewing for about 2 hours now. There is a light infusion of the basil, making it taste fresh and crisp and summery.

I just keep adding more water to the pitcher as I pour some out to drink.

I think this will keep me going for a few more days.

The sun is starting to come out. I may be able to do some sun brewing after all!

So when’s the last time you guys have had this tea?

After my daughter found my old bags and ripped/dump them out all over the coffee table I started to wonder the same thing. Time to give it a try!

You know, it’s not half that bad. :P I didn’t add milk or sugar which is strange because I used to drink this before I drank looseleaf and I HAD to add stuff before. It’s strong, and malty, and maybe a little tiny bit smokey.

It’s an appropriate tea to end the year with.

The tea I grew up on… ye olde faithful. Always nice to have after dinner. I made a thanksxmas dinner for a few friends tonight and its always a crowd pleaser. Also keep the extra large costco sized box labelled for thd food service industry. Lol… I love costco.

Always tastes good and always a tea you can count on.

This is my comfort tea. I’m never without a box of it in my cupboard. I won’t deny that loose leaf tastes “better” but nothing will ever replace Tetley’s comfort factor. On a side note, it’s also perfect for dunking cookies!

This is what we call " Nan tea" in Newfoundland, it’s basically the only tea the older people drink here, and the only orange pekoe they’ll drink is the Tetley. I grew up with this tea and as a child I assumed that this was the only tea available.
Since being home I’ve spent a great deal of time with my nan. One thing we have in common is drinking Tetley Orange Pekoe. I drank it the only way I have for years, with canned milk and sugar twin.

Pretty sure this is what they are serving at Red Lobster when I order iced tea. I get it unsweetened without lemon. I am reviewing this because when a restaurant prepares tea well it should get noticed. The tea at our nearby RL is always fresh, and always has enough bite to be interesting. Maybe it is their water, or the temp, or the timing – maybe it is all of them. I have had so many sour or instant tasting bad teas at restaurants that this one stands out.

Don’t judge me. The rating is based on my happiness level compared with other restaraunts teas.

A solid, gateway tea. A standby that will neither impress or depress. I drink it with a splash of milk. A word of caution. Do not over-steep.

I look forward to expanding my tea selection.

Oh, Tetley tea, what can I say about you?

This, and Red Rose are the teas that my grandmother swears by and all I have when I go for a visit (unless I want to swing by one of the 30+ Tim Hortons in Cambridge, Ontario). This is, I think, a tea I drink because I like the taste of milk and sugar. It has a bitter, if not boring, flavour on it’s own so it seems to need to be sweetened up.

However, although the flavour is nothing worth writing home about, it’s just what need to get me out of bed on a Sunday morning, or help me stay up all night when I have an unfortunate essay do the following day.

It is what it is, and that’s all that it is.

Edit: Had to bring the rating down a little bit more due to the tea pot full of this tea I just had. Added milk and sugar, but it did taste a bit like sweetened cardboard…

and/or kid’s breakfast cereal.

Which is essentially the same thing.

I grew up drinking Tetley Tea, and still make sure I have lots of it on hand. I have never been able to brew a cup as good as my Mother’s however; mine always seem too strong. To this day, when she offers me a cup of “tea the way it should be”, I can scarcely refuse.

I seem to have done decently on today’s cup. I was in need of a nice, hot beverage because of a mild cold I have picked up, and Tetley turned out to be a good choice. Its warming effect definitely soothed the symptoms! I also managed to find the right balance of milk and sugar.

Today’s Tetley was just right. It was warm, sweet, and flavourful, with no bitterness, even in the aftertaste! I find that if brewed for for a slightly shorter time it makes a more well-balanced cup. It does not take long to overbrew Tetley, resulting in quite a strong cup indeed.

Tetley is a staple for me, something that epitomizes “tea”.

Recommended for those who just want “tea”, plain and simple.

Of Course the Tradition Standby. Always good and very trustworthy.