No copying, posting on other sites, or other uses allowed without written permission of the copyright holder.
The Subject: Irish Breakfast Tea from The Boston Tea Company.
Water temperature: 212˚˚ F
Steeping time: 4 minutes (they recommend 3-5 minutes) — see comments
Tea type: Black
Scents, flavorings, etc.: N/A
Aroma, dry: Malty
Aroma in the cup, plain: Malty
Taste, plain: Mild, no bitterness
Aroma in the cup, enhanced: N/A
Taste, enhanced: N/A
2nd Infusion: Lighter flavor, aroma
Chilled: Didn’t do
Comments:
The Boston Tea Co. does it again with this outstanding version of a classic: Irish Breakfast Tea. They blend rich Assam with Ceylon to give you a balanced and very drinkable taste. One whiff of the dry tea leaves gives you the maltiness of a typical Assam tempered with an almost fruity Ceylon. While steeping, this tea is almost Darjeeling like. In the cup, the rich reddish brown liquid has an aroma dominated by the Assam maltiness.
The 1st infusion is quite something. Take a sip and get prepared for a surprise. If you’ve drunk a lot of Assams, you’re probably expecting that “pucker” element as the bitterness kicks in. Not here, though. This tea is smooth and free of bitterness. If you avoid Assams because you don’t like milk in your tea, this is one you can enjoy straight or with a touch of sweetener. Of course, it handles milk extremely well, too. The flavor is smooth yet robust.
Hubby thinks this is a prime example of a “gulper” tea. I think it belongs in the “sipper” category, so that every drop is savored.
The 2nd infusion is lighter in color, flavor, and aroma. This is another tea that I would recommend a shorter steeping time for the 1st infusion and a slightly longer time for the 2nd one. This should give you two fairly equal infusions and more bang for your tea buck. Tea is still one of the affordable indulgences, in my estimation, and with a bit of care, you can really stretch out your tea enjoyment.
Try some chilled. Hubby and I stopped our chilled tea extravanganza, since it required chilling the tea overnight and then taking a photo and tasting the tea the next day, which proved to be time consuming. Also, we usually drink our tea hot, but recognize that many of you like yours chilled/iced.
NOTE: This pouch is what the Boston Tea Company uses for samples. Their normal pouches are opaque, not clear, and block out light, very important for preserving your fine teas. Pouches are, overall, my favorite packaging, since, as the tea is used, excess air can be squeezed out before resealing, unlike tea tins and boxes. One drawback is that the wonderful full tea leaves get a bit crushed in the whole packing and shipping process. We were still very pleased with this tea.
Disclaimer: This tea was provided by the company named. However, the rating of the tea and any opinions concerning it are always strictly objective.
No comments:
Post a Comment