Second Cuppa

Lipton English Breakfast Tea Review

If there’s one segment of the tea market I know well, it’s English Breakfast. I have a pretty good idea about what to expect from these teas, and Lipton missed the mark with this one.

Lipton English Breakfast is a blend of Ceylon and Kenya teas, which is not unusual for a breakfast blend. In this case, however, the result is very light in body and very bright in flavor with a lemon-like pungency.

Overall, I don’t mind this tea. It’s fine for an afternoon lift, just don’t call it “English breakfast.”

Aroma:	Citrusy
Body:	Light-Medium
Flavor:	Smooth, astringent
Color:	Amber

Thompson’s Family Teas (Punjana) Signature Special Tea Blend Review

The same company that produces my beloved Punjana Irish Breakfast Tea (now re-branded as Thompson’s Family Teas Irish Breakfast Blend) actually makes several varieties of teas. Thompson’s Signature Blend has been part of my daily tea routine for the past couple of weeks, and this is what I think of it.

Signature Blend is a very strong tea. As such, a steep time of 2–3 minutes works fine. Over steeping can lead to bitterness. I can plunk two tea bags in my four-cup teapot and still get a strong brew in 5–6 minutes. I add milk every time.

Although Signature Blend and Irish Breakfast blend share some aroma characteristics, Signature Blend is more smokey and earthy while Irish Breakfast Blend is noticeably sweet and citrusy. Signature Blend feels good in mouth with its full body and biting finish, making it a perfect morning tea.

Aroma:	Smokey, ashy, sweet
Body:	Full
Flavor:	Earthy, tannic, bitter
Color:	Dark Amber

Tetley English Breakfast Drawstring Tea Review

If you live in America, you can find Tetley English Breakfast Drawstring Tea in the Specialty Tea section of Tetley USA’s online store. As far as I can tell, a couple of things makes this tea ‘special’: the patented drawstring tea bags you pull apart to squeeze out every last bit of liquid and the fact that it’s imported from England.

All this speciality comes at a cost to me and you — roughly 17 more cents per tea bag than Tetley British Blend, which is easily obtainable at your local grocery store. At 23 cents per tea bag, the cost of Tetley English Breakfast hovers in Keurig K-Cup territory.

Now that we’ve considered the economics of the situation, let’s experience the tea. The subtle aroma is pleasantly sweet with hints of raisin and plum and, to a lesser extent, citrus. Tetley English Breakfast has a mild, rounded flavor that goes down smooth and offers a mildly bright finish.

I do enjoy drinking this tea. It has more characteristic than British Blend and, with individually wrapped tea bags, it travels well. While it’s not as full bodied as you might expect from an English breakfast tea, it handles milk pretty well. The drawstring tea bags may seem kind of gimmicky at first, but they do what they promise; see my demonstration below.

Tetley Drawstring Tea Bag Demonstration GIF — Drawstring Tea Bag: Separate and Squeeze

Aroma:	Sweet, raisin, plum, citrus
Body:	Medium-Full
Flavor:	Bright, sweet and smooth
Color:	Amber

Brooke Bond Red Label Review

I bought Brooke Bond Red Label tea for the sole purpose of making Adrak (Ginger) Chai. When that experiment ended, a giant box full of loose leaf tea remained, so I welcomed the teapot back into my morning ritual.

This Assam tea is CTC (Crush, Tear and Curl), which refers to the method the leaves undergo during production. Many Assam teas are produced this way because of the quick dark brew that results from the tiny leaves.

By itself, Brooke Bond Red Label is a simple, rich and malty tea that pairs perfectly with milk and sweetener. It’s also a great base for tea blends, giving you the chance to get creative.

Lately I’ve been adding a teaspoon of Darjeeling tea to Brooke Bond Red Label. Though much of the Darjeeling’s nuances are lost in the blend, it does add a bright, fruity dimension to the flavor, typical of many Irish breakfast blends.

Aroma:	Chalky, sweet
Body:	Full
Flavor:	Malty, smooth, rich
Color:	Dark brown

Swee-Touch-Nee Tea Review

I’ve passed this tea countless times in the kosher section of my grocery store; it’s labeled ‘The Aristocrat of Teas.’ I’ve read many Amazon.com reviews from people who were delighted to reconnect with the Swee-Touch-Nee Tea they so fondly remember from their childhoods growing up in the New York City area.

But sometimes we develop nostalgia for things that, as adults, we realize really weren’t that great. I assumed this was the case with Swee-Touch-Nee. I was kind of wrong.

It’s not the greatest tea, but I appreciate many not-so-great teas, and this one has some characteristics that make it worthwhile. The aroma always appears sweet and vegetal to me. Sometimes I notice a woody quality, and sometimes I detect a tiny bit of sweet spice (whatever that is). It goes down smooth with pleasant astringency, and it seems to pack quite a caffeine punch.

Though Swee-Touch-Nee tea’s medium body holds up fairly well to milk, I find it best enjoyed without. A little sweetener or lemon would be okay.

Swee-Touch-Nee, in case you’re wondering, is a transliteration of the Russian word ‘tsvetochny,’ which means flower. Strangely enough, today my wife asked me, ‘What was that tea you made the other morning that tasted flowery?’ Perhaps her succinct analysis is more accurate than mine.

Aroma:	Vegetal, sweet, earthy, woody
Body:	Medium
Flavor:	Smooth, sweet, some astringency
Color:	Brownish amber