English Tea Store’s Scottish Breakfast blend has been slowly seducing me since I first tried it a couple of weeks ago. Craving more, I decided to bring it to the office where I plan on adding it to my afternoon tea rotation.
Dedication to making a good cup of tea — as good as I can possibly do in an office cubicle — makes me somewhat of a weirdo in an office where every break room has as Flavia beverage machine. One could make a cup of tea in that contraption (and I have once), but it wouldn’t be proper because the water never reaches boiling temperature. Besides those machines are a bit wasteful, aren’t they? I mean, where do all those little plastic packets go after they’ve been used? In a landfill I presume.
My M.O. is the electric kettle I purchased at Walmart for about $30. The Scottish Breakfast tea is loose leaf, so I brought some (biodegradable) tea filters from home as well.
Excited for my co-worker/business partner to experience this flavorful blend, I stuck the bag of loose tea under his nose. I happened to catch him just before he was about to get coffee from the Flavia machine.
My kettle operates on the floor for now because its power cord won’t reach the outlet from my desk. I’ve been lazy about placing an office supply request for a power strip.
The image captured (above) doesn’t accurately represent the tea’s color, which is a dark yellow. In flavor, this particular (I haven’t tried any other) Scottish Breafast tea is lighter and more complex than any Irish or English tea I’ve tasted. Maltiness is present for sure but to a lesser degree than other breakfast teas.
A woody (which some people describe as oaky) quality is at the forefront of this tea’s flavor. Floral undertones are also present. Milk, which gives the tea an unpleasant color, is not necessary. Add sweetener to suit your taste. I recommend honey.
