Twinings: Apple Crunch

I thought it was about time that I talk about a fruit tea, so today I tried Twinings' Apple Crunch.
Apple tea is surprisingly popular, and I was slightly sceptical as I am not a huge fan of apples, but this particular blend I really enjoyed. This was one of the envelopes from the 'pick and mix' box I ordered from Twinings and not something that I would have necessarily picked for myself, but having tried it I may be buying an entire box!

Apples are considered to be a ancient symbols of love; they are also thought to be the first trees ever cultivated.

So, one of the oldest traditions of tea drinking meets with one of the most traditional fruits in this infusion, which is made from real apple pieces that really can be tasted in the cup.

I really had no idea what to expect from this tea, but as soon as I added the boiling water the scent of a spring orchard filled the air. It smells pungent and sweet with the floral aroma of apples.

The flavour is quite tart and sharp, but there is also a backdrop of sweetness that gives you images of traditional british apple trees basking in summer sunlight.

This tangy infusion was also quite refreshing, and as all Twinings teas calming and relaxing.

As a fruit blend it has very natural flavours that do not taste artificial or of sweeteners, but purely and simply of an honest apple. It also tastes rather like a Granny Smith apple, these are tarter and have a stronger flavour than some other varieties. But this tea also reminds me of a typically English fruit - The Cooking Apple, and it brings back memories of apple tarts and crumbles.

It is truly homely and comforting, and if you are a fan of apples you will be sure to enjoy it; and even if you're not - give it a go; you may be surprised!

I steeped my cup for 4-5 minutes as I prefer a stronger flavour, but if you steep for slightly less the flavour will be lighter and less tart. I think this blend is best without milk.

Boxes can be bought from the Twinings website here for £1.49.

© Photography taken by and copyright to Elizabeth Mawson and 'Tea is Always a Good Idea'.

Twinings: Smoky Lapsang

Since I've had an interest in tea, Lapsang Souchong is a name I have heard repeatedly. Although, I didn't really know anything about it; but recently Twinings have released 'Smoky Lapsang' as part of their new range of 'Origin Teas'. I could not wait to try it, and I was truly surprised when I did.

Lapsang Souchong is from the Chinese province of Fujian. Some sources say that it was the first ever black tea, legend has it that during the Qing Era in China, there were many armies passing through which caused a delay in the annual drying of the tea. The tea producers needed to dry the tea leaves as quickly as possible in order to satisfy the demand.  Therefore the workers began to dry the tea leaves over bonfires of pine branches - giving Lapsang Souchong it's noticeably famous smokiness.

Souchong leaves are the least desirable leaves of the tea plant, and smoking them makes them more marketable, as they have generally less aroma than the other leaves and the buds.

When I opened my box of Lapsang, the smokey scent of bonfire filled the air - it is truly remarkable.

I was honestly a little unsure about how much I would like this tea, despite being a fan of smoked goods, and I do love the smell of bonfires.

When it came to tasting it, I had not put any milk in it as there is no instruction to do so - therefore I was expecting a slightly bitter flavour (like most black teas when you do not add milk). But I could not have been more wrong.

The flavour is rich and woody, it is incredibly smooth and calming to drink. As you swallow the tea you are left with the flavours of smouldering embers and visions of glowing branches on a cold November bonfire night. The scent of satisfying smokiness lingers, leaving the feeling of warmth. The flavour of the tea itself isn't strong or remotely unpleasant, in fact it's quite subtle, and the smoky tones are more of backdrop and aftertaste rather than the actual flavour of the tea itself.

I really love this tea, and am very pleased to own a box of 20 envelopes - although it now less than that! This tea is luxurious and fulfilling, and I would honestly recommend it if you are looking to try something rather different, as it is unlike any other tea I have ever tasted.

Another thing that truly stuck me about this tea - was nothing to do with the taste at all, but the immense attention to detail in the packaging.

As someone who is very interested in branding and graphic design, the box and envelopes truly did impress me. Not only do you get a very beautifully designed box in wonderful colours, but when opened there is small story about the tea inside the lid. The individual envelopes are equally well presented. I would not buy a product purely because I like the packaging, but I do have to mention it - as I am somewhat impressed with the calibre of design all the Twinings teas have, and this is no exception.

At the moment this tea can only be purchased from the Twinings online store here as it is a new blend, it is £2.49 for a box of 20 envelopes.

I steeped my tea for just over 3 minutes, and added no milk or sugar.

© Photography taken by and copyright to Elizabeth Mawson and 'Tea is Always a Good Idea'.

Twinings: Assam

Assam tea is not far from the traditional tea we are used to, in fact it is one of the teas in Twinings' blend of 'Everyday Tea', and it is world famous for being strong and rich.

Assam is an Indian tea that begun in the 1840's, in 'Upper Assam'. Assam is the world's largest tea growing region, it is on the banks of the River Brahmaputra, which also borders onto Bangladesh and Burma.

During the monsoon period, this particular region can get up to 12 inches of rain per day, with the temperature rising to 40 °C! These conditions make the area almost like a greenhouse, which is perfect for growing tea. It also gives Assam an individually 'malty' taste which it is well known for.

Twinings' blend of Assam is individual, as you would expect.

The information that Twinings provides on their envelope talks about the Elephants that work on the Indian plains, helping with carrying and lifting.

When you drink Assam the bold flavour is smooth and clear, it truly tastes rich and full bodied - but it isn't strong like a tea that has been steeped for too long. The background taste could almost be described as woody, and mirrors the image of straw huts and a low sunset in the Indian sky.

When drinking this you could almost be there on a warm evening, sat on a terrace looking out over the desert seeing the Elephants pulling leaves from the trees. It is a truly calming flavour, almost amber tasting.

It isn't a too distant ancestor of our very own traditional tea, of any brand name. So if you want to try something different for the first time I would recommend this more than anything. It's not quite as far away from what everyone is used to as Darjeeling or Earl Grey, but it is slighting more adventurous.

The chances are you have been drinking some form of it most your life - or since you have been drinking tea.

I steeped this cup for 4 minutes and added a drop of milk - if you would prefer it weaker or stronger I would either take it down to 3 minutes or keep steeping for 5 minutes if you like a stronger taste.

Twinings Assam tea is available at most supermarkets for around £3.29 for 50 tea bags, but if you would just like to try one cup, you can buy a single envelope for £0.25 from the Twinings website here.

© Photography taken by and copyright to Elizabeth Mawson and 'Tea is Always a Good Idea'.

Twinings: Darjeeling

Since having an interest in teas and different varieties, a name I have often come across is 'Darjeeling'.
This is an Indian tea from a district in West Bengal, surprisingly enough called 'Darjeeling'. Today I tried it for the first time and wasn't disappointed.

Darjeeling tea has a wonderful golden colour, it almost mirrors the sunlight from where it is made. This blend is slightly different from other Indian teas, as it is made from a small leaved Chinese plant called Cameilla Sinensis.
The most common form of Darjeeling is black tea also but it also comes in the form of Darjeeling Oolong and Darjeeling green teas.
It is said to have it's delicate and fresh taste due to the high altitude where it is grown on the foothills of the Himalayas; tea started being planted in Darjeeling in the 1840's, all due to a civil surgeon called Dr. Campbell. He was reportedly moved to Darjeeling in 1839 where he planted some apparently stolen seeds; then other people followed. Soon, the British government created more tea nurseries and by the 1850's and 60's commercial development had begun and there were at least 4 gardens belonging to the Darjeeling tea Company.

When I tried Darjeeling, what surprised me most was that it was not completely unlike everyday normal tea. But then the more I drank it the more I tasted the roots from which it is grown; I could almost taste the smells of an indian bush, the dry grass and sandy plains - which was surprisingly pleasant. The flavour could also be described as slightly metallic. However, the taste is golden and delicate leaving a strong aftertaste which could almost be floral. As all of Twinings teas, this blend is smooth and very enjoyable, the envelope also describes a short story of the journey of the Darjeeling tea leaves, which is rather adorable to read.

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this tea, it was satisfyingly aromatic and warming, and would be a perfect way to end an evening meal if you want to avoid have a large amount of caffeine before bed.
Personally I would recommend it to anyone to try, as it isn't that far away from the traditional tea we are all used to.
I steeped my tea for 4 minutes and added a small splash of milk. The taste can be pungent so if you prefer weaker tasting teas I would recommend steeping for 3 minutes or less.

© Photography taken by and copyright to Elizabeth Mawson and 'Tea is Always a Good Idea'.

Twinings Delivery

So yesterday morning at 09:39am a knock came at my door from a 'DHL' delivery man, who presented me with a rather decent sized black box marked 'TWININGS' - my order had arrived 2 days earlier than expected! Although I knew this was going to happen because at 08:30am I'd received a very informative text saying that I would receive my order before 2pm.

I had placed an order for 4 different boxes, 8 'pick & mix' tea bags and a box of 12 assorted tea bags.
I quickly opened the box, excited to see what my mysterious 'assorted' box contained. I was very pleased that someone at Twinings had carefully made sure that in the box of 12 pick and mix tea bags, didn't contain any duplicates to the other 4 boxes and 8 assorted envelopes that I had chosen myself. Meaning I have a huge variety of tea to share with you!
Here is just a sample of what will be coming over the next few months:

Twinings: Everyday

Despite being a lover of many fruit and herbal infusions and assorted black and green teas I always seem to return to the traditional blend of 'Everyday Tea'. If I'm unsure how I'm feeling, or if I feel a little low, I don't tend to to turn to a fruit burst infusion tea; but the completely normal blend of black tea. The type that if you went into a tea shop and asked for a 'pot' this is what you would get.

Today I decided to try 'Twinings Everyday tea', it was a cool autumnal afternoon, and this was a perfect and relaxing accompaniment to a lazy day.

Twinings do a range of 'traditional' teas, including 'Everyday Tea', 'English Breakfast' and 'Traditional Afternoon'.
This particular blend is of course completely unique to 'Twinings'. It is a mixture of tea leaves from Yunnan in China, which where tea originated from some 2000 years ago,  along with Assam which is an African and Indonesian based tea.

This tea is branded 'rich and full bodied' - and it certainly is that; but somehow remarkably smooth.
There are very indulgent and rich traditional tea flavours, which are incredibly calming and relaxing. I don't think it would be possible not to enjoy this tea, it is beautifully natural, soothing and satisfying. Any tea lover would adore this blend and I would recommend it to anybody, if you like your tea strong the flavours are there and not compromised by the smooth and delicate finish. However, if you like your tea light and milky then this could easily be achieved by a short steep much like any other traditional black tea.

I like my everyday tea with plenty of flavour, so I steeped mine for around 5 minutes, I also added a splash of milk although that is completely up to you.

Twinings Everyday Tea can be bought in single packets from their website here for £0.25. Or packs of 40 can be bought for £1.50-£1.99 at most supermarkets - there are even packs of 240 available!

© Photography taken by and copyright to Elizabeth Mawson and 'Tea is Always a Good Idea'.

Twinings: The Earl Grey

To begin my tea tasting and reviewing I'm starting with one of my absolute favourite teas, the quintessentially British Earl Grey.

Twinings, have a very special and individual blend of Earl Grey, a black tea containing Bergamot & Lemon. All of Twinings blends are unique, but this particular one is one of their most popular. I can completely see why.

History

Earl Grey tea is named after Prime Minister Charles Grey; but no one is really sure where Earl Grey tea really came from.
One theory is that after visiting China, Lord Grey was given a blend of tea with bergamot oil. Bergamot orange is a fruit from a citrus tree which is mainly grown in Italy and flowers in the winter.
Legend says, that one of Lord Grey's men saved a Chinese mandarin's son from drowning; this mandarin later gave Lord Grey the gift of bergamot scented tea. Although, no one is sure how true this is, as apparently Lord Grey never actually visited China.

To quote the Twinings website:
"It all started with Richard Twining in 1831 when Prime Minister Charles Grey asked him to replicate a tea he'd been given. With one sip he loved it so much he put his name on it!! We love this story so much and are so proud of our ever growing range of Earl Grey."

However, Jackson's of Piccadilly claim that the recipe has never left their hands as Lord Grey gave the recipe to George Charlton, a partner at Robert Jackson & Co, and has been in production in China ever since.

Once I watched a documentary which contained an interview with the Grey family. They claim that the blend was developed by a Chinese mandarin specifically for Lord Grey, and made to suit the water at Howick Hall where he lived in Northumberland where there was a lot of lime in the water; and that's why bergamot was used - to try and counteract the taste. Then, Lady Grey had the tea served when she entertained in London, the tea was very popular and many people wanted to buy it from the Grey family for their own use, which is when Twinings began to market the tea.

So who knows which story is true, but personally I think that since Earl Charles Grey's signature is printed on every packet and box of Twinings Earl Grey tea, and this was said to be his favourite blend - I may be inclined to believe the Grey family's story.

Having tried other brands of Earl Grey, this has always been my favourite. Personally I like my teas with real flavour, so stronger than some people. Earl Grey can be a very subtle and weak tasting; however with this particular blend I tend to leave the teabag in the water for 4 minutes. This really lets out the flavour and you get a wonderful flowery and delicate taste and scent.
This tea isn't weak or watery at all, and I really enjoy it. Although there is a very floral backdrop to it, there is the traditional tea flavour that I'm used to. I like it both with or without milk - although most people's preference is with milk.

If you dislike floral tastes and blends in your tea I wouldn't recommend this, as that it's main flavour. But if you don't know, or are trying to branch out into a different type of tea then this would be a great place to start.

You can buy a single teabag sachet off the Twinings website here for £0.25.
Alternatively you can buy a box of 20 for £1.49 in most supermarkets.

© Photography taken by and copyright to Elizabeth Mawson and 'Tea is Always a Good Idea'.

Twinings Ordering:

Today, as my first 'official' day as a tea blogger, I decided that it would be a good idea to purchase some tea that I will be able to talk about.

Twinings is honestly my favourite brand of tea. I'm not against trying others but I imagine most teas that I try will be from Twinings.

Twinings can be bought in most supermarkets, however the ones that are easily accessible are generally their Green Teas, traditional flavours like Earl Grey and English breakfast, then some herbal and fruit blends like Lemon & Ginger and Strawberry & Raspberry. In my local Tesco, there is a decent range but nothing like the variety there is online.

So it is very likely that if you wish to purchase the more unusual types, you will have to buy online or visit the shop at 216, Strand, London.

See the website (which I love) here: www.twinings.co.uk

So here is a glimpse of what is to come:

So it begins...

As a lover of all types of tea, I decided that what I would really like to do is share my love of tea and try and encourage as many people as possible to try different varieties.
Over a year ago, I finally branched out from my traditional English Breakfast and PG tips 'Original', and tried Earl Grey, Lemon & Ginger and Peppermint teas from Twinings. I soon caught the bug, and now want to share my experiences with fellow tea lovers.
If you are unsure about the idea of flavoured teas, or if you are interested in straying from what your used to, but are a little nervous - I want to try and give you as much detail into what these teas are like so you know what to expect.
So, from Green tea to Jasmine Earl Grey I hope to inspire you to try all the tea I hope to talk about!

Wish me luck,
Lizzy.