Metropolitan Tea Company

I admire all of you lovely tea drinkers who spin through your cupboard of selections like a ferris wheel each day! I’m unfortunately limiting my overall tea intake, so pretty much have one shot each day to enjoy a caffeinated cuppa. By the afternoon I’ve already worked out and just guzzle water. So yet again in order to share in the tasting note lounge section, I will rave about this tea. I almost broke out my Taylors of Harrogate Earl Grey used with china black leaves. However as soon as I broke open the tin and inhaled, it just didn’t sit right with me. So back to the standby I go.

Yesterday I started doing sprints in my cardio workouts and was amazed at the energy buzz I had that lasted through the night! Rivaled my caffeine intake, and even this morning I still felt a buzz and was hungry like a bear! I like this tea because I’ve figured out how to make it exactly the way I like it – robust, smooth, caffeinated, creamy, sugary, and just plane work-horsey for a breakfast-y blend. Would love to be a connoiseur of teas and be up on the latest hot blend of silver tips – but you know what? I’m just a really interesting gal who thinks a lot, and likes her small rotation of black teas (for now). As I’ve downed the last of my creamy brew I’ll end with this. What I appreciate about all of you is your willingness to share your uniqueness. Some of you like one thing, others like many different things, and some drink teas all day – however you all saveur whatever cuppa is in front of you in the moment – and that’s why we’re a tea community because we all have that in common. Big Hugs to All! :)

Drum roll please. I have in front of me my favorite breakfast blend with half/half & sugar, and a fresh glazed twisty donut. It’s my virtual Friday – we do a thing here where we get every other Friday off due to easing traffic congestion. Am I being bad with good stuff? Or am I being good with bad stuff? Either way the taste blend is INCREDIBLE! Bite of soft, gooey glazy twisty donut, slurp of creamy breakfast tea. Slurp of creamy breakfast tea, bite of soft, gooey, glazy twisty donut. What was that about work? Don’t bother me, I’m cheating. 80’s music softly rounding out the experience. I swear when I die, I will erect a donut shop bakery and a tea house in heaven right underneath my spiritual living quarters. This must be one of the main reasons why I reincarnated during this century. Came in too late to have to wear a dress all the time, but not too late to enjoy the pleasures of taking tea and facilitating Victorian-style spirit circles. Gotta love it! Om nom nom nom nom nom. :)

Experimented this week while at work with a couple scoops of the divinely Yorkshire Harrogate in a non-bleached tea bag and into the translucent glass teapot it went. The caffeine was there, yet the taste seemed hampered. Then the thought hit me – why am I using these bags? I know better! Just use my tea strainer and allow the leaves to unfurl loosely in the pot – let them stretch their leafy legs to full-reaching capacity and swanky charachter. Upon this morning’s tasting of doing just that – the flavor washed over my palette like a divine cleansing of the soul. Every tastebud utilized, every square inch of tongue real estate gathered together to partake in the joyful anointing of this trifecta breakfast blend plus cream and sugar immersion into blissful nirvana. Estate teas are like fine wines, and yet blended teas – are immensely depended upon for their consistent flavor. I savored my cuppa until the very last droplet of creamy coppery liquid had been consumed. My love affair with tea continues. ;)

My order of the Yorkshire Harrogate finally arrived! This morning is my first cup since that wonderful afternoon at the High Tea Cottage a couple of Friday’s ago. I would rate this as a nicely robust morning tea, although the highest caffeine bump I’ve received so far is by the Earl Grey himself from Taylors of Harrogate. Frankly I don’t feel like having my way with the Earl in the morning. ;)

Expect a nice bold English Breakfast flavor (finally what I had been searching for to replace my other gifted tea). Round out the blend with milk and sugar for a smooth start to your day. This tea holds up well to bold food flavors.

This tea is broken orange pekoe – a blend of Assam, Kenyan, and China black teas. I’m still trying to taste the Kenyan tea, I haven’t had a chance to try it on it’s own to see how it adds to the blend, but know instinctively it’s part of what makes up the tasty breakfast blend that I prefer. I can taste the china and assam quite evenly, so assume the kenyan has an equal or slightly lesser role to the blend. Overall the tea flavor rolls nicely across the tongue without any bitterness – provided your steep time is not overly long. I prefer 2 heaping teaspoons per 1 1/2 – 2 cups of boiling water. Steeping time on this was about 3-4 min, as I was eyeing the copper color and pulled out the tea the minute I noticed the color deepen to a dark coppery abyss. I’m upping my rating to a 100 as far as this English Breakfast blend is concerned for me personally. I’ve tried so many to great disappointment. Only to realize the unique blend I was searching for was china, kenyan, and assam. You would be surprised how many breakfast blends are all over the map with the blends of black tea they use. Just buying something that says “Breakfast Blend” is not a guarantee of anything anymore, and most packages will not specifically list what blend of black teas they use. So if you care about your breakfast blend that much, it pays to figure out exactly what about the blend appeals to your pallet and take note. Here’s to you wonderful tea drinkers, my relatable comrades. May our lives all be made richer in the exploring and sharing of all divine things tea. :)

Yes…finally. I have found a suitable replacement breakfast tea. A good friend and I visited our favorite tea house today and I had several cups of the Yorkshire Harrogate tea. It is strong, strong, strong. Beautiful with milk and sugar. Just the right breakfast blend I was looking for. The color is a nice deep copper, yet taste is not as astringent as earl grey. I like a breakfast tea to have enough bite that by the time I finish I don’t feel I’ll need another one to wake me up.

Well I needed a little something warm and caffeine free since I’ve been drinking blacks all day. Its snowing outside and is perfect tea weather. Unfortunately I did not like this at all- not the smell nor the taste..way to sweet and just not right on my tongue I guess. I was surprised so I opened up my only other rooibos sample (thank God) and the result was…YUCK! This one was worse than the caramel! I guess this girl ain’t doing anymore of those rooibos teas!!! Oh well u can’t blame a girl for trying.

Another high score for MTC! This is a very nice smooth black with some malty notes and a sort of oak like taste. It is very good, but yet another one I would only steep once.(I guess all my blacks have come to that)Definitely a competitor in my cupboard of new black teas! Yea!

Ahhhh the boldness and richness I need in my morning cup! A very light astringency that is knocked out with a lil milk. This tea blends not only assam, but also yunnan, kiambu and nilgiri teas. Very nice…very “wake ur a** up in a mug” tea. Looove it!

I’ve been living on this tea in the mornings now and it is stronger than I first thought. Maybe I’m putting more leaf in I dunno but it is a very strong yet still smooth black. It has replaced my Adagio’s golden spring for the last 5 days and yesterday I had some golden spring in the afternoon and it just didn’t seem up to snuff. Oh no this can’t happen because I have a HUGE 1lb. unopened bag of this from Adagio! Yikes! I hate when that happens. I’m just getting used to the strength and robustness of this Yorkshire Harrogate and I just can’t stop!! Well, there’s definitely been worse things in life I’ve been addicted to!:) I love how this tea wakes me up with one nice mugful too- gets me groovin in the morning…this is a good thing too because my gf gets up at 5 am for work and our dogs deem this a very good time to wake their other mommy up to feed them!! I’m one of those peeps too that once I’m awake in the am its very hard to get any more zzzz’s cuz my head just starts runnin at full speed and of course its first obsession is “Yay! It’s tea time again” Thank God for small pleasures.

Well more astonishing things have happened but I dont know, this tea just made it to be my second but equal #1 favorite daily morning top blacks I’ve ever had!! Its sooooo delicious! The brew comes out darker and stronger looking than it is in taste. It has none of that bite or bitterness you sometimes find in blacks. It is a medium robust mouthful that goes down so sensually and smooth. There’s a definite sweetness and lingering fruit taste that stays with you til your next sip. This one’s gonna be a hard one to top for me even by my beloved golden spring that Ive been drinking and loving daily for over a year now! WOAH Nelly! I know!! Who the hell is Nelly anyway? I can’t find anything wrong with this tea aside from the fact that I don’t grow it in my backyard, but my dogs would probably pee on it so that would not be cool. What can I say but I AM IN LOVE!

Wow! This tea just hit the spot. Another new one from Metropolitan Tea Co. and I love it!!! Nooooo astringency or bitterness at all! So nice and smooth -this tea might just give my fave Golden Spring a run for its money!! One of the best black teas Ive ever had…I put milk and sugar in it and it did the rest on its own. Ohhh my new love. FAB!

And the Queen can do no wrong! Nice medium bold, smooth tasting tea gives a nice round cup. I added milk and sugar to it and it’s even better. I drink all my blacks with milk and sugar and for me its the only way to go. Another good mixture of black teas from Sri Lanka, Kenya, and India…can’t go wrong. Great for a second mug in the morning to get my a** movin! Guess this means it time to do something like shower and get dressed and get on outta here! Ah, well, did it have to come so quickly? I can’t help but practically gulp down my black teas in the morning its like my body went thru withdrawal while I slept..well thats one thing I can be all too happy to indulge in. Til later steepsterites ;)

Mmmmm, yum. Haven’t had more of this tea in the last week until now….I forgot how good she is!! Hail to the Queen!!! Nice blend of blacks giving me my ideal malty and fruitful notes. Added a little milk and sugar and voila – Niiiice! Really delivers a wonderful tasty mugfull. I bumped my original rating up a bit to where it should be! :)

Very nice blend of black teas. This is my first time trying it and its a win! Next time I need to use a little more leaf so its a bit stronger but the taste is nice with a little sweetner and milk its gonna be another one of my morning wake me ups I have a feeling. Nice medium robustness and elegant in its own way too. Thanks AmyB! :)

A good black tea. The blueberry flavor is nice. It isn’t overpowering, but certainly present.

I’m not such a big fan of blending Ceylon, Assam, and Darjeeling teas. I feel it muddies the true signature too much of each. Or perhaps I’m just a big fan of Ceylon. This is a nice full-bodied black tea, however it’s a ways down on my list when it comes to my first morning cup grab, or a nice afternoon lift. I keep thinking if I add some other tea to the mix my feelings about this one might change, but fear that the inherent issue is with the actual blend itself. Who knows, maybe the blend may grow on me over time.

Mr. Grey wants to do something, he just doesn’t know what that is yet. Hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to make a statement, he perhaps might be waiting quite a while. His many personalities speak of a mysterious combination and hint towards more like something of confusion. Walk down this tea-laden path at your own financial peril. Once this gent is up, I won’t renew.

My dearest Peach Apricot, I love you so! We’ve been friends for several years now, and I still do not get tired of our brief moments spent together!

She holds up well on her own and likens herself to a medium-bodied lady. Able to wear many a different teapot, she beckons to be appreciated in only the finest of cups. She welcomes cream and sugar, only asking that she not be over-steeped as she tends to get very bitter about that. ;) A very understanding lady, she’s fine with your visiting other “friends” knowing that soon you will want to catch up with her again over a tasty sandwich or two.

Definitely not for purists of the Earl, this one gets the “Royal” pardon. A time-tested favorite mellowed to a creamy afternoon echo. While on the softer side, it still holds up pretty well. I would recommend brewing just a smidge longer, or using more than one heaping teaspoon per cup when brewing to punch up the strength. To me the cream guides this flavor more into the “dessert teas” even without any cream or sugar.

I was inspired by a local tea house here in LA to think about tea blending possibilities. I purchased this base raspberry flavored tea specifically for the purpose of blending with other teas. If I were to have this tea on it’s own it would be as brewed ice tea, however I have not yet tried it this way. This tea blended with straight Earl Grey black tea is AMAZING, and made even more of treat with milk and sugar added! Don’t be afraid to guide your time-trusted Earl in a whole new direction! :)

I created a tea blending matrix for my teas so that I could create new flavors based on my current stock. When blended with other teas, this one gets a ratings boost.

I first had this tea at the August Tea Room, and it made for a perfect pairing with lunch. Although since then I’ve had this tea at breakfast as well. No frills on this one, however it’s nice to have a medium-strong black tea from China every once in a while to keep my tastebuds guessing. This one is more robust than the Nine Bend Black Dragon and can turn bitter if steeped for too long. Milk and sugar bring punch up the flavor nicely.

A truly mysterious blend of flavors, and richly comforting at the same time. This is a medium-bodied tea that beckons reflection and dare I say a smidge of solitude. While not yet tempted to enter a deep meditation with this flavorful tea, it deserves the attention of one who is not in a rush for their caffeine fix. Any time of day is the right time for this tea.

This is a beautifully delicate black tea that is right in the pocket for an afternoon lift. Flavors come to the for with a little milk and sugar to round out the notes. Flavors are not over-powering and this tea could sit well on it’s own without food. Jasmine takes my expectation for this tea in a dlightful new direction then what I usually like to drink.

One of my favorites, and a morning standard. This tea has a medium robustness to it. Steeped a little longer than 5 minutes and it might just pass for a semi-strong morning tea. It’s a beautiful blend of black teas that taste delightfully classy and refined. Can hold up to medium types of sweet and savory dishes without getting lost in the strong flavors of the food. Can turn bitter if steeped to long, timing is crucial. Although not needed, this tea gets an aesthetic boost when nurtured in a beautiful cup.