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I had a feeling that I wanted straight, unadulterated tea this morning. So I rooted through the glorious Golden Moon sampler and came out with this French Breakfast. From what the packaging says, it’s an estate Ceylon, which I found quite interesting. I like Ceylon, but I usually think it’s better suited for blending instead of as a stand-alone.

The dry leaves smell like… black tea. That earthy aroma that just screams “default!” to me. They’re fairly small and wiry, so if you’re expecting a show in your teapot, don’t put this one in. This one brews up to be a very pretty red/copper color, quite typical of the Ceylon varietal but still very yummy looking. I can detect a slight sweetness in the smell, but other than that, it smells like… Ceylon. As do the wet leaves.

I have a fairly difficult time describing Ceylon. The word I usually use is “smooth.” I think if you want to start someone out on black teas and don’t know where to begin, Ceylon would be an excellent choice. It’s familiar, in that it tastes like a WAY higher quality Lipton (and I’m pretty sure their normal teabags are Ceylon dust/fannings). It’s pretty much a baseline tea. As a result, I’m never completely blown away by it – it’s not surprising, but it is comfortingly familiar. Like that old sweater you don’t wear as often, but still keep around just because on cold winter days it feels good to snuggle down with.

I actually found that when I stopped sipping the tea and went off to do something else, the flavor actually subtly expanded to include that elusive honey-like note Golden Moon describes in their tasting notes. It’s a sweetness that doesn’t usually come out particularly strong in black teas, so that was a welcome surprise.

Something like this French Breakfast would be a great daily drinker. While I definitely prefer something with a bit more complexity and oomph to it, this one is smooth and entirely sippable.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
Auggy

“That earthy aroma that just screams “default!” to me”
That cracked me up. <3

Cofftea

Makes me want a crepe.:)

sophistre

This almost perfectly describes my last few days. I’ve needed black tea to get by, but with most of my current black teas being rather standard fare, there are only so many ways I can describe similar flavors with different variations in strength for each note!

Rex Barrett

I like smooth and sippable, but have been in the mood for complex and dark lately. Maybe it’s the unusually cold weather we’re having. :)

Ricky

Haha, see! It was a very standard cup of tea. Nothing compares to GM’s English Breakfast for complexity. I mean a mixture of four different kinds of tea!?!

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Auggy

“That earthy aroma that just screams “default!” to me”
That cracked me up. <3

Cofftea

Makes me want a crepe.:)

sophistre

This almost perfectly describes my last few days. I’ve needed black tea to get by, but with most of my current black teas being rather standard fare, there are only so many ways I can describe similar flavors with different variations in strength for each note!

Rex Barrett

I like smooth and sippable, but have been in the mood for complex and dark lately. Maybe it’s the unusually cold weather we’re having. :)

Ricky

Haha, see! It was a very standard cup of tea. Nothing compares to GM’s English Breakfast for complexity. I mean a mixture of four different kinds of tea!?!

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28-year-old NYC girl just starting out on her tea adventures! I used to hate tea. If you asked me a few years ago what I thought of tea, I’d tell you it tasted like hot, dirty dishwater. Not anymore! I acquired a taste for tea when I started drinking peppermint tea for my upset stomach problems. From there I graduated to teas like chamomile and Lipton. But Lipton wasn’t strong enough!

I’m getting the hang of this loose leaf thing. Black’s my default, but I’ve found that I really love teas that fall into every category. I’m a purist – I always drink my tea neat. I prefer unflavored tea over flavored tea, and really dislike anything flavored with artificial-tasting substances. I’ve grown up a bit in my tea drinking, and I find that novelty appeals to me less and less.

I also am the happy wife of the boy that created the tea randomizer, which can be found here: http://www.jaydeee.net/pickatea.php

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New York City

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