Tetley Tea Bag

You can never say “no” to a good Tetley tea!

Hmm really rather disappointing for me. Certainly a popular tea here in the UK, but me thinks they are somewhat relying on good marketing etc because, for me at least, the tea leaves quite a lot to be desired. Not enough Assam in there for my liking. Think im going to stick with my Kenya and Assam blend in Punjana. Yet to be beaten!

Black in a hot pot. Smells kind of like a sweet garden; I don’t know, it’s 2 in the morning. Accidentally got locked out of my room and when I got back in it was still warm but nasty-tasting. Oh well.

Average. Not offensive – not memorable. Mildly astringent without much else going on. Workplace tea – Tetley’s is to tea, what the Blue Riband biscuit is to confectionary – a very minor pleasure.

Here’s the thing you have to understand about Tetley: you are not buying this tea to get a gourmet experience. But, like PG Tips, Barry’s, or Red Rose, builder’s teas hold a special place in my heart. They are my comfort tea in the mornings, and a lovely staple basic in my tea’s closet. At the moment, Tetley’s Premium Blend is my go-to cuppa, and I drink it with half & half and sugar — I can’t imagine drinking it without, and imagine it’d otherwise be much too acidic for my tastes. What’s your morning cup?

Normal everyday tea with a dash of milk and teaspoon of honey.

A decent, cheap black tea. I normally don’t drink this one on its own, but add it to the cup when re-steeping a flavored tea. Tastes great combined with strong fruit teas.

Uhm, what can you really say about the steadfast standard brew that greets you every morning before you don your armour for the battle that is the coming day.

The drink that we stop at the wee service station in the bitter cold because R. needs a ‘hug in a cup’.

That charming mug that lets you sit down, have a moment, a breath before regrouping.

I am from a land of sunshine and coffee. We worship at the altar of Starbucks and have more flavors of coffee in our grocery stores then Britians have even dreamt existed (and don’t get me started on the amazing creamer flavors — like we could replace all food and drink with creamers in their flavor).

Despite all that I moved abroad, met a Yorkshire man who taught me how to make a proper cup. I am a changed tea-fairy, and all but the coffee flavored candies have seen my back turned to them. I am sorry coffee, where you are a sweet bitchslap to the face every morning, tea is that ‘hug in a cup’ …and we all know which I’d choose. ;)

We went to the Perkins at the location of our honeymoon and got a tea basket. Went to the one back home, and all they had was Tetley black, though it wasn’t in the round bag described above, but a regular tea bag. Tasted decent with a packet of Splenda, but I don’t care for unflavored black. Maybe I’d like a full leaf one?

Daily, I cart three to four steeped travel tea mugs full of tea wherever I go. Yesterday, I had a full day meditation thing and as usual, I brought my tea.

When we have tea breaks, my meditation place sets out three or four big teapots of various bagged teas for the meditators.

Usually, the pot of black tea is Red Rose, but yesterday, it was Tetley black which to me tastes pretty much like Red Rose. I poured myself a cup and added a hefty glug of milk.

Despite being a tea snob, at meditation days, this and Red Rose taste like ambrosia. I carted my travel containers home, full as they were when I arrived.

I’ll just go with that.