Pluckley Tea

I’m going to be doing a bunch of possibly pointless, definitely uninteresting to anyone but me, notes about straight-up strong black Irish/English blends. No ratings for the time being, but at some point.

This — I find confounding (though it’s not alone, as everything about this applies to a couple of Bewley’s teas that aren’t in the database yet). I don’t get a loose leaf tea that’s – as far as my understanding goes – made to be a perfect teabag tea. This is tiny CTC tea – possibly the tiniest bits I’ve come across, and the only way I can make a decent cup of tea is to put it in a teabag. Otherwise, too much dust and you can’t strain it well, and it gets bitter & overly astringent in a flash. So I’m getting a very high quality teabag, by filling one of the huge ones – plenty of room for leaves to move – but I’d rather get a loose-leaf tea when I buy a loose-leaf tea! Taste is good if not mind-blowing, and it is nice and strong.

First to note is that I’m drinking from the tea bags and not the loose leaf, however I do think it’s worth reviewing it in bag form. This tea is quite simply marvellous. It might not be as fine tasting as a more expensive tea such as teapigs, or wearetea.com, but is certainly a measure above other teas in this price bracket. It is strong and malty, with a rich aftertaste and a very pleasant sensation post-drinking.

Be careful not to stew though. It can be too bitter when stewed.

ctc tea. mix of assam/kenya black tea.
best in the world IMHO.
very smooth, no tannine. strong, comforting cuppa.

cannot be without. buy per 500gr/1 kg.
order next batch when less than 150 gr. left in my home.

no 1. on my take-with-me-on-a-desert-island list!

An excellent black tea. A lovely blend of Assam and Kenya tea. It has a very smooth taste. Very pleasant as a breakfast tea.