Sometimes you just want a basic black tea. Nothing fancy. No special scents or flavors, just the robust taste of black. This is a tea that does the trick for me.
I tried this tea on my trip to Whittard in Boston and immediately bought a package. (I was a bit disappointed that their tea is packaged in a cellophane bag in a cardboard box. As soon as I opened it I had to find a container large enough to store the remaining tea since the cellophane packaging seemed unsuitable for long term storage.
1886 Blend refers to the year that Whittard of Chelsea was founded. This was also the first year that Indian tea exports surpassed that of China. Thus, this blend of Assam and Keemun is supposed to reflect the combined interests in China tea and Indian tea at that time. It is graded as an FBOP (Flowery Broken Orange Pekoe) small leaf tea. Being a British blend, it is recommended that you brew it strong and drink with milk. (I have only had it black so far. I'll give in and try milk next time since it was blended specifically for it.)
Assam is a northeastern state in India. Assam tea is known for its bold and malty flavor and its strong, bright color. It is frequently used in "breakfast blends" such as English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast. Unlike Darjeelings and Nilgiri teas, Assam is grown in the lowlands (as opposed to the highlands).
Keemun is a Chinese black tea from the county of Qimenin in the Anhui province. Anhui province is in eastern China, just to west of the Jiangsu province (where Yixing pottery is produced. See 11/6 post.) Keemun tea is described as fruity but with a smoky flavor. Some ascribe chocolate undertones to this tea and an orchid scent. (As you can see, it is a complex tea.) One should note that there is a wide range of quality found in Keemun teas. The best are known as Keemun Mao Feng and Keemun Hao Ya.
Tea: 1886 Blend
Source: Whittard of Chelsea
Type: Black tea (Assam/Keemun)
Brewing details: 212 degrees for 5 minutes.
Comment: A nice breakfast tea. Great flavor. Not at all bitter.
Taken from http://teapages.blogspot.com/
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