Well, this is strange but I decided to have a look and see if this blog was still online and of course it is - not only that but I can also still edit it! Excellent. Well, it's been four years since I posted here and four/five since the others did, it would be great if we could get it going again but for now I'll post about my tea-related activities nowadays.
For a start I'm living in Chester, which up until when the recession put them out of business (very tragic) had a Whittard shop right in the middle of it - though shamefully I never visited enough. I call Chester home now, and have a good collection of mugs in my kitchen (it's not mine really, I rent from a friend but hey) to drink from including my vintage 2003 Van Mildert (the Durham college attended by all members of the team) favourite and an Ashley Giles 'King of Spain' one bought from Warwickshire CCC online after the 2005 Ashes win. Others include my Durham Students Union one, one made to look like a Welsh dragon (from Cardiff), another England cricket one, a couple of Chester-bought/gifted mugs, one from Spain and latterly (this Easter) a Cadbury Creme Egg mug! Anyway, needless to say I continue to drink masses of tea and I love it so. I was on the normal stuff alone for ages, but returned to speciality teas recently and have just bought a box of Twinings Pure Peppermint, which is astonishingly good. I will be drinking much more of this in the near future.
Well, that'll do for now I think. What next for the team?
Well, in the time since Saturday, being two and a half days, I have tried all foru of the infusions blends in the box. The other three are:
- Cranberry, raspberry and elderflower: The raspberry is the strongest taste, but not the only one to stand out. A really soothing cup, fully recommended!
- Raspberry and echinacea: Less variety, but no less of a good taste. Not really sure what echinacea is, but it's definitely good in tea!
- Camomile and Limeflower: Very different to the others, and the most rejuvenating of the four. A friend of mine said he didn't like this one, but I place it in the "amazingly refreshing" category occupied by such flavours as peppermint, peppermint and liqourice, and mint.
In summary, this collection of infusions has been a revelation in my tea drinking experience. I have tasted new combinations of flvaours that I really thought weren't possible. So if you're concerned about experimenting too much with your flavours, as Dave found out in an earlier post with the yoghurt experiment (!), don't be. It can really open your eyes to new kinds of tea!
An absolutely inspiring cup of tea yesterday made me rush right back here at the first opportunity and tell those who haven't experienced it about the wonderful taste of Twinings Blackcurrant, Ginseng and Vanilla flavoured infusion!
I bought this yesterday as part of a box of 20 Twinings Infusions from Tesco. What a combination! With every sip you get a different taste coming through, for me it started with a strong taste of blackcurrant, then the ginseng, then the vanilla. Throughout my enjoyment of this cup the tastes varied, sometimes merging together and sometimes standing out from each other. It was really enjoyable and I implore you to try it at the next opportunity.
There are three other blends in the pack, next time I will tell you about one of them: Cranberry, Raspberry and Elderflower!
I'm still hoping to keep this going. I'm sure the various members of the team have been drinkin lots of lovely teas since they last contributed here, especially Hannah who has been globetrotting a lot this year - I think she's still in Africa. I have been drinking my East African fairtrade stuff of late, but had a few cups of peppermint tea in various places. There's a cafe just over the road from me which serves really ncie hot chocolate, but I haven't been in to inspect the tea(s) yet. Must do that sometime.
Anyway, that's an update from me. I'll badger the other guys!
Myself and Dave met up this weekend for the first time since leaving Durham, and I also saw Matt and heather. We decided the best idea for meeting up was clearly to go for some tea and chocolate cake at Vennels in Durham, so we did just that. Tea holds society together and allows good friends to catch up at small expense, hurrah. I told Dave to post here more so watch this space...
Hello again, it's been a while, and a warm welcome to Lizzie on the blog. :)
I just thought I'd tell you about the wonderful taste of peppermint and liquorice tea, yes, that's the two flavours together in one cup! When I went home over the holidays I stopped over in Edinburgh to meet my dad and sister, and went for a tea in Deacon Brodie's cafe on the Royal Mile. I love Edinburgh and that cafe is my favourite, though you really are spoilt for choice in Edinburgh, particularly on the Royal Mile! So I tried said tea, and it really was a wonderul experience. If you see it anywhere, give it a go - you will not regret it. :)
My "normal" tea at the moment is a fairtrade blend of Indian teas, tastes very much like "normal" tea obviously, but is softer and very, very nice. I got it from Wesley Owens Christian bookstore in Dundee.
Well, this is my first time creating a post as a member of this blog. How exciting!
I just wondered if anybody had received any new types of tea as a present for Christmas? Not that I did, but I did get my brother, Dave, some Vanilla China tea. It is black china tea which is flavoured with vanilla. The verdict from both Dave and myself is that it is remarkably nice. It is the smell which really 'makes' the tea - it has a wonderful aroma, (similar to white hot chocolate) especially as the water is poured in to start the brewing process. Best drunk with a little milk (and of course no sugar) it is well worth investing in.
That's all for now but I shall be back with more tea reviews at some point.
