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Brand advice: substitute for Twinings Prince of Wales/China Black

I've drunk Twinings Prince of Wales (and China Black when it was available in the US in tins) for years and am very fond of the "woody" flavor. I also like the fact that I can make quite a strong cup of tea using these blends without finding it bitter. Twinings describes Prince of Wales as "a bright liquoring tea with Keemun character with a hint of Oolong" and China Black as "mellow in flavor with the distinctive aroma of fine Keemun teas."

However, sourcing Twinings is a bit of an issue, and anyway it is past time to broaden my horizons. Would anyone care to suggest teas that may be of similar types and flavors from other sources (especially those widely distributed in the US)?

By the way, my locale is near Cincinnati, Ohio, which is not exactly a prime area for exotic brands. So widely-distributed brands are much preferred.

Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Bill Heck

Reply to
Bill Heck
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Cincinnati is big enough to have at least one Chinese grocery store, isn't it? If so, you can probably find a Chinese black tea you'll like as well as Twinings POW there, likely for less money. Words to look for: Keemun, Congou. Bitterness isn't something you'd worry about with teas like those.

/Lew

Reply to
Lewis Perin

Bill:

I don't know, anything about Ohio,sorry. I am a big fan for Twing's Prince of wales(POW). I use POW as a blend tea. You can try Keemun China Black Grade #1132 or # 1143. I even don't know if this grade will be avilable around there. But Grade #1132 can give you almost the same taste of Twining's POW. Grade # 1143 is not bad at all.

Ripon (Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Reply to
Ripon

Bill, Have you tried Jungle Jim's in Fairfield? He has a very large variety of teas. A tea aficionado in Cincinnati. Rusty

Reply to
Skywise fahr 2

Bill Heck wrote in news:burot6$a9i$ snipped-for-privacy@tribune.oar.net:

I got some "Keemun Panda China" from

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They also have a couple of Assams I like very much. I can get all of these pretty strong without bitterness. I'm still reeling from a dose of the Keemun.

I can't honestly say much about their quality or value, though, since I'm guilty of not having shopped much beyond them. I've enjoyed the tea I've bought from them, but I need to buy from other places in order to compare.

By the way, these particular teas are loose leaf, which may not be, well, your cup of tea.

Reply to
fLameDogg

Hi Bill,

Try a standard Keemun OP (often called Keemun Conguo / Gongfu) or, if you like a smoother cup, try "Finest Keemun" (often with a special remark as "Chuen Cha" or sth.). Personally, I prefer the standard Keemun OP. Never noticed big differences between a decent Keemun and POW, by the way (mostly, I found a Keemun more nicely, with more nuances of flavour, some nice edges which I don't want to miss, and more of this light sweetness of course). A cup of Keemun after Dinner without or sometimes with very little milk, is really a nice thing.

BTW I love to blend a standard Keemun OP with a FTGFOP1 Assam (approx.

3 Asam : 1 Keemun) for my Breakfast Tea (served with a splash of fresh milk).

Dieter

Reply to
Dieter Folz

Dieter:

Good choice. Harney & Sons famous "Supreme Breakfast blend" is also Keemun Hao Ya B and Tippy Assam. After having that, I am making my own version of it- Keemun Hao Ya A + Assam FTGFOP + a little touch of Bangladeshi BOP( I want it a little strong). Wonderful breakfast blend with milk.

Ripon (Dhaka, Bangladesh)

Reply to
Ripon

Thanks to all who replied...the replies contain very helpful advice.

For those familiar with the Cincinnati area: yes, Jungle Jim's is a good choice. My problem was that they have a little *too* much selection, and I had no idea which choices I might like. But the pointers in various replies are clear enough to give me some direction in finding exactly what I want.

Thanks again, everyone!

Reply to
Bill Heck

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