Could someone help with specific recommendations for a serious tea lover (my Mom)?

For everybox of YorkShire Gold I recommend Bewleys Clipper Gold. If there is a Indian or Arabic store nearby go back to the source and buy some BrookeBond, Lipton, Tata. I know the perfect present. Liptons Darjeeling Connoisseur in the 500g green tin or Campbells Perfect tea in the 500g yellow tin. Make sure whatever you get comes in a tin. Besides the English and Irish blends there is also Scottish.

Jim

I'm not sure Brooke Bond, Lipton, and Tata qualify as "fine quality".

But Darjeeling is kind of remote from the English Breakfast taste spectrum.

/Lew

You think English blends are the 'finest' Indian, Ceylon, African?

Jim

...ho ho ho...>

Did I say that? I think not. I don't have enough experience with English blends to have a useful opinion on which, if any, are good.

The original poster asked for "fine quality", so I warned him about the mundane Indian bulk brands you mentioned.

/Lew

Not being a tea snob, but I don't really know what or if a high-end English blend would be. They are almost all blends by nature, contain fairly mundane original leaf, and usually broken bits to infuse faster and fuller. I'm not knocking them, just by definition I find it hard to easily spot or recommend a top of the line option.

There are slight flavor differences but none seem "better" than another just different notes that one might subjectively like or dislike. When all the cream/sugar is then added only the strongest notes push through anyhow. I fully admit it isn't my forte but I have a decent palate and I've tried quite a few.

I'd love for someone to expound on the nuances though, it would be interesting.

- Dominic

Youre not familiar with the taste of British blends so how could you know what is 'finer' of the two.

Jim

I think you're setting up a false choice here. The original poster was trying to do something nice for his mother by giving her high quality tea. After you recommended commodity grade Indian teas, I suggested that he could do better than that.

While I don't have much experience with English Breakfast-style blends, I would be surprised if the market didn't support some high-quality tea in this genre. I was hoping someone would name one or more of these.

Failing that, I do remember reading that English Breakfast originally meant a blend that was mainly Keemun. It's pretty easy to find Keemun that's vastly better than, say, Lipton Yellow Label.

/Lew

All British blends are basically the same price point. The taste gets lost with cream and sugar. Since you dont know anything about English blends why do you think Indian teas are mundane?

Jim

Not really. Try visiting a fancy food store in a big city in the USA. I would bet the spread's even wider in the UK, but I don't know that for a fact.

I think *some* Indian teas are mundane.

/Lew

I've lived in the UK twice in the past three decades, and traveled there about monthly for years until 9/11 made it too annoying. I now go only every couple of years. There has been a remarkable change in tea retailing in that time.

Through the mid-'90s, the balance of tea to coffee in major national stores like Tesco and Sainsbury was inverse to the US: a few shelves of coffee (mostly pretty good European stuff pre-ground in vacuum packs), and perhaps 30-40 running feet of tea. IIRC, a modest majority of the tea was loose. Mostly "workingman's" blends like PG Tips and Typhoo, with a little Earl Grey and Darjeeling, a very small amount of specialty stuff, and a fair range of herbals.

The last few times I've been over, coffee had expanded greatly, and loose tea had become almost unavailable. I had to try about six large markets to find eight bags of Yorkshire Gold; thought I'd have to settle for Whittard's at the airport. Disappointing. (Frank Cooper's lemon/lime preserves at 99 pence somewhat compensates.)

I hope the "slow food" movement restores leaf tea. Alternatively, I hope people start dumping their heirloom Brown Betty pots, as serious ones are not to be had even in the antiques markets.

BTW, I haven't found much attractive in fancy High Street tea retail shops. Certainly nothing very interesting. And buying in Saturday markets from little old folks in their ancient stalls is gratifying, but tea shelved in big open jars in British humidity goes off pretty quickly. At least sun damage is rarely an issue. And bulletproof monsters like double-smoked Lapsang Souchong hold up well.

-DM

You dont know what commercial British blends cost and you dont know what Indian teas are mundane.

Jim

Hi kevin,

There are superb good supermarket brands and there are are superb connoisseur brands. If your mom likes Yokshire Gold and Glenn Getty, then my guess is that she prefers strong tea over aromatic ones, and will probably do well with 'punchy' tea with a real good kick.

There are many supermarket brands, as Jim has recommended, you can pick your selection from there. Lipton has done well in continental Europe and the US, but not in the UK still...they are trying they are trying...

These are some snobby ones I'll recommend in addition to the ones other posters have recommended:

Harrods No. 14 - a blend of Indian, Ceylon & Kenyan tea. Good kick...

Fortnum & Mason's Royal Blend - blend of Indian & Ceylon...good nuances, not that punchy though...

Ringtons - they started out as tea peddlars! I like their Oriental blend when I need something not demanding, but their gift box is impressive...

I like Bewley's irish Afternoon Tea, but I hesitate to put them in a basket meant for a gift. Still, it doesn't hurt to place one among the flashy big boys...

Whittard - Breakfast Blend - Indian, Ceylon, Kenyan blend...though I find it not strong enough, I prefer the 1886 blend, which has keemun in it for nuance...

Drury - haven't tried their teas yet...

Fauchon - french company, I like their Le Siva blend (no. 43) which has darjeeling in it to give it some coyness, but the Morning blend (no. 36) is just for a nice balanced nudge...

kelmo http://www,fauchon.com

Interesting points.

Tell us how much commercial British blends costs and are they all basically the same price point? Hate to think that a Harrod's English Blend is several pences difference from Tetley's...

What indian teas are mundane? Tell us too, so we can avoid treading in the same dead tarn...

Thanks in advance!

kelmo

All good stuff, I even learned of some new ones myself from your post. I had posed the question earlier about what exactly makes the difference since they tend to all use the same blends to some degree, and I appreciate your descriptions but I'd love to know more. Is it a distinction between malty, strong/punch, and smooth? Those are about all I could ever discern in my experience, with maybe one or two that had some unique flavor or other special quality.

I am somewhat ignorant to the individual Ceylons, Kenyans, etc. but to me beyond grade I never find that each individual component tea is much different. Again, I admit I could be totally wrong. It just seems logical and from my experience that due to the fermentation and processing there is much less variation and subtlety within each category.

You've already posted a long response so no worries if you don't feel like answering or if it is brief.

- Dominic

I already said how much British blends cost at discount. I didnt say Indian teas were mundane.

Jim

Hi Jim,

My apologies. I should have read closely all the threads. So, at about $5/125g for nearly all the selections you mention, that's quite a shocker, considering that these teas mostly cost more in the UK! If Kevin goes in for quantity this would be a good suggestion...

You certainly did not say Indian teas were mundane, I think that phrase was mentioned first by Dominic and picked up by Lew. But looking on the flip side, your reply that "[the poster] don't know what Indian teas are mundane" hints that you do know what Indian teas are mundane...sorry if I misread the hint between the lines, but reading on the amount of commercial blends you have tried, it would be good to find out more from an avid drinker of these brands. I used to enjoy a Lipton blend called 'Jaipur' - pekoe blended with orange rind, mild and citrusy, a real good pick-me-up in the morning, but my family thinks it is bland, I think to them that would categorised as 'mundane'. How would you classify 'mundane'?

Do you think these mundane teas are produced by well known estates or small operators? What indicators should we look out for in terms of the appearance of dry leaves and brewed tea? Or are mundane teas a product of poor blending? Any brands we should look out for?

Thanks in advance!

kelmo

It> I already said how much British blends cost at discount.  I didnt say

Hi Kevin,

As one non-expert to another, I'm happy to see you self-proclaiming yourself thus. Become an expert, and it's over.That's my humble opinion. And now, on to your question and your Mom:

I share her liking for English blends and her dislike for Earl Grey. Now: If she likes English blends, how about getting together a small collection of tins of closely related blends such as Freisian (sp?), Irish, English, Scottish? An American company called Grace Teas has an office here in New York City. A few years ago I stopped by and had a nice chat with the manager there. They do have fine quality. They try to make sure that their teas are consistent year to year so that their customers will know what to expect. I suggest looking into them as well as into the usual tin producers in England.

The nice thing about this is that each blend differs somewhat in the amount of Indian, Chinese, and probably African teas it contains. The Chinese tea addition will often add a sweetness, the Indian (Assam most likely) will add a maltiness, and Ceylon will add a brightness. It will be interesting to try the different blends and see which one suites her best.

By the way, I see a "quality" discussion has ensued, not to be confused with a quality discussion. Pay no attention. Taste is a decision for your (and your Mom's) mouth to make. You can use that line if you like.

Best, and let us know how it turns out.

Michael