In previous reviews, many have dubbed this as an "office tea" as it's readily available in offices, apparently. I don't work in an office, so I guess I wouldn't know. However, this tea is not available at any local supermarkets. My local Wal-mart does not sell this, nor does my McKinnon's. I actually had to acquire this tea from my Campus store at a price of $1.00 for an individual bag in order to try it.
I made the mistake of purchasing 4 of these, but more on that later!
So, I can't really say this tea is bad, nor can I say it tastes gross. I can't say that this tea tastes good, or that it tastes pleasant. I also cannot say that this tea tastes average or that it has a quickly forgettable flavor, as all these descriptions would imply it has a flavor to begin with. It does not have a flavor. Upon taking a sip of it, I'll toss it around on my tongue a bit to beg some sort of flavor from the tea, but to no avail. The most I can say is that its astounding lack of flavor has allowed me to notice it does have a smooth texture - one that coats the tongue and embraces it a bit. This texture is actually slightly pleasant, but It would be much more appreciated if it was paired with an actual flavor. It does have a VERY faint aftertaste that's a pinch of bitterness, while also being reminiscent of the communion wafers served in a church.
Its fragrance is equally lacking as its taste. However, this tea DOES have a smell. It isn't reminiscent of any fragrance typically connected to a tea (e.g. bitter, woody, fruity, sweet, floral...), but rather, it's just....a smell. It further bolsters my assumption that this tea is a random conglomeration of black teas compiled in a teabag, with no meaningful purpose applied to each tea other than it being what was chosen.
I brewed this tea by bringing filtered water to a boil in a stainless steel electric kettle and letting it steep for three minutes before disposing of the bag. I drink this tea with no milk and no sugar.
Perhaps this would serve as a good tea for experimenting around with adding certain spices and herbs to a black tea.
I know this review may seem harsh towards the tea, but it's imortant to note that it doesn't have a bad flavor. If it is the only black tea available, I will totally take a cup of this. Comparing it to a tea such as Tazo's Awake English blend (which is too bitter and acidic to my palette), I may choose this tea. However, I'd much rather prefer any of Twining's black teas to this. If you are new to tea and are not yet used to complex flavors or contrasting flavors, this may be a good tea to try a few times to get used to the taste. If you enjoy a very soft flavor, this may also be for you.
I'm not a good judge of the value of this tea as I foolishly paid a dollar for 4 teabags before actually trying the tea to make sure I actually liked it. If i were purchasing a 20ct. in a supermarket, however, it would be about $3.00 - less than twinings and tazo. As such, it does have a good value.
There are many teas out there I do not like. This is not one of them.
There are many teas out there I do like. This is also not one of them.

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