Twinings has disappointed me time and again with their true teas and tea blends, so admittedly I tried their pure chamomile bag expecting it to both smell and taste old and weak. Much to my surprise, it was neither on either sense.

The dry bag was remarkably well-stuffed with chopped blossoms, offering an aroma of freshness uncommon to this brand in my experience. Steeped for 8–10 minutes (longer than the recommended four), it yields a rich, translucent, golden-brown brew with small but visible droplets of essential oil afloat. That's always a good sign. The in-cup and wet-bag aromas were among the richest few I've noted in a chamomile tea, as was the flavor. Chamomile—properly grown, prepared and packaged—should have a very specific taste and scent; this does.

Congratulations, Twinings. I've finally found a drink of yours that I can recommend without reservation or substantial caveat! That said, at least a a few less-expensive chamomiles exist in the U.S. that are similarly smooth and full-bodied, and that consumers could deem a better value than this import.

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