Imagine if Lipton black tea were actually really good, how it should taste. This is that. 1894 is one of the original Murchie's teas from nearly 130 years ago, first blended by their founder in Victorian-era Vancouver. It's a simple, straightforward, unpretentious mix of good-quality Ceylon and Assam, with both the crisp sharpness of the former and the malty, muscular smoothness of the latter, quite well-balanced in smell and flavor from first sniff to aftertaste. No wonder this tea has stood the test of time.

My first impression was the clean, strong dry-bag aroma rising from the newly opened plastic wrapping of the 10-bag sampler pack. This was one of the best-smelling packages of pure black-tea bags I've sniffed. The flavor didn't quite live up to that, but still was very satisfying. I have high caffeine tolerance, but uncommonly noticed a little energy boost afterward; this blend could be on the upper rung of caffeine density.

My only reservation with 1894 is that it can turn uncomfortably bitter on a dime, and the time that takes isn't consistent (some bags were great after an 8-minute steep, but others started overly "bitterizing" after around 4). On average, I got good results pushing the envelope with 4-5 minutes, though, as I do like a dark tea offering a swift kick of flavor. It doesn't mess around, just delivers a solid black-tea experience with no pretensions.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.