English Teatime
This page is for the caffeinated version. See also English Teatime Decaffeinated.
13
Percentile
11 ratings |
|
Commercial Description
Typically English, rich in flavor, and appropriate for any tea drinking occasion.
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Ratings & Reviews
Page 1 2 of 2 pages with 11 reviews
40 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 2/5Difflugia (170 reviews) on Jun. 15th, 2018
The aroma is faint, but malty. The tea tastes thin and a bit cooked. Not offensive, just not much going on. If I take a big sip, there's a warm bitterness on the sides of the tongue that's nice.
As the tea cools down, it's more astringent and bitter than before. I'm trying to taste what might be in the blend and it tastes like a straight Ceylon. It's even mild for a Ceylon, though, so it's pretty unsatisfying.
I'm guessing that this tea is the base for Bigelow's many flavored black teas. This gives them a single, inoffensive and unassuming starting blend that won't detract from the added flavors.
There are less expensive teas that are better. If you're specifically looking for something this mild, Tetley and Red Rose taste similar and are half the price.
61 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5Tchuggin' Okie (398 reviews) on Mar. 24th, 2018
Trying this tea 24 hours after "English Breakfast" and under nearly identical circumstances, I had a hard time telling the difference between the two. This one left less of an aftertaste (strength, and for sure duration) but was a little more bitter. Since the aftertaste of the other tea wasn't bad, the "more bitter" part wins out, to the slight relative detriment of the overall rating.
Otherwise, they have much in common: weak aroma, tolerable to good flavor but nothing out of the ordinary. I wasn't particularly impressed nor repulsed by either; they're just...there. Similarly, I won't be going out of my way to purchase this offering without radical re-inventive improvements. One can find substantially better plain black teas, even in bags and at similar to slightly higher prices. [Though I got this tea in a hotel, I've seen it sold in several major grocery chains.] It's quite easy to find worse bagged black teas too!
40 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 3/5Joey (4 reviews) on Mar. 30th, 2017
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.
60 Aroma: 4/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5Mariko (58 reviews) on Nov. 14th, 2014
Better than other black teas of the same price bracket, with a richer and more complex flavor. I haven't experienced the same issue with bitterness at the bottom of the cup that others have reported.
73 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 4/5Sylvia (215 reviews) on May. 26th, 2014
I like this tea. It's strong, rich, and not too bitter. I added cream and sugar.
60 Aroma: 6/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 3/5Kelsey (142 reviews) on Nov. 10th, 2013
This is one of those teas that I get for free at my office, so I can't complain about the price! There isn't much outstanding in its flavor or smell, so it's pretty basic. I think this tea is a decent bagged black tea, and don't mind having it provided for me.
33 Aroma: 3/10 Flavor: 3/5 Value: 1/5geologyguy (108 reviews) on Sep. 6th, 2013
very little smell or taste, just of black tea...so light that there is nothing to rate...not bad per-se but just nothingness (update-double strength: slightly bitter that increases with depth...Alex was right! lol)
40 Aroma: 5/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 1/5spaflam (179 reviews) on May. 16th, 2013
Blah. "Office Tea" - I used to get this in an old law firm I works at who stocked a variety of Bigelow Teas. Blah. Not awful but not good either. Mediocre black tea that steeps-up dark and fairly fast. As others have said, this one is bitter at the end. Tastes ok at first - but bitter aftertaste,
40 Aroma: 2/10 Flavor: 2/5 Value: 4/5Kuppa (15 reviews) on Feb. 24th, 2012
Aroma is vague, flat, stale, cardboard.
Flavor is thin, even with two teabags; if steeped longer it's bolder, but then it comes along with this firm bitterness that Alex described. Not really pleasant, but a good pick-me-up.
Value: I've never bought this tea, another freebie from the office. I suppose that means it's a five; but given that it's unpleasant, I'll knock that down a bit.
Overall: I won't spend money on this, and even if it's available for free, I'll take Lipton first. Lipton is bolder and less bitter, but suffers from the same flatness. Bigelow ET seems stale, which is strange, given that this comes individually wrapped in plastic and foil while Lipton is in paper. My memories of Bigelow's other black teas are decidedly better.
80 Aroma: 7/10 Flavor: 4/5 Value: 5/5Mrs. Hall (4 reviews) on Mar. 9th, 2010
A pretty decent black tea.
Page 1 2 of 2 pages with 11 reviews
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