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Tea Reviews

Entries in Twinings (11)

Thursday
May132010

Twinings Lemon Scented Tea - Smells Just Like the Citrus

Twinings Lemon Scented TeaDax: So Twining's has Lemon Twist tea, and Lemon Scented Tea; could have fooled me. Twining's tea reviews bring a bold black tea into the family, and Twining's Lemon Scented tea fulfills the tradition. My question was this. What the fudge is lemon scented tea anyway? Is it a wolf in sheep's clothing? Is it the newest fake-designer home fragrance from Glade? No, it is just another name given to Twining's Lemon tea. The Lemon Twist was more of an herbal tea, and this guy is flavored black tea in all its glory. Twining's does it right once again with a crispiness only surpassed by the homeostasis achieved in lemon and black tea.

Rating: A

Mike: I'm not sure what the difference between lemon scented tea and lemon flavored tea is but I have a theory. Envision the preparation of your beverage. The level III tea masters over there at the Twinings tea factory kilning up a storm, little elves and gnomes bringing bushels of freshly picked tea into the facility, a little leprechaun on a see-saw adding flavor to a giant batch of tea leaves. Now, if you can see the leprechaun squeezing a lemon over this tub of tea, then you have lemon tea or lemon flavored tea. However, if you see the leprechaun dropping Lemonhead candy instead and waiting for it to dissolve, then you have Twinings Lemon Scented tea. Overall, it's quite good but it tastes like unsweetened Lemonheads. Excellent daily drinker.

Rating: B+

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Thursday
Apr082010

Twinings Lemon Twist Herbal Tea - Somebody Got It Right

Twinings Lemon Twist Herbal TeaMike: As our faithful readers know by now, Dax was in Argentina and the Dominican Republic on a teasan excursion. What he brought back was some unique Twinings Tea that I have never seen in the states. One of these is Twinings Lemon Twist herbal tea. Let me tell you that we're really missing out because even the herbal tea blends are better than they are here.
Faithful readers also know that herbal tea has been a struggle over here. They're usually some sweet, rosehip hibiscus mess with no character but that's not the case with Twinings Lemon Twist. This tea has just the right mix of these ingredients: 18.7% lemon grass, and 18.7% lemon peel along with other herbs to give it the glorious glow necessary to really be by appointment to her majesty Queen Elizabeth II as the packaging says. If you find it, buy it.

Rating: A+

Dax: Twining's Lemon Twist herbal tea enters the ring, sweatband-clad and ready to take the oversteep challenge. With a brand like Twinings looking to tap the herbal tea niche, the Lemon Twist is sure to be a citrus delight. I was reluctant to steep at first, as many lemon herbal teas just OD on citrus like a Warhead. Clearly Twinings Teas know better, and delivered a solid addition to the lineup. Not too much lemon, and passed the oversteep challenge like it cheated. Bravo.

Rating: A-

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Wednesday
Apr072010

Twining's Orange and Cinnamon Tea - Foreign Flava

Twinings Orange and Cinnamon TeaMike: Twinings tea has had heavy representation here on Tea Amigos for good reason: they got a lot of blends and they're a big name tea company with their tentacles wrapped around the globe. Dax got a chance to shake hands with one of these Dominican tentacles when he was in Puerto Plata. When he came back and dropped some Twinings tea on my desk as a souvenir I was like "man, you didn't have to go to the land of toilets that flush clockwise to bring back some readily available Twinings tea." I'm wrong because there are some blends unique to other lands. One of them is Twinings Orange and Cinnamon tea, which tastes pretty much exactly as you would expect it to.

A solid daily drinker, no doubt. The taste isn't exquisite but it's a solid, almost generic black tea base with a healthy hint of orange spice to give it that kick. The packaging is also distinct from US Twinings packaging because the teabag is wrapped inside the outer satchet. US satchets contain the teabag on the inside. Finally, this Twinings Orange & Cinnamon tea has the following words enscribed, making this quite official: By Appointment to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Suck on that.

Rating: B+

Dax: Another hard to find Twinings tea review comes your way by the name of Twinings Orange and Cinnamon Black tea. I already know that the teasan inside you is dying to find out if Twinings can do flavored tea better than the likes of Hyson. Although Hyson flavored tea has some stunning examples of quality and finesse (check out Hyson Cherry Lift or Apple Jazz), I believe Twining's flavored tea has a bit more crispness to them. Hyson hits you with a Louisville slugger, while Twinings stabs you with a Ginsu. Their Orange and Cinnamon tea has a great black tea base and even better orange essence. It smells like the orange and cream popsicles. It could have used more cinnamon in the mix, but hey, who's counting. Actually, I'm counting...

Rating: B+

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Monday
Apr052010

Twining's Four Red Fruits Tea - Berry Good, Berry Good

Twinings Four Red Fruits TeaDax: Too bad it isn't easy to find Twining's Four Red Fruits around here, for it is the epitome of daily drinker. Going head to head against the likes of Hyson Cherry Lift, this Twinings flavored black tea lays the smackdown with little or no disregard to life. The black tea is light, crisp, and ultra-smooth, giving way to a bevy of berry bliss that sits quite nicely in the aftertaste. There is a perfect harmony between fruit and black tea, something rarely accomplished in this field. Resorts in the Dominican know how to keep their tea game correct.

Rating: A+

Mike: Twinings Four Red Fruits Tea is yet another unique Twinings tea I have not seen arund my native Chicago but had the fortune of Dax brining it into the teasan workshop. I had my assistant, Wilbur, unwrap it and my apprentice, Simone, place it gently into my cup and steep for the appropriate amount of time. Good job Wilbur and Simone, your annual reviews are coming up and I'm noticing steepological improvements.
Anyway, this is hands down one of the best fruit teas I've ever tried. Though it's got raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and cranberries, the two most prominent flavors are definitely cranberry and cherry, dependng on which part of the tongue the tea touches and how far you are along on in the taste test. The cranberry stands out more at first but the cherry moreso later. Overall, the flavors complement the solid black tea foundation nicely.

Rating: A

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Tuesday
Mar232010

Twining's Jasmine Green Tea - Ain't Nothing But A Sweet Thang Baaaby

Twining's Jasmine Green TeaMike: Twinings Green Tea Jasmine coming straight at you from the beautiful Dominican Republic, and I don't know if Twinings make their jasmine tea any different for this market but this one has a very Yerba Mate touch to it. I don't know if this is purely psychological but Twinings Jasmine Green tea is much sweeter than other jasmine teas. Now, you've been a Tea Amigos fan for a while so you know me and sweet teas are like two magnets with the positive sides facing each other: maximum repulsion. But this Twinings Green tea Jasmine is spectacular. It's as if they squeezed sweet jasmine nectar into it. Mad props Twinings.

Rating: A

Dax: While in the Domincan Republic, I had the pleasure of coming across Twining's Jasmine Green Tea. It has been a minute since our last Twinings tea review, so let me prepare my palate for freshness. Twining's of London usually has their game tight and ready for action, packing potency power in every sip. I didn't sense too much jasmine tea in here, but just like the Twinings green tea, their green tea with jasmine is super grassy. It reminds me of when I learned how to do backflips off of swings as a child. That first try left me with a mouthful of turf. Twinings Jasmine green tea is right up there, light on jasmine heavy on the greenery.

Rating: B+

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Wednesday
Feb172010

Twining's Herbal Revive Tea - Fizzle In, Fizzle Out

Mike: Twinings Herbal Revive is the quintessential daily drinker, an inexpensive tea you can consume on a daily basis and not get sick of. The flavor is pleasant but not popping, steepability is average, balance is solid. Everything about this Twinings tea screams "Drink me! I'm marginally above average!"
Regardless , the ginger tea and lemon combo is pleasureable no matter how you put it. Buy this lemon tea in bulk because it's what you'll be drinking for your daily grind.

Rating: B

Dax: Twinings Herbal Revive had me excited when I steeped it, as it plop plop fizz fizzed right when the bag hit my perfectly heated teacup/water combo. Efferdent in the mix? I've had braces, but no dentures here. Twinings knows what they are doing, and their lemon ginger tea fared well. Although in my mind it was standard, Herbal Revive did make other teas in similar genres look stupid. Twining's of London took Chinese ginger to the regular level. Check it out if you dare not venture into supreme flavor country.

Rating: B

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Monday
Jun012009

Twining's Pure Peppermint Tea - The Flyweight Contender

Twining's Peppermint TeaMike: Faithful amigos fans will know that I’m not a fan of peppermint tea. On Dax’s insistence I geared my taste buds for the beating they were about to take and agreed to drink Twinings Pure Peppermint Tea. This particular Twinings Tea is not really tea even, because it contains no actual tea leaves. It’s an herbal tea, with no ingredients other than pure peppermint leaves.

So here goes the Twining's tea review, short and sweet. This peppermint tea from Twinings of London is a blast of peppermint to tongue, . The flavor is overbearing and there is no nuance because of the lack of actual tea or ingredients. It leaves a somewhat pleasant aftertaste, the same as after you got done brushing your teeth. It makes me feel hungry because I usually eat my breakfast directly after brushing my teeth. If you are a fan of peppermint tea, however, it seems like this one is quite flavorful. To each his own.

Rating: C-

Dax: Just to be redundant, I’m gonna repeat the fact that I love fresh mint tea. Peppermint tea is the tea for me. I love the complete spectrum of flavor that the herbal tea provides, and it is great hot or cold. Cold peppermint tea with a steak burrito is uniquely ridiculous, worth a try. So Twining’s Pure Peppermint Tea was introduced to me by the Dominick’s tea aisle, and I said, "what's good?". Got to steepin, and was a bit disappointed with what came out of this fresh smelling teabag. For all you beat junkies out there, you’d think this tea had the entire high end present, a huge cut at the 600 Hz, and no low end at all. Blast your favorite jam on AM radio and that’s what I mean, no body. My favorite peppermint tea (which will have its own prestigious tea review soon) gives off a grandiose, full bodied grace at every sip. Twining’s Peppermint Tea is a lot softer, but still a formidable contender in the tea game. I liked it, but there are some better ones out there.

Overall Rating: B+

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Thursday
Apr092009

Twinings English Breakfast Tea - Powerful Taste, Nice Finish

Dax: Unlike the Earl Grey Tea from Twinings, their English Breakfast Tea is a banger and my go-to tea at work in the morning. Although this black tea doesn’t have the scent of a brute champion, it consistently eliminates the competition with banging flavor and a satisfying finish that will have you grabbing for another teabag with the quickness. Soft, subtle tones of hickory-smoked goodness envelop the intro, while a 36-piece orchestra plays Bittersweet Symphony on the way down. Even as I type I’m contemplating a third straight cup of the breakfast tea, which by the way is suitable at all times of the day. Twinings black tea, contrary to definition, is a succulent chocolate color, and will undoubtedly highlight your favorite tea cup quite well. Twining’s English Breakfast Tea was the gateway tea, and now all teas are subject to this life-threatening addiction.  This Twinings tea review is the beginning of the end.

Rating: A

Mike: Steep too long and you might find the taste overwhelming. I don’t though. I leave the the Twinings English Breakfast Tea bag in for the whole ride. I think Dax mentioned a while back that it gets too strong, so he pulls it out prematurely. I’ve always been a fan of very powerful, almost overwhelming tastes, so I let the English Breakfast Tea marinate my tea quite the bit.

I have little experience with English Breakfast Teas, but I enjoy this one on a daily basis. It’s definitely heavier than the Earl Grey, but unlike the Earl Grey, it’s got a definite strong flavor which does not leave you wondering if this is a black tea with herb or a herbal tea mixed with black tea. I’d say the flavor is “robust” but I don’t want to sound like a Starbucks hipster barista D-bag. It has a strong, leafy aroma which pleasures your nose while you sip the steaming beverage. A few times I have experience a peculiar phenomenon where I will taste a sort of barbeque mesquite flavor at the end of the English Breakfast experience. Happens on occasion. I am sipping it now but I can’t find it. Look for it if you get the chance to try this tea out. If you catch a glimpse of that flavor, you might get hooked looking for it.

The consistency is quite thick and the tea is completely opaque. Caffeine content? Twining’s gives it 3/5 on the water to espresso scale, but I would not know, because for the most part I am immune to caffeine.

Rating: A

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Friday
Apr032009

Twinings Green Tea - Daily Dose Recommended

Mike: Twining’s Green Tea has something in common with Twinings Earl Grey in that it almost tastes like black tea with a green tea flavoring. I happen to like this feature because many green teas taste overly grassy, like hay from a barn. I don’t know how they manage to do it, but sometimes they even are able to recreate the odor of manure as well.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't going to be a booboo Twinings tea review.

The taste is soothing, slightly bitter with a pleasant slightly sweet aftertaste that leaves you wanting to scratch that itch by taking another sip. That’s why I pounded my first cup and proceeded to a pleasing second. I recommend this as a daily drinker, but it’s nothing out of the ordinary.

Rating: B+

Dax: Much to my surprise, I really enjoyed Twinings Green Tea. Simple design, a potent green tea flavor (varying by steepage), and a very clean finish formulate this Twining’s blend. The green tea was the perfect compliment to my Hot & Spicy Instant Lunch. One thing that is very well noted is the heavy body of this tea. I got my steep on for about 5 minutes, filling its special meter up to the brim. The result was a green tea with a very authoritative presence. Try it out and calibrate your green tea senses. Twinings.

Rating: A-

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Tuesday
Mar242009

Twining's China Oolong Tea - Royalty

Mike: Twinings Oolong Tea is a Chinese Tea bustling with flavor like daaaamn. I’ve never tried Oolong tea fromTwining’s Teas so it was a pseudo familiar introduction. Still, the comparison must be with other Oolong Teas, and not with Twinings Brand teas, so I have little basis for comparison. but I am quite familiar with


Nevertheless, this tea really hits the spot. It tastes like a perfect hybrid between black tea and green tea. It has a very aromatic, leafy taste of green teas, but the delicious, bitter, slightly acidic aftertaste or a rich black tea. I am definitely looking forward to dipping my Oolong teabag into yet another unsuspecting cup. Twining’s China Oolong Tea definitely passes the litmus test, sets the bar, and <insert random cliché synonymous with beating expectations here>.

Overall Rating: A-

Dax: Oolong tea has always shared characteristics of hay. Maybe it's just me, but Chinese tea gives you a eco-friendly green flavor to savor and makes you think that you are some field-grazing horse or cow. Twining's China Oolong Tea gave me this feeling, and made me realize that indeed I am a true teasan. My palette has grown very fond of tea, including this oolong tea from Twining's Tea. The teabag's smell paints the image of a Chinese emperor dressed in all purple like Rick James or Prince, with his/her feet soaking in tea leaves while peasants play Outkast instrumentals on the mandolin.

See, what had happened was Judge Mathis, is that every time I have an oriental tea, be it loose tea, regular oolong tea, or some other Far Eastern variation it really just tastes like viscous, grassy water, kinda like how beer tastes like crap when you first drink it.  Now, after trying tea after tea, I support this grassy concoction called oolong tea, and am down for what Twining's has done.  Heed these Twinings tea reviews, you'll be saying WOW all day.

Overall Rating: A-

 

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Friday
Mar202009

Twining's Earl Grey Tea - A Story of Neglect


Mike: Ahhh Earl Grey Tea. I remember when I had my first cup actually. I was about 10 years old and my mom placed it before me. When I caught a whiff I got turned off immediately and refused to drink it for perhaps the next 7 years, when I was reintroduced to that Bergamot Aroma. With my tastes matured a bit, I was able to drink it and appreciate the flavor this time around.

 

I drink Twining’s Early Grey Tea every day, not out of choice, really, but because that’s what they have for free at work. Never doubt my familiarity with it. Let me tell you, I’ve tried my fair share of Earl Grey Teas and this one is sub-par. You see, Earl Gray is a congress of black tea and bergamot herb together. You are not supposed to be able to distinguish each one. The taste is inseparable. A fusion if you will. Twinings Earl Grey, on the other hand, tastes like black tea with a hint of bergamot in it. It’s neither here nor there, and its lack of identity is really why I would shy away from it had I the choice.

 

Rating: C+

 

Dax: Starting off our Tea-a-Day reviews with a Twining’s brand tea makes perfect sense. We drink Twinings everyday, due to its amazing availability. Right when I get to steeping Twining’s Earl Grey Tea, wofts of bergamot blast me in the face, a product of “this exquisite recipe by an envoy on his return from China”. Personally, Twining’s Earl Grey smells better than it tastes and I wouldn’t be surprised if Mike would say the same thing. There is no “refreshing aftertaste” or “soothing finish”, just some earl grey, in a cup, that I hope you didn’t pay for. I’m not mad at you Twinings Tea, but jot this one down to improve a bit next year. I can list quite a few Earl Gray teas that are on point, and Twinings comes up a bit short.

Rating: C

 

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