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The Great Teas

Yes, I think I have made you wait long enough. The results are in, the teas have all made it to the finish line - and boy, was it close.

Without further ado, may I present to you: The Great Tea Debate - The Results

1. The Slow Snail - Darjeeling
   Controversial, I know, the Champagne of Teas - last?
   Well, yes.
   Darjeeling is in fact similar to Champagne in many ways; it’s light, delicate, a little bitter, pale. And if you are a fan of Champagne usually, perhaps you will rave about this tea. Unfortunately, I am not a huge fan of champagne either.
   So, whilst I appreciate the delicate flavours are light on the palate etc.; this tea is the overall loser today.
   .
2. A Close Second - Assam
   Ooooh. Yes, I know. You’re surprised!
   Which, incidentally, is just the reaction I was going for.
   Ok, so Assam *is* one of my very favourite teas, and I rave about it constantly, but I learnt something about the Ceylon whilst I was in France (see below), so I have no option but to deflate that over-sized ego on the Assam.
   It’s already been covered, so just briefly: the Assam is a rich, coppery coloured, malty tea. You’re going to want to drink it with milk, cause going without is madness! It’s incredibly rich and strong when brewed correctly, but so soothing and quintessentially English (even if it is grown in India). However…
   .
3. The Ceylon - Tea of Champions
   I’ll admit it: I had never tried Ceylon before this ‘experiment’. I was expecting Assam to be the firm winner. I would never have believed that a small trip to Lille could change my mind!
   This is how it happened: My boyfriend and I are in our hotel room, and we decide to order breakfast for the first morning instead of going out. He ticks the box for grapefruit juice, and I can’t drink an entire cafetiere of coffee to myself, so I order a black tea with milk (but there’s no option for what kind of tea).
   In the morning, it all arrives, and I have two wrapped teabags of Ceylon! I tried it, and I loved it.
   So, I thought, if it’s this nice in bags, when I get home and finally write up the tea debate, trying it fresh from loose leaves must be brilliant, right? Right!
   The Ceylon is around halfway between the Assam and the Darjeeling really. It’s not overly strong, nor is it too weak. Its a nice dark yellow colour when brewed, and is lovely with milk and a dash of sugar. Personally I find that, even as someone who takes sugar with everything, having half a teaspoon less sugar with the Ceylon is advantageous because you allow its true flavours to hit you.  Yum!

So, there you have it. I’m not sure what I will be covering next, but check back soon!
I have an entire cupboard full of teas to try, test and review (and get rid of, so I can get some food in the bloody thing)!