Fortnum & Mason Tea Advent Calendar - Day 1 Royal Blend


Here we go!  This is the third year in a row that I've done a tea advent calendar.  The first year was David's Tea which was a pretty good time, last year was Adagio Teas which was a pretty big failure.  This year, I chose Fortnum & Mason which, while it is a brand I am not too familiar with, has a damn good reputation in the UK as a respectable and tasty quality brand.

So - let's dive right in!
Day 1 - Royal Blend


By the name alone, I have high hopes!

Before I taste the tea though - I have to talk about the calendar packaging.  This year is the first time I've done tea bags instead of loose leaf tea, but Fortnum & Mason didn't have a loose leaf version of the calendar that I could find.  I love the classic punch doors - and love even more that each little pocket behind the door is sealed with a foil layer to keep the tea nice and fresh!


Right then, I brewed my tea according to the instructions on the back of the calendar - but took the first sip blind before reading the description.
My first impression on my first sip was "Oh my!  This blend is heavy on the Assam!  This has a kick!"
Then - I read the description.

So, I was right on the Assam.  And they're right, the Pekoe does lift the Assam malt.  So, this blend is NOTHING but black tea.  Straight off the steep, it's very malty and the tannin is a bit heavy for me as a first cup of the day.... or maybe as any cup of the day. 
Soooo beautifully dark!!


The write up mentioned that it's best with milk -so, after only a few sips, I took their suggestion and added ONE SPOONFUL of half and half.

As you can see, it took the cream BEAUTIFULLY!

So, then I took a sip of the creamed tea and.... oh my god, I cried.  I literally teared up and had myself a little weep.

Folks.... this was a sense memory TRIP.  This cup tastes EXACTLY the way I remember the tea that my homestay family's grandmother made me when we visited her in the Cotswolds UK back in 1992.  This is the tea flavor that made me fall in love with tea in the first place.  This cup - this cup to me has the depth of flavour, the balance of tea to cream, the malty strength of the cup that opened my eyes to the beauty of the brew.  

Pushing past the emotional nostalgia contained in the cup (which is NOT an easy task), I'll try to review the cuppa on flavour alone.

I recognize that this blend will not be for everyone.  I've come to learn that a LOT of American palates simply can't handle this much Assam in their blends - because the Assam IS the dominant flavour.  No matter what the write up says, the Pekoe just barely lifts the Assam and in a lot of ways is overpowered by the Assam.  Yes, the Flowery Pekoe is there, and yes it DOES slightly lift the malt of the Assam.... but in truth, only with the addition of the cream did the true honey flavor come out to balance out the Assam.

A little more research on the blend had me learn that the blend was originally created in 1902 for King Edward - hence the name Royal Blend.

Rating - 10 out of 10
I could drink POTS of this.  I will definitely be investing in a tin of my own at some point in the future.

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