Teatourist: UK Readers DO NOT Miss Out On A Wonderful Subscription Service

As you all know, I LOVE tea. I think it's pretty obvious!

What you may not know is I'm a tenacious person. I am steadfastly loyal to tea companies whom I have faith in.

Last year the lovely folk at teatourist introduced themselves to me. And since last year, each month, I've had a lovely tea box pop through the letter box (yes, the boxes are cleverly designed to be able to be posted through the letter box so you don't have to go and collect it from the post office if you're not in!)

teatourist are a exclusive tea subscription service. Each month they offer you six premium, high quality loose leaf tea's to try. The tea comes from artisan companies so you won't be seeing them in the supermarket.

On Saturday, after a pretty shocking shift at work, I was delighted to come home to see the familiar box sat on the kitchen counter. Now, there is a huge buzz about teatourist on Twitter this month. Why? Because the selection of tea is absolutely awesome. Included in the box are some traditional black tea's and some awesome herbal infusions too.

teatourist also offer you several plans and several ways of paying. You can buy a single box, you can join a rolling month to month and cancel or pause at any time (perfect if you wont be around for a while!) or you can buy a three or six month subscription.

It's just so easy and convenient!

In addition, with each tea you get a card, which describes the amount of tea you need, how hot the water needs to be and how long to infuse it. Plus, you get a little biography of the company who provided the tea and space to write your own notes - especially ideal for a tea blogger!

I cannot recommend this service highly enough. The choice of tea is amazing, the quality is excellent and every taste is catered for.

Not only is it exciting for the genuine tea lover to have tea arrive EVERY month, but it's fun experimenting with all the different types. And believe me, because the tea is selected for you, you do end up trying tea's that you may of bypassed as not your type of thing - and you actually end up liking!

So, UK tea lovers, please, please, please check out this fantastic service. A service that not only I think is great but is creating a stir on Twitter in the tea loving world.

Chash Tea: Venetian Rose

You may of noticed that recently there has been quite a few reviews of tea from Chash Tea. It's not like me to review so many tea's from one company in such a short time. However, I will also admit that since I've started blogging regularly again, I can't seem to bear a really good tea languishing in the tea cupboard, even for a short time, unblogged. And, again being honest, this is a tea that I just love drinking!

I spoke in a previous review of Chash Tea that I was contacted by the team asking if I'd like to receive some samples to feature on the blog. Have a look around, they said, and pick some tea's. Well, saying that to me is rather like giving Augustus Gloop the run of Willy Wonka's chocolate factory! However, being totally serious, I am aware that sample's from tea companies come out of a kind generosity and I would never take advantage of the offer. So the first thing I do when selecting tea's is look at the price and see that I'm not asking for anything really expensive.

On this occasion though, my natural, wired, floral tea radar went into overdrive and I found myself clicking on a tea that sounded so gorgeous. I couldn't resist and asked if it were okay to have a sample of the wonderful tea. That tea is what I am reviewing today. That tea is Venetian Rose.

Every time I open the pack of this loose leaf tea, just the aroma sends me into a spin. I've had several cups of this during the week and I never fail to lose that wow feeling whenever I first inhale that gorgeous smell. There is a little bit of a love story going on between me and this tea!

The tea is stunning to look at. It's leaves are dark and in contrast there are splashes of sunshine like yellow roses. I spoke earlier in the week after reviewing the Shakespeare tea how adorable I thought the tiny pink rosebuds where in that blend.

With this tea though they have something extra special. Yes, they do have rosebuds. But in this blend the rosebuds are yellow! Not that the guys at Chash would know this of course, but yellow roses are my all time favourite flower, so this tea has become even more special!

Whilst I waited for the tea to infuse I happily enjoyed the floral scent that came from the infusion process. It's lovely, rich and sweet and made that awful time when you're waiting for the tea to finish brewing much more bearable.

As you can see below the tea infused to a lovely dark reddish brown colour.

 The base tea used in this blend is black tea from China and Ceylon. It has a strong, rich taste to it, without being malty and overpowering like Assam can be. There are some tea's that can take to be flavoured and some tea's that can't, so Chash have made an excellent choice mixing the two tea's together. The tea is strong enough to get that satisfaction that you only can get from a excellent black tea but able enough to take such a delicate flavour.

The rose flavour is exactly that - delicate. But it's fresh and can easily be detected even though the tea is strong. So, you have two flavours, at the opposite end of the spectrum, yet it's blended so well that it really works.

I absolutely love the sweetness from the rose. It's almost like having traditional Turkish Delight in a cup. I've said it so many times that a really good floral tea can be beautiful, a bad one, where oils are added instead of real flowers, can be horrendously bitter.

This blend makes my  mouth water. It's so refined, dainty and sweet yet at the same time has real taste and strength. It's perfect for afternoon tea, with tiny cakes and sandwiches, yet, can be taken in your favourite battered old mug at the end of a stressful day. It's a versatile tea and not all floral based tea's are.

This tea is perfect for those tea lovers who love tea's such as rose tea or lavender. But it's also perfect for those who are wanting to try a floral tea and are a little unsure about where to start. This is floral enough to whet the appetite without being so strong it leaves you overwhelmed.

Today has been a rather odd day. And I was hugely disappointed not to have made the National Tea Day celebrations in London. But as I got settled down for the evening, with a cup of Venetian rose, well the day is ending on a really good note!

With this tea I have a little bit of luxury. And I'm hugely enjoying it!

UK Loose Leaf Tea Company: Gunpowder Green

I have an awful lot to thank the excellent tea subscription service, teatourist for. Not only have I tried some completely new and exciting tea's, I've also experienced familiar tea's that are provided by new companies. If it wasn't for teatourist, I'd of missed out on some excellent cups of tea.

So, this evening, I'm bringing you a wonderful Gunpowder Green tea which appeared in a teatourist box a couple of months back. It's from a totally new (to me, anyway!) company, The UK Loose Leaf Tea Company.

Today, it's National Tea Day. Friday also happens to be the day I do most of my blogging, so it's all really about the tea today!

Making tea now is a soothing ritual for me. I empty the old water out of the kettle, fill it with fresh, boil it, removing it from the heat just before it reaches boiling point, let it cool and pour over whatever tea I'm drinking. And this ritual is never more important than when I am preparing green tea. We all  know by now the "rules" for making the perfect green cuppa. So ingrained are these rules that it's now second nature to know how to make the tea correctly. I'm proud of that!

This evening I was stood in the kitchen. I have plenty of tea to blog about, as you'll imagine, however, I stopped briefly and listened to what my body wanted. And it wanted green tea. Going through my box of samples I stumbled across this tea. There isn't much of it left to sample, I've been enjoying this through the week. It was perfect then that this tea be the first one I blog about this evening.

This gorgeous tea from The UK Loose Leaf tea Company is a feisty little green tea that packs an impressive punch. It is a Gunpowder Green tea and I find the gunpowders to be the stronger of the green tea's. Making this tea I've settled in bed, popped Twin Peaks on the Sky Box and took one lovely, long sip of this magnificent tea.

But firstly, I should take a step back and tell you a little of the tea's appearance. Well, it's called Gunpowder because of it's resemblence to, well, gunpowder. This tea has a lush, dark green colour to it. It's rolled into tiny balls.

I watched this tea infuse to a light honey colour. The suggested brewing time was 2-3 minutes. As I like this tea strong I left it for the full three minutes. Still, it retained it's light colour.

The aroma from this tea is nice and woody. Earthy and has that natural scent that I so love with green tea. I find this tea satisfying in every single way.

The flavour of this tea is fantastic and will say is a whole lot stronger then some of the gunpowder green's that I've tasted - and that is all the better for me. This is a tea that you can get your teeth into and that leaves a lovely impression for some time after you have finished your mug. Or cup. Whatever you use to drink tea!

The initial flavour that comes through when drinking this tea is it's roasted elements. And this tea is quite similar to, though less stronger in taste, to the Japanese Kukicha that I reviewed last week. This tea has smoky elements to it. It is a tea that has many layers. The smokiness is subtle though, not overpowering at all.

My favourite aspect of this tea though is it's earthy, grassy taste. It's a flavour I cannot get enough of. I just love the very natural, fresh aspect to this tea. This tea is exactly what most people probably think of when they think of green tea. I could drink this all day, but sadly, the packet is now empty, which is a good sign that this has been finished off, as it does mean it's been a surefire hit!

There is also a very light, nutty element to this blend as well. Each part of the sip, the beginning, the middle and the end reveal different flavours and your tongue experiences many different tastes during a single sip. At first you have the toasted element, then a touch of smokiness, then the woody, grassy flavour. And it's that flavour that stay's in your mouth for some time.

To say I enjoyed this tea is a understatement. I loved it. But I am a green tea addict.

This is ideal if you are a convert to green tea, especially if you are used to and appreciate the unique aspects of green tea and the nuances that come with it. If you are just starting out on your green tea journey or are weary of trying green tea then perhaps it's not the one for you.

You will certainly find this robust green tea satisfying and if you fancy a change from black tea then this may be the tea for you. It has body and strength.

In simple words, this is just about as ideal a green tea as you'll get!

Chash Tea: Jasmine Pearls

So, did you all have a lovely Easter? I hope you had a relaxing one.

I had some time off, but on Easter Sunday I was working. We were the only shop open in miles and miles so pretty much everyone came to our shop to stock up on food, drink and last minute Easter eggs. I have to say, having started at 6am (getting up at 3.15am and leaving at 4am) by the time 2pm came around, I crawled out of that shop on my hands and knees. It was relentless, non-stop busy and I pretty much collapsed into my seat on the bus. By the time I had got home, I was tired and a wee bit cranky. So, feeling sorry for myself, I settled down for some online shopping. In years gone by I would of shopped for CD's and DVD's. Now though, I shop for tea.

I deserved a treat, I thought. So I went to two of my favourite tea companies and purchased a substantial amount of tea. One of those companies was Chash Tea. 

I didn't just deserve a normal treat though. I deserved top notch luxury. And I knew exactly what tea I was aiming for. Scrolling across the site, I found what I was looking for and what my body actually has been craving for a few weeks now. And I clicked and purchased. That tea is Jasmine Pearls. 

Jasmine Pearls is, in my opinion anyway, THE most luxurious tea you could possibly have. It's a total treat of a tea because it can be a bit more expensive compared to other tea's, however, it is worth every single penny you may pay for this tea. 

So, today, barely a few days after ordering, the tea was delivered by a lovely courier. It took barely five minutes from the tea arriving to it infusing in my mug. To say I was excited was a major understatement. I was utterly beside myself that an old friend to me was returning after quite a long absence!

However, every jasmine tea is different and this is the first time I purchased jasmine pearls from Chash so I was perhaps, even more excited to see how the tea tasted.

To look at this is a beautiful tea. Being slightly compulsive, I love how uniform the pearls are. How they are almost exactly the same size. This is very pleasing to my eye! According to Chash's website, these pearls are picked, rolled and scented twelve times with jasmine blossom!

When I snipped open the packet that familiar and much loved aroma of jasmine filled the kitchen. And it is a wonderfully strong scent of jasmine too. Beautifully floral and ever so lovely. For the floral tea lover this is just magic in a cup and this blend did not disappoint.

I filled a empty teabag with a generous amount of the pearls (the rest of the bag I'll be on rations as I need this tea to last for some while!) and watched with utter joy as the pearls unfurled from their tight ball like appearance to the lush green tea leaves. The tea needs only to be infused for three minutes and it brewed to a pale green colour.

Whilst the tea was steeping the aroma of Jasmine was sweet and delicious.

As I curled up on the sofa with my feet up on this cold day, I took my first sip and sunk back into chair. It was nothing but perfect. Though the jasmine aroma is quite strong, I was surprised at how dainty and delicate it was when it came to taste. It's very smooth, a total pleasure to drink and fragrant, without being overpowering.

I haven't felt quite so relaxed in a long time and I really got a wonderful feeling after taking this tea. My initial excitement as the tea arrived was replaced with a calm, quiet appreciation as I sipped on this tea. This is a tea for the tea connoisseur. Especially those of you that like jasmine in tea, which I do.

This is a tea to be savoured, so I'd take the time to enjoy it slowly. You can't waste this tea by gulping it down as you're racing out the door to dash to work. You owe it to the tea and yourself to sit back, relax and enjoy this wonderful, smooth tea.

What makes this tea even better is it can be infused up to three times. Unlike other tea's that can be reinfused, this tea does not suffer on it's second and third steeping.

On the second steep it retains all of it's wonderful, fresh flavour. Just as delicate and it tastes almost identical as the first steep. On the third steep it retains it's flavour, however, the colour is a little darker and it takes on a slightly sharp tang but still, it's very enjoyable and I do appreciate that this tea can be infused more that once - that makes this tea last a little bit longer!

To make this tea perfect it's imperative that you brew it correctly and this really will make the difference between having the most perfect cup of tea and having a horrid, bitter mess. So follow the instructions to the letter. DO NOT let the kettle reach a full boil. Switch it off just before it reaches boil and leave to cool for a minute or so. And don't over brew the tea, no more then three minutes. If you follow this, then honestly, you'll get the very best from this tea.

I am so glad that I decided to treat myself to this tea. Sometimes I 'um and aah' about buying things that I talk myself out of getting them. However, on Sunday I had made my mind up. I worked hard and this is the reward.

I am becoming perhaps a bit too reliant on Chash for all my tea needs! However, when you come across a company that not only holds it's standards for quality of tea very high, but also stocks inventive and traditional tea's, therefore giving you plenty of choice, you really do just want to hold onto them and try everything they have to offer.

There are two tea's that I hold up as quality markers for tea companies: Earl Grey and Jasmine Pearls. I've yet to try their Earl Grey but I can say their Jasmine Pearls is of superior quality.

This tea left me happy, the speed of delivery (over a bank holiday period) left me impressed.

So, a huge thanks to Chash for the lovely tea, the cute little samples and for always being on hand for advice on Twitter. It's much appreciated!

Basilur Tea: Jasmine Green Tea

As regular readers will know recently I've received several lovely tea samples from the fabulous Basilur Tea.  As I was excitedly rummaging through the tea box I found this lovely little gem. I say a gem because there is, quite frankly, nothing nicer than a Jasmine Green tea.

This evening, as my bank holiday draws to a end and I prepare to go back to work tomorrow, I wanted something extra special to enjoy. I write this, tucked up in bed with a mug of this lovely tea by my side, sipping slowly on this fragrant tea.

I am not totally sure why I am so taken with Jasmine in tea, but I truly am. I love it's lovely fresh fragrance and I love how it takes a green tea from the lovely to the sublime. However, not all Jasmine green tea's are created equally. Some are beautiful, others less so. So it is always with interest that I try a new green tea.

The first thing I'll say about Basilur's tea is that the packaging is extraordinary. It just is beyond pretty and I never tire of looking at the fabulous designs the tea comes in. It remains traditional but is by no means old fashioned. It's just lovely.

What is a bit different about this tea is that almost all of my tea from Basilur has been loose leaf tea. This tea, however, comes in a silky pyramid. Secretly I was delighted. I absolutely love silky pyramids. I love how they feel in my hands, a lovely, uniform smoothness. As a tactile person, the feel of something can be just as important to me as the aroma or taste. I think I stood a little bit too long just holding this pyramid. It's just lovely to the touch.This is, for me anyway, a tea for all senses.

As well as feeling lovely, this tea is very pretty indeed. I love the deep, lush green colour of the tea leaves and the splashes of colour from the Jasmine. The bag is also filled with a generous amount of tea, too. Ensuring that the strength of the tea will be a little stronger.

After boiling the kettle and leaving it to cool for a short while, I stood over this tea and inhaled it's beautiful, floral scent. The scent of jasmine is hard to describe, but all I can say it it's utterly beautiful and this tea just smelt wonderful. I simply couldn't wait to give this tea a try.

This blend, which comes from the companies bouquet range, is just an ideal tea to relax to and unwind with at the end of the day. I cannot sit here and say my day has been hectic, it has not! However, drinking tea that is over loaded with caffeine isn't the best thing to do at this time of day and yet I still want a warming tea and this is ideal.

The green tea enclosed within the silky pyramid is strong and robust. It has a natural, earthy flavour which I love in my green tea and which I find, for my tastes, utterly intoxicating and satisfying. I do think that because jasmine is quite a potent floral flavour it does need a strong green tea to work well and this certainly does.

I have spoken quite frequently about my intense dislike for cheaper jasmine tea's that add jasmine flavoured oil to the tea. Nothing is more acrid and difficult to drink. It is rather like drinking a bottle of perfume. However, Basilur use jasmine petal's instead of flavouing so the jasmine takes on a fresh, natural flavour.

Within the tea there is just enough flavour but not too much. It's always lovely to be able to taste the base tea as well as the jasmine. It's not nice if one cancels out the other. However, with this blend the two flavours work hand in hand to create a beautiful and tasty tea. You can still taste the base tea, yet the jasmine is strong enough to be noticed, too. It's a hard balancing act to get right but that has been achieved with this tea!

As I sip on this blend, and as I write this blog, I'm listening to George Harrison's solo masterpiece, All Things Must Pass. 'Sunrise doesn't last all morning' he is singing 'a cloudburst doesn't last all day ... all things must pass ... all things must pass away ..."

It's just a real pity that the experience of drinking this lovely blend of tea will pass. The cup is nearly empty, the tea almost gone. Basilur have created a perfect, well balanced, high quality jasmine tea. It's totally devoid of any bitterness, even as it cools. It's just about as perfect as you can get.

I am not surprised that the quality of this tea is high, it's Basilur's after all. But this tea has so many different layers, there are so many things I love about it, from it's delightful scent, mouthwatering flavour and even the silky pyramid is just lovely to experience.

As my evening draws closer to it's end, as work approaches, I can go to bed happy knowing I've had a lovely tea. And as a lady who loves her floral blends, I'm hard to impress, yet I am so impressed with this tea.

It's tea's like this that make blogging such a utter joy. I love to write, I love tea and to bring the two together over superior quality teas such as this makes me feel just about the luckiest person in the world.

And as for brand Basilur, well, I have several more samples in my tea jar and I cannot wait to see what delights await me. 

But, isn't it a pity I have to work tomorrow when there is so much tea to drink?

Shibui Tea: Japanese Kukicha

This tea from Shibui Tea has been sitting on my counter top for several weeks now. I cannot say how many times I've picked it up to sample and review, then put it down again. It's a strange looking tea, very twiggy looking. It's also very dark in colour. In a strange way, just like I was with Earl Grey, I've almost been a bit too nervous to try this tea. It's so very different, I wasn't quite sure if I'd "get" this tea. It looked as though it could be complicated.

However, sometimes we need to push our boundaries. Experiment. Try something new. That's what this blog is all about, trying new tea's and seeing if they appeal to us. Some do, some do not.

This Japanese Kukicha green tea from Shibui Tea certainly does push my tea drinking boundaries in as much as it's so different.

The main thing about this tea is it doesn't actually have tea leaves in it. It's made from the branches and stems of the tea plant, hence it's twig like appearance. The stems and branches are roasted in it's preparation which probably accounts for it dark black colour.

I think one of the things that made me slightly hesitant to try this tea was that it is described as having a smoky flavour. Many years ago I had a horrendous experience with a particular foul Lapsang Souchong tea and since then have been put off anything that is remotely smoky. I wasn't expecting this tea to be easy in the slightest to drink.

However, I filled up the empty tea bag with a substantial amount of the tea. I had switched the kettle off just prior to it reaching boiling point, and infused the tea for three minutes. And I waited. As it's described as being between a green tea and oolong I wasn't expecting it to take on such a dark hue, but it was attractive to look at. And the smokiness, which I was expecting to be everywhere, was extremely subtle.

I honestly will say that up to this point, I was truly expecting not to like this tea. But upon first sip ... oh my goodness. It's certainly different but it's very, very good. All doubts that I have had about this tea for weeks melted away. And actually, it's a tea that suits me quite well. I should of tried it ages ago!

Firstly, I ADORE the woody element to this tea. That's why I love green tea so much, because of the woody, earthy, vegetation type flavour and this has it in bucket loads. It's just so delicious, it's full of flavour, it's a tea that you could almost bite into if it were a solid object. This tea is as satisfying as if it were a full bodied Assam. It is glorious.

There is a element of smokiness. But it's not that overpowering taste like you get in some (cheap) Lapsang Souchong tea's. It's discreet, but adds a interesting pang to the tea, giving this tea a depth of taste to it. The smoky flavour is merely hinted at, it doesn't encase the whole tea. It takes the tea to another level. That one element in tea that I dislike and has put me off other blends really does make this tea very tasty indeed. So much so that though I will never be a Lapsang Souchong fan, I will be more willing in the future to try tea's that have smoky elements.

As much as Jasmine tea has feminine elements to it, this tea is very masculine. That's not to say that ladies can't enjoy this - it's not what I meant at all, rather, it's robust, strong and solid. It's quite a macho tea and I love it.

I love how the flavour of the tea stays in your mouth for absolutely ages and ages. It's surprisingly refreshing and incredibly moreish. I found it just a great tea to relax to early in the afternoon. As it's Good Friday I have my feet up watching a movie and it's really great to sip on this flavoursome tea.

I know I always say you shouldn't judge a tea on it's appearance. And I let myself down because I forgot this simple rule when it came to this tea. I looked at it's twig like appearance, I read it was smoky and dismissed it as something I wouldn't like. But actually, I've been missing out on a tea that not only provides me with exactly the elements I love in green tea but makes me feel really great. I have learned a very important tea lesson here!

I can honestly say that this is, perhaps, one of the biggest surprises in my tea drinking career. I loved the grittiness this tea has. I love how earthy it is. I love the fact that even the stems and branches of the tea plant can be turned into a fantastic drink. That none of the tea plant need go to waste.

I would highly recommend this satisfying tea. It's powerful flavour will stay with you, it's smoky elements are both tasty and unforgettable. I came away not only loving this tea but feeling happy and satisfied after drinking it.

It's funny but the tea I have doubted for weeks has hit all the important spots for me.

And also, I've learned a really good lesson. Sometimes things are not always beautiful on a surface level but can bring such happiness and joy into your life. It was a pleasure to drink this tea!

Chash Tea: Shakespeare Tea

A few weeks ago the lovely folk at Chash Tea kindly asked if I'd like some tea samples to review here on the blog. Of course I cannot turn down a very lovely invitation like that. I browsed with great interest the website. Then I came across a very interesting looking tea. That tea was Shakespeare Tea.

I will admit it was rather cheeky to ask for a sample of this tea as it's a blend that is a wee bit more expensive then other tea's on offer. "Please" I asked "Could I have enough of this for just one cup?". Luckily, and rather kindly I thought, I was sent enough to make several cups.

When the tea arrived a couple of days later, I had a lovely little handwritten note from Dan, telling me it had been blended that very day. So if this tea was nothing else it was freshly prepared!

There were several reason's this tea appealed to me when I was browsing Chash's website.  Firstly, I loved how very British this tea sounds. You cannot get more British then a tea based around our most famous bard! Instantly I thought of the lush greenery of a summer's day in Stratford-Upon-Avon. This is a tea that made my tea loving mind run in so many different directions.

What may not be known about me is I'm absolutely mad on anything about the Tudors and in fact anything about life in general in Tudor and Elizabethan times. So, naturally, I was delighted to read about a tea that covers my obsession with tea and love for history. And, as you'll see in Chash Tea's description of the product, the ingredients featured in the tea are manly floral and herb based and these have been picked because they are items mentioned in the bard's many plays. So is there a tea more perfect for Laura? I think not! This could almost of been created for me!

I COULD NOT wait to try this tea. And I was not disappointed.

Oh this tea is just so pretty! I couldn't quite believe my eyes. How gorgeous is this tea? I love how you have such a pretty pink colour from the rose, bright sunshine yellow from the chamomile and a dark green from the fennel. Seriously, if you choose to order some of this tea, take a minute to just look at it. It's beyond gorgeous. It's lush, almost like Britain's countryside in a tea.

I couldn't not include within this blog this picture of this cute, tiny rosebud. Honestly, it's just so pretty. (I've actually saved this little rosebud and put it in a safe place, so taken with it am I!)

I generously filled my teabag with tea from the packet and let it infuse for several minutes. I love the floral scent and as it gently wafted around the kitchen it really piqued my interest. What was it going to taste like, I wondered to myself.

The tea brewed to a gorgeous amber colour. So far, so good ..

Shakespeare Tea is extremely interesting and very, very different. When I think of floral based tea's I think of sweet rose or aromatic lavender. However, this tea tasted totally different to what I expected it to me and what years of tea drinking experience led me to believe it would taste.

This tea is interesting, different and keeps you on your toes. For though it contains rose, it's not traditional in any sense.

The base tea is a lovely first flush Darjeeling. I have to admit I don't drink Darjeeling very often as I have stated on here recently I prefer Ceylon, however, I have nothing against Darjeeling so I always enjoy drinking it! I loved the smooth taste of the Darjeeling though, and it is a natural and perfect partner to the lovely ingredients that are contained in this tea.

The reason this tea feels very different and fresh compared to other tea's is the ingredients contained within. Yes, you have delicate rose, but you also have the unique herbal flavour of chamomile and then the spiciness from fennel! It's certainly different.

When you first sip on this tea there is a lovely, sweet flavour from the rose. It's familiar and gentle and I absolutely adore rose in tea. It's subtle yet can still be tasted amongst the other flavours.

The chamomile brings to it a earthy flavour. I will admit I'm not a huge fan of chamomile and don't really drink chamomile tea, however, I have regularly taken it when it features within another blend and I find it's natural herbal taste brings depth of flavour and another level of taste to this tea. So though I'm not a great chamomile fan on it's own, it has natural and delightful qualities that add that extra special something when added to a blend.

But it's the fennel that makes this tea really different. I wouldn't of thought that rose and fennel would work together, one being delicate and subtle, the other strong and impressive. However, towards the end of the sip, when your tongue is dancing from the spicy fennel I realised that this does work! That two flavours from the opposite end of the spectrum and on paper should not work together, really does. And I have to say my tastebuds were popping from the fennel long after the cup had been finished.

Shakespeare Tea is a hard tea to sum up in words. What I will say is that it's totally unique and I have to admit I've not tasted a tea quite like it.  When you read the description of the tea you imagine it would taste one way, when actually, in reality it's totally different.

When thinking of tea that features rose you expect something delicate. It is on first sip, then you get the thunderous explosion from the fennel and takes this tea to a totally different stratosphere.

I absolutely loved this tea. If you are wanting a traditional rose flavoured tea then this may not be the tea for you. But if you are looking for something exciting yet familiar this is ideal.
 
The unique qualities of this tea feels fresh and new. It's a genius of a blend and I'm hugely impressed. It brings a modern twist to something so traditionally British.

Chash Tea say on their website they hope they have done the bard justice. They absolutely have. They have created a real treat of a tea.

I loved it! And as I sit writing this review on Good Friday bank holiday I can consider myself very fortunate to have been able to try it!