Say, have any of you ever experienced those cravings which comes right after you watch your fave gourmet related variety programs? Being a food lover like myself, I just had a lovely meal at my favourite United Square Tamoya branch on Saturday. Kama-tama udon craving just hit me square in the face after watching Dotchi no Ryouri Show - a Japanese food variety program which features two food heavyweights (usually their cultural dishes of course) pitting against each other, with 10 guests on the show being faced with the choice of choosing either. The dish with the majority of the votes wins, where winners eat and losers watch the winners eat, simple as that for the rules of this rather "strict and gruelling" food variety program.
So while happily slurping on my piping hot udon, Jade Sis passed me the loots I requested from her bro just a month or two back. Her bro's studying law in UK at the moment and these loots you see here, are the Twinings tea variants only available within the UK - Rose Garden, Nutty Chocolate Flavor Assam and Velvety Vanilla Flavor Chai Latte.
Before I go on, a big thank-you to Jade Sis's bro! Thank you so much for bringing back these teas which I had been wanting so badly after I saw them on Twinings's website.
The first time I came across the tea caddy versions of Twinings tea was at Mediya, where their tea selection was like, awesome. Like, really really awesome because the brands they carry are so much more varied and vast as compared to NTUC or Cold Storage (or their Finest equivalents for that matter). I mean, I saw Twinings's Liquorice flavored organic mix amongst the BOH's Seri Songket series (THEY HAVE THE LYCHEE AND ROSE FLAVOURED ONES HERE OH MY GOD) and other tea brands which I have not seen before so, just how cool is that eh???
And then, sitting right there under my nose was the tea caddy version of Twinings's Lavender Earl Grey, depicting that of a slender and elegant lady figure clad in a royal purple and lavender floral gown embossed on a sleek ebony black tin lined with trimmings in Twinings's signature colour of gold brass. It was beautiful, but I didn't purchase it there and then because I am never a lover of lavender flavored tea. I mean, I'm ok with lavender scented candles, bath salts, soap and shower foam, but as a tea, it just turns me right off man.
Convinced that there might be other flavors available for this tea caddy version, I went poking around Twinings's UK website and tada! I found the rose flavored version and decided I just had to have it because well, rose tea lover here hehe!
Just like how Twinings would have it with their tea caddy packaged teas, they will always have the traditional paper packaged version packed snugly inside the tin (20 tea bags for this version). It was the same type of package treatment with their anniversary tin version - Lady Grey packed in a special 100 tea bags paper package, which we bought from United Square's Cold Storage.
By the way, for Lapsang Souchong lovers, you guys and gals might wanna check out United Square's Cold Storage because they offer the pretty rare Twinings's Lapsang Souchong.
Anyway, back to the Rose Garden, the scent from Twinings's rose tea is extremely distinct and assails your nostrils even before the paper package packed within the tin is opened. Their individual tea bags, on the other hand, is an art to behold by itself as a canopy of fine dark chocolate coloured tea leaves dotted with pretty and delicate rosaline pink rosebud fragments.
Which, will kinda mislead you into thinking that this rose tea is going to taste equally as strong as it smells. But, no, it tastes exquisitely light with just the right amount of rose accent. Not to mention, its light amber colour will delight you to no end as it did to me hehe.
And, as light-tasting as it is, the rose accent doesn't diminish at all that quickly even after 3 brews.
The Nutty Chocolate Flavored Assam was next on the list on the very next day (because I make it a point to drink tea only once per day). This 12 pyramid tea bags packed tea was a total hazelnut praline (as stated on the package) and milk chocolate buffet experience.
Strong scented, which becomes a very dark amber liquid like manuka honey once immersed in 80 degrees or less steeped hot water, it turned out to be the perfect companion and delightful accompaniment to my Chocolate Classico from Four Leaves Bakery (Bugis Junction branch, S$3.80).
I would advise taking a sip of the Nutty Chocolate Flavored Assam tea first before taking a bite of the velvety and moist Chocolate Classico, as the resulting combination is a wholesome chocolate-y experience with a soothing after-taste.
Mama mia mon ami! Simply perrrrfffeecctttooo!
As compared to the two other types of tea featured in this post, this particular tea type's teabag is exceptionally heavy and sinks upon contact with the steeped hot water. Not to mention that the colour of the tea is the darkest amongst the three.
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| Credits to Twinings UK |
I know it's going to take me some time to drain my current modestly sized tea stash, even with the addition of these three new teas, but I can't help being drawn to another set of new tea on their website already. Caramel! Another of my favourite! I'll be sure to order this next from my friend's brother haha!
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