Friday, November 16, 2012

GIVEAWAY!: Best International Teas

My last post was about an excellent English Breakfast tea from S.D Bell's. The US distributor Best International Tea has generously provided us with a fantastic giveaway. The lucky winner will get three boxes of their loose tea! English Breakfast, Lady Londonderry and China Green Lemon & Mint.

How can you win this lovely prize? Between now and Monday November 26th:
'Like' Best International Tea's facebook page and
follow them on twitter @onlythebesttea
after you do that, leave comment on this post. You can also enter by commenting on the same post on my facebook page to double your chances!

Entries will be accepted until Midnight on November 26th. Winner will be announced on the 27th. Best of luck to everyone! This is a great giveaway, so don't miss out!

Monday, November 12, 2012

Review: S. D. Bell's Natural Leaf English Breakfast Tea

One of my favorite pastimes growing up was watching British comedies with my father. I was already a tea drinker back then, and took note of how the characters in each show religiously drank tea throughout the day. I think this is where my fondness for English Breakfast tea began. Since then, English Breakfast has been one of my most favorite teas to drink.  I'm always on the lookout for a good blend.

I was delighted when importer Best International Teas sent me a generous sample of S.D. Bell's Natural Leaf English Breakfast Tea, which is their flagship product. S.D. Bell's was founded in 1887 in Belfast, and they are on their 4th generation as tea purveyors. That's a pedigree that Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet!) from "Keeping Up Appearances" would find quite impressive. The tea is a blend of Assam and Ceylon leaves. The leaves are broken, with a few stray golden tips sprinkled in.

The dry leaf has a pleasing sweet, almost caramel-like aroma. The brew is surprisingly smooth and easy to drink. It's not as strong or astringent as I was expecting but yet has a nice little punch of acidity to it with an underlying sweetness. Slightly malty but with a hint of citrus, it's a refreshing morning cup, or a bright afternoon lift. It has the robust flavor I look for in a breakfast tea.
I don't usually add milk and sugar to my cup, but this is of course a tea that would hold up well to it. Adding a bite of scone with clotted cream wouldn't hurt, either. This is a British blend fit for Hyacinth's Royal Doulton with the hand painted periwinkles!

Interested in trying tea from S.D. Bell's? You can purchase tea online, or stay tuned to Tea Happiness for a giveaway from Best International Teas!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Storm aftermath

You've seen the news, you've seen the damage, I count myself and my family among the very lucky. My family and I have been very fortunate to have not sustained any damage during last week's storm. I wish the very best for everyone that has and will continute to suffer.

Through twitter I found Tea for Humanity, who are visiting NY shelters to hand out tea and comfort. If you are a crazy tea hoarder like me, you may have have lots of tea bags you can donate. If you are looking to make a financial donation, you can go to the Red Cross website here. There are many other ways to help, going here is a good start.

Best wishes to everyone.