A while ago I posted about how the US version of Twinings English
Breakfast, my longtime favorite, seemed bland and tasteless, while the
UK version I had on hand was still quite tasty to me. It seemed that
there was some truth to the theory that despite the same name, the
blends used within the UK and for export were quite different.

I had purchased several "catering packs" of 100 tea bags directly from
Twinings in North Carolina when they were running a special some time
back. I thought maybe it was just my tastebuds that were off and tried
it again on a few occasions, only to find it as bland and tasteless as
I had remembered. I have been using it for iced tea and it suits that
purpose just fine. I am getting down toward the end of my stash.

It recently occurred to me that maybe the tea I had purchased was not
fresh. Perhaps these catering packs were not big sellers. Twinings
recently changed its packaging for its bagged teas, which are now
packed in England rather than in North Carolina. I decided to try it
one more time. Since the new packaging was only recently introduced,
this seemed the ideal time, as I would be assured that the tea hadn't
been sitting on the store shelves or in a warehouse for a long time.

So, tonight when I stopped by the supermarket on my way home, I picked
up a package of Twinings English Breakfast tea bags. As I am writing
this, I am sipping on a mug of it, and I am very pleased to report that
THIS is the tea that I remembered so fondly. Nice aroma, and strong,
rich flavor. Tastes every bit as good as the blend sold in the UK,
although brewing a single cup yields a slightly weaker brew than the UK
version, which contains more tea per bag. Nevertheless, I am more than
satisfied. I suppose what I had purchased online was the end of the
stock that was onhand in North Carolina. Lord knows how long it had
been hanging around.

It may sound silly, but I have strong emotional ties to this brand
which I have used for many years. And it's nice to know that there is
something to fall back on if I need to purchase tea at a supemarket in
a pinch.

they don't put dates on the boxes? I have a twinings gunpowder that says
best if used by Mar 2004. whoops guess I better toss that one.

No, no----that's BEST if used by 2004. If you don't mind that tobacco
butt taste not being there any more, it's still perfectly potable.
Toci
Barky Bark wrote:
> they don't put dates on the boxes? I have a twinings gunpowder that says
> best if used by Mar 2004. whoops guess I better toss that one.