Twinings of London – The Tea Experts

I love drinking tea. There are times when coffee just won’t do, and I find myself reaching for a bag of tea. I have tried loose tea that you put in those little balls and drop in your water. Didn’t care for them. I like my tea to be in a bag with a little dipping string, and I expect it to taste as heavenly as the name sounds.

I want to talk with you today about Twinings of London.

Yes, you read that correctly. By appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (how cool is that?). Twinings of London is the tea expert. Twinings of London is the perfect complement to any moment of your day because of its superb taste, flavor, aroma and variety. Before you can understand the awesome that is Twinings of London, you need to have a general understanding about tea.

Tea Regions and Growing

Did you know that tea is the world’s most popular beverage? Why? Simply because its versatility makes it the perfect drink.

There are a wide variety of teas from around the world, but they all come from the same plant, Camellia Sinensis. With regional and climatic differences, that one plant  can produce hundreds of subtle variations of flavor and aroma – enough to make the world of tea as varied as those who drink it!

A fine wine comes from the local conditions of the areas where the grapes are grown. The same is true for tea. The soil, altitude, weather conditions, they all affect the flavor of the tea produced.  The process that it goes through, as with the grape, determines what type of tea you will have. Once the tender leaves have been plucked, they are made into Black tea, Green tea, or Oolong.

Tea Manufacturing

Within 24 hours after plucking, leaves are transported to nearby factories to be processed and packed using one of two manufacturing processes – the Orthodox method for loose teas or the Cut, Tear, and Curl method for bagged teas.

Manufacturing of tea involves a four-step process which begins with Withering to reduce the water content of the freshly picked leaves. Air is passed through and over the leaves for 12 to 17 hours, which reduces the moisture content by up to 70% and gently dries the leaves.

The second step in the process is Rolling which twists the leaves horizontally until they are thin and wiry. When carefully broken, the leaves release enzymes that allow the next step to occur. If the Cut, Tear, and Curl method is used, the leaves are cut into small, easy to pack pieces instead of rolling – without altering the quality of the tea.

Oxidation is the third step and this is what determines how strong a tea is, as well as its flavor and color. Black teas are fully oxidized, oolong and red teas are partially oxidized, and green and white teas are not oxidized at all.

The final step is to dry the leaves with hot air dryers to stop the oxidation process and prepare them for packing and travel. They now have less than 3% moisture content, and the tea is now ready to be sorted and packed and shipped to you!

Tea Blending and Tasting

Did you know that no two tea harvest are ever the same – even when the come from the same garden? Twinings Tea does, which is why their Master Blenders train for five years before they can head out to select teas from thousands of estates around the world. Twinings also blends their own herb and fruit ingredients to ensure their recipes are truly unique.

The tasting begins with small batches to assess the overall quality, flavor and color of each tea before any can be used to create blends for comparison. They compare each new blend against their benchmark for Twinings flavor to ensure complete consistency. This way, your preferred tea tastes just the way you expect it to each and every time.

Did you know that the nine Twinings Master Blenders can expertly identify the location, elevation and growth characteristics of each sample from just that taste? Their distinctive tastes allow them to detect even the slightest variations that could prevent a blend from meeting the Twinings standards.  They travel the world seeking only the finest teas, spices, herbs and fruit infusions available and then expertly blend each one using techniques perfected over 300 years.

Pretty interesting stuff, don’t you agree? I love my tea just as much as the next person, but there is no way I could tell you all of that just from a taste!

About Twinings of London

Twinings has a variety of teas – over 50 distinct and mouthwatering varieties – for you to enjoy. The quite literally do have “Teas that fit your every mood.”

Are you a “tried and true” tea drinker – meaning you prefer one single brand, one flavor – or are you the variety-seeking tea drinker? If you are one that is comfortable and willing to embrace alternative tea types and flavors, Twinings of London will intrigue you with their flavors, each of their teas being fresh, flavorful and aromatic – exactly what tea drinkers seek and are unwilling to compromise on.

Twinings of London has been perfecting the art of tea making with experience and tradition since 1706. Now let’s review all of the delicious varieties that they have available for you to savor.

Twinings Tea Samples

Available in over 50 distinct mouth-watering varieties of Black, Green and Herbal teas; Organic & Fair Trade™ Certified teas; Cold Brewed Iced Teas; and last but not least, K-Cup® Packs!

100% ORGANIC

• Black Tea – CHAI
• Herbal Tea – Chamomile with Mint & Lemon
• Black Tea – Earl Grey
• Green Tea – with Jasmine

ORIGINS

• Darjeeling Tea
• China OOLONG Tea
• Ceylon Orange Pekoe Tea

CHAI

• French Vanilla
• Hazelnut

HERBAL

• Nightly Calm
• Pomegranate & Raspberry
• Lemon & Ginger
• Chamomile, Honey & Vanilla
• Winter Spice

GREEN TEA

• Pomegranate, Raspberry & Strawberry
• Lemon
• Jasmine
• Mint
• Nightly Calm

CLASSICS

• Irish Breakfast Tea
• Prince of Whales Tea
• English Breakfast Tea
• Lady Grey Tea
• Earl Grey Tea

REFRESHING

• Cold Brewed Iced Tea – Peach

Our Twinings Review

I had the pleasure of working with Twinings of London and received a wonderful assortment of their teas to sample. My usual brand comes with about 20 tea bags in a little box, and is available in a variety of flavors, but nothing that they have compares to what my taste buds experienced with Twinings.

As I mentioned, I love tea. I love to try different flavors, especially fruity flavors such as the Pomegranate and Raspberry. I love all of the Chai teas. They are among my top three favorites. I am normally not a huge green tea fan, but the variety of green teas available from Twinings are amazing. At the moment, since I’m feeling a bit frazzled and stressed with Christmas being just a week away, I’m enjoying a Chamomile, Honey and Vanilla herbal tea. The best way to describe the taste is like having your beloved grandmother wrap you in the softest, velvety blanket she owns, and holding you tight in her arms. You just want to sigh deeply and snuggle down into the embrace of this wonderful tea!

On a especially cold day about two weeks ago, the Winter Spice was just what I needed to warm me up and get me in the Christmas spirit with the blend of chamomile blossoms, crisp apples, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Christmas in a cup – that is exactly what it was.

One main feature that I must tell you about is the price. Twinings of London teas are just $2.99 per 20 count box. That is less than what I pay in my grocery store for my so-so tea. Your minimum order needs to total a minimum of $15.00 (so about 6 boxes), and then you just enter in your zip code to determine the shipping rates and your package will be on its way.

I would definitely recommend the Twinings Tea of the Month Club if you live in an area where your shipping charges might be more than your actual order. It’s a fantastic deal, and a gift that comes every month!

Other options available on the website are the beautiful gift boxes with either a 6, 9, or 12 slot insert to hold an assortment of teas and the Honey Stirrers – definitely something to have on hand for the winter months when you need that extra bit of love in your tea cup! Available in Pure Honey, Honey with Orange & Honey with Lemon.

Twinings Tea of the Month Club

Twinings of London has a Tea of the Month Club which allows you to discover their exceptional and best tasting tea delivered to you each month – direct to you or your gift recipient. So whether it’s a refreshing Black, soothing Green, or flavorful Herbal, they are sure to make your teatime well worth every sip.

Each monthly shipment includes:

• Two 20 count boxes of tea (We’ll surprise you or your gift recipient!)
• Product Information: The story behind the tea, what’s in it, and where it’s source
• $ 29.99 for 6 months delivery
• $ 59.99 for 12 months delivery
• Door-to-Door Delivery
• Tea will ship during the first week of the month
• No membership fees
• No cancellation/No refund after 1st shipment has been received.
• Always Free Shipping: Excludes HI & AK

Raid the Pantry – For a Limited Time

What would you say if I told you that you could “Raid the Pantry” at Twinings and try three samples of any brand that you are most interested in trying? You can!

Twinings is so sure that they will be able to fulfill your expectations and give you the best tea experience from their Twinings products, that they are giving you these free samples to show you why its better. Why they are different.

To get your free samples, at no cost to you, simply go here – twiningsusa.com/pantry-2015

Experience and tradition since 1706, with only the best teas, spices, herbs and fruit infusions available, Twinings teas will provide you with the perfect balance of tea taste, flavor and aroma. Give them a try today!