Thompson’s Family Teas (Punjana) Signature Special Tea Blend Review

Thompson's Signature Blend TeaThe same company that produces my beloved Punjana Irish Breakfast Tea (now re-branded as Thompson’s Family Teas Irish Breakfast Blend) actually makes several varieties of teas. Thompson’s Signature Blend has been part of my daily tea routine for the past couple of weeks, and this is what I think of it.

Signature Blend is a very strong tea. As such, a steep time of 2–3 minutes works fine. Over steeping can lead to bitterness. I can plunk two tea bags in my four-cup teapot and still get a strong brew in 5–6 minutes. I add milk every time.

Although Signature Blend and Irish Breakfast blend share some aroma characteristics, Signature Blend is more smokey and earthy while Irish Breakfast Blend is noticeably sweet and citrusy. Signature Blend feels good in mouth with its full body and biting finish, making it a perfect morning tea.

Aroma: Smokey, ashy, sweet
Body: Full
Flavor: Earthy, tannic, bitter
Color: Dark Amber

Tetley English Breakfast Drawstring Tea Review

Image of Tetley English Breakfast Drawstring Tea and MugIf you live in America, you can find Tetley English Breakfast Drawstring Tea in the Specialty Tea section of Tetley USA’s online store. As far as I can tell, a couple of things makes this tea ‘special’: the patented drawstring tea bags you pull apart to squeeze out every last bit of liquid and the fact that it’s imported from England.

All this speciality comes at a cost to me and you — roughly 17 more cents per tea bag than Tetley British Blend, which is easily obtainable at your local grocery store. At 23 cents per tea bag, the cost of Tetley English Breakfast hovers in Keurig K-Cup territory.

Now that we’ve considered the economics of the situation, let’s experience the tea. The subtle aroma is pleasantly sweet with hints of raisin and plum and, to a lesser extent, citrus. Tetley English Breakfast has a mild, rounded flavor that goes down smooth and offers a mildly bright finish.

I do enjoy drinking this tea. It has more characteristic than British Blend and, with individually wrapped tea bags, it travels well. While it’s not as full bodied as you might expect from an English breakfast tea, it handles milk pretty well. The drawstring tea bags may seem kind of gimmicky at first, but they do what they promise; see my demonstration below.

Tetley Drawstring Tea Bag Demonstration GIF
Drawstring Tea Bag: Separate and Squeeze
Aroma: Sweet, raisin, plum, citrus
Body: Medium-Full
Flavor: Bright, sweet and smooth
Color: Amber