Second Cuppa

Harney & Sons HT English Breakfast Tea

The first thing I noticed when I open the tin of Harney & Sons HT English Breakfast Tea is a pleasant, distinctive fragrance. Ceylon (Kenilworth Estate) and Kenya (Milima Estate) comprise the mix. Missing are the usual suspects, Assam and Keemun, which usually form the basis of such blends.

The tea comes in pyramid-shaped sachets which I really like because the tea leaves can be seen, and what you see inside are real tea leaves, not dust or fannings. The end result comes closer to that of loose leaf tea than I’ve ever gotten from a tea bag.

Back to that fragrance I mentioned earlier. I would describe the aroma as sweet, somewhat citrusy (but not as much as other Ceylons) with other fruit fragrances like plum and raisin. I also detect honey and toast. PG Tips this is not.

Though it doesn’t brew ask dark as other breakfast blends, HT English Breakfast’s full body stands up reasonably well to milk. The color is an attractive reddish amber.

When brewed according to the directions (add boiling water and steep for 5 minutes) the result is a bright, clean flavor from start to finish, with a little of that brightness lingering a while in the mouth. If over steeped, this tea gets bitter. A little splash of milk, if any, is all that is needed. Sweetener is also optional.

Harney & Sons HT English Breakfast Tea has become a gratifying morning ritual for me since I bought a container at Target the other week. It offers the convenience of a bagged tea and an experience close to what you’d get with loose leaves in a teapot.

Aroma:	Sweet, citrusy, honey, raisin, honey, and toast
Body:	Full
Flavor:	Bright all the way
Color:	Reddish Amber

Pete Best’s Life Lessons

One of music’s saddest figures has been the focus of my attention lately. There’s so much to learn from the story of Pete Best, I felt compelled to write about it.

Best was the drummer for the Beatles from 1960–1962. Blindsided by his abrupt dismissal from the band shortly after they landed a recording contract, Best lost three good friends — never to speak with any one of them ever again — and watched their blistering rise to stardom.

It certainly wasn’t the first or last time something like this happened. Many bands see personnel changes before finding the right combination. Pete Best just happened to the guy who got booted from the most influential band in rock ‘n’ roll history at the moment in time their train to fame was seriously picking up steam.

Although a myriad of reasons for Best’s dismissal persist, it should be obvious to anyone who considers the evidence that his band-mates found a better drummer and Beatle personality in Ringo Starr. Pete was, in a sense, a historical placeholder.

Best managed to irk out a 20-year career in the UK Civil Service. By all accounts, he is a happy husband, father, brother, grandfather, and gracious human being.

He returned to music in 1988, touring all over the world. His band, The Pete Best Band, put out an album in 2008 that rivals anything Paul and Ringo have produced in recent years. Sure he relies heavily on his Beatles connection to fill rooms, and why not? Paul and Ringo have been doing it since 1970.

Lessons applicable to modern, workaday life can be gleaned from Pete Best’s story. We can learn about what pitfalls to avoid and how to overcome the most adverse circumstances.

Practice your craft

Perhaps things would have worked out better for Pete had he worked on his chops, and maybe that other Liverpudlian drummer wouldn’t have entered the story.

Show up for work

Maintaining a low level of absenteeism is a good idea if you care about your job because somebody more talented may likely take your place. Pete called in sick one to many times, the band called on Ringo to fill in, and the rest is history.

Secure employment does not exist

Pete claims he was blindsided by his firing from the Beatles. Many of us have experienced the same in the corporate world. Don’t forget you’re expendable. Be prepared for a job loss.

Do your best (no pun intended) in the face of adversity

Pete was devastated personally and humiliated financially after being fired from the Beatles. He continued in the music biz for a while before quitting. He then worked at a bakery until he landed a civil service gig. The point is: keep moving forward even if you find yourself without direction. Do what is necessary to survive. Hang on to your pride.

Be your own boss

I’ve tried this two times and failed, but I don’t regret it for a minute. If you want to prevent yourself from getting fired, consider starting your own business and working for yourself. Pete has his own band now with his name in the title; they can’t give him the boot … without changing the name.

It’s never too late

Whether it’s learning something new or resuming a pursuit long ago abandoned, any time is the right time. Pete returned to music in his mid-forties and has been making a living at it ever since.

Does Adding Milk Reduce Tea’s Health Benefits?

Tea is loaded with healthy antioxidants. Green tea has more, but black tea has plenty. And antioxidants are believed to improve vascular function in humans and other animals. So all this time, I thought I was doing well for my arteries when I enjoyed a cup of black tea with milk.

If you like your tea with milk too, you may be disappointed to learn that a certain type of protein in cow’s milk may negate the benefits of the antioxidants. At least, this is the conclusion of a 2007 study conducted in Germany.

In the study, 16 healthy females were given tea, some of which contained 10% skim milk. A high-resolution vascular ultrasound was administered to the subjects right before and two hours after consuming the tea. Those who had tea without milk showed improved flow-mediated dilation (FMD) while those who had tea with milk showed no FMD improvement.

Despite this study’s results and all the negative things I read about cow’s milk lately, my staunch love for milk — by itself or in combination with tea — goes on. But I do limit myself to one cup of black tea per day (ok, sometimes two), opting instead for a green or oolong tea in the afternoon, which can only be enjoyed sans milk.

If this information regarding the relationship between tea and milk is a hard pill for you to swallow, just do a little internet research on fluoride levels in tea. You may find yourself giving up the Camellia sinensis plant (and the red bush) altogether.

Dynasty Oolong Tea Review

This equable brand-name tea from the same folks who bring us Chinese Restaurant Tea has been my afternoon beverage of choice (and circumstance) for the last three days. Thirteen more afternoons and the pack of 16 will be depleted.

There’s nothing fancy here, just a mild oolong with a roasted, earthy aroma and semi-sweet taste. I’ve discovered that I prefer this type of oolong — the darker variety that has undergone more oxidation and roasting — to the lighter variety which is closer to green tea. I suppose that’s how it goes when you start from a black tea point of view.

Aroma:	Roasted wood, earthy
Body:	Medium
Flavor:	Mild and slightly sweet; a little like unsweetened chocolate
Color:	Brown

The New Trader Joe’s Original Irish Breakfast Tea

Back in March, I reviewed Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast Tea for this blog. A couple of months later, a few blog visitors posted comments, complaining of a change in the tea. One commenter confirmed that Trader Joe’s had, in fact, changed suppliers for its Irish Breakfast Tea.

My reaction to these comments was twofold. First, I was happy that one of my posts attracted a small discussion; any blogger will tell you how difficult it is to get real comments. Second, I felt compelled to investigate the matter further.

To be honest, I wasn’t a big fan of the original formula. For an Irish Breakfast tea, I found it quite lacking in aroma, strength, and flavor. I still have more than half of the original package left.

Based on commenters’ laments over the loss of their beloved TJ’s Irish Breakfast Tea, I didn’t have much expectation of its replacement.

The new package is smaller and not nearly as green. The name has changed from ‘Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast Tea’ to ‘Trader Joe’s Original Irish Breakfast.’ The tea bags are now round instead of square and vacuum packed into two 40-bag columns.

I opened the package, plopped a rounder into my mug, added boiling water, and steeped for three minutes. A strong, malty, citrusy aroma greeted my nose. My tongue and cheeks delighted in the heavy, chalky, slightly astringent nature of the tea’s flavor. This is what I expect from an Irish tea!

Curiosity got me. I wanted to find out who the new supplier was. The tea bags are round, so it could be Tetley … but it doesn’t taste like any Tetley I’ve ever had.

I’ve got it! Republic of Tea (ROT) is supplying Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast. The tea bags look identical to the ones on the ROT website, and both companies are based in California. To confirm, I emailed both Trader Joe’s and ROT. I never heard back from Trader Joe’s, but ROT replied with the following:

Dear Citizen Leo,
Thank you for your email. We do not supply Trader Joe's with tea.
Sip by sip,
Minister of Citizen Services

Oh well. Who am I kidding? I’m no sleuth. I’m just an amateur tea expert with a blog, and this case is going cold. Nonetheless, I’m impressed with this tea.

Sure, there are better Irish breakfast teas out there but not by much, and not for $3 a pack. For this reason, I officially recommend the new Trader Joe’s Original Irish Breakfast tea as a Second Cuppa best buy.

Aroma:	Malty, citrusy, mossy
Body:	Full
Flavor:	Chalky, bitter, bright finish
Color:	Dark amber

UPDATE 6/19/2013: Trader Joe’s finally got back to me. I’m a bit shocked by what they said.

Hi Leo,

Thank you for contacting us! The packaging of our Trader Joe's Irish 
Breakfast Tea has recently changed but the actual tea leaves have 
not changed. In any case, were glad you are enjoying it! Please 
know that Trader Joe's and it's private labeled products are 
privately owned, therefore we follow a very strict disclosure
policy alongside our suppliers. Due to this policy, we do not 
disclose any of our supplier information.

Thank you,

Nicki K.
Trader Joe's
Customer Relations

I’m not surprised that they won’t disclose the supplier, but claiming the tea leaves are the same is incorrect. There is a vast difference between the old and the new Trader Joe’s Irish Breakfast tea. Somebody gave somebody some bad information somewhere along the communication chain.