The London Tea Co (pyramid range)

“Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea.” (Rev. Sydney Smith)

I am in complete agreement with the Reverend on the matter. I wouldn't be able to function properly without my cuppa. I love discovering new flavours and was delighted when a hamper of The London Tea Co Pyramid range arrived at my doorstep. You might have seen my recent review of The London Tea Co envelope range and might have even entered a giveaway on my blog, which has just ended the other day.

The Pyramid range
Each stylish and sophisticated box contains 15 Biodegradable tea bags. All this range is Fairtrade. I love the design of the boxes, they are all coloured differently, with black silhouettes of the tea drinkers sitting on a capital letter L with a T used as a table. Very clever, amusing and original.
All boxes come with a snippet of a fascinating tea fact:  "Before 1660, Londoners were suspicious of European tastes. But all that changed when they became royal continental tastes. Catherine of Braganza was a Portuguese tea addict, (and the wife of Charles II) who introduced the drink at court to ripples of bewigged applause. By 1760, tea had overtaken gin as the most popular drink in Britain".
Poor Catherine indeed needed all the comfort she could get, being a long-suffering wife of the merry and lecherous Charlie. I'm sure she would have given her royal approval to The London Tea Co.
I wonder which flavour would have been her favourite?

Earl Grey is always my first drink of choice, so it's not surprising this was the first tea I have picked from the hamper to try. This classic flavoured black tea is made with natural flavourings, orange and lemon peel. A very enjoyable tea, with real pieces of dried peel which you can see in a transparent pyramid bag. I don't know if natural flavourings mean bergamot, which usually is a signature element in Earl Grey, but this wasn't obvious. If I had to do a blind test, I probably wouldn't name it as Earl Grey, rather a citrus-flavoured black tea. I liked it best with a slice of lemon and one sugar.

Darjeeling comes from Ambootia tea estate at the foothills of the Himalaya in Northern India where environmental practices are important to the owners as maintaining the quality of their produce. This second flush Darjeeling is produced in small quantities once a year. It is a beautiful black tea of dark amber colour. Darjeeling has often been described as the champagne of the tea world. It has a toothsome depth to it, with a tone of bark and dry musk even. Serve in your best china to celebrate its unique taste.

Agatha Christie once said: "Tea! Bless ordinary everyday afternoon tea!" I'm sure London Breakfast tea would have been just the right tea for her, as it is a classic black tea without any added flavours.
Quite a few of my friends prefer their black tea just like that, unadorned and pure. It has rich malty undertones, and is lovely with a dash of milk. As for me, I tend to add a few thin slices of an apple or a few rose petals to black tea. Try it yourselves!

Vanilla Chai is a black tea, with ginger, liquorice, black pepper, cardamom and vanilla. A heart-warming brew, with a good balance of spices and flavours, which work in harmony. It is rich and revitalising. I do enjoy it with a bit of honey and a dash of milk. When it's cold or wet outdoors, this tea is an excellent tonic and mood-enhancer.

I find pure green tea a bit too uninspiring, so any flavoured green tea gets thumbs up from me. Green Tea Tropical is a flavoured Sencha green tea with ginger pieces. Now we are talking business! It is delicately fresh, fruity and very uplifting, with a zingy burst of ginger (but not overpowering).

Moroccan Mint is a combination of Green Tea and Peppermint, bringing health benefits from both ingredients. I like to add half a teaspoon of honey to my peppermint tea, but for a more authentic flavour serve it in a glass with sugar. Make it very sweet and imagine yourself in a souk in Marrakech.

Lemongrass, Ginger & Citrus Fruit infusion is a refreshing drink. Among its ingredients you will find lemongrass, ginger, citrus fruit, i.e. lemon, orange and grapefruit peel. Zesty, zingy, bursting with flavour, it's a perfect brew for herbal tea lovers.

Rooibos tea is another of my favourites. I love its rusty autumnal colour, a unique aroma and reviving taste. The London Tea Co says: "Our Fairtrade Rooibos is grown in the Cederberg Mountains in South Africa's Western Cape. It has a unique sweet, slightly tannic character and deep russet colour which makes it an excellent naturally caffeine free alternative to tea as it takes milk well". Personally I don't like to add milk to rooibos but it's a matter of taste.

 As you can imagine, my kettle has been on non-stop for testing a wonderful variety of teas from The London Tea Co. I hope my review would inspire you to try this range if you haven't discovered it yet.

Disclosure: I received a selection of London Tea Company teas for the purposes of testing and reviewing. All opinions are mine.

To find more about this range, visit LondonTeaCompany on Facebook and follow Lovelondontea on Twitter.