Queen's 90th Birthday tea from Twinings

Tea caddies and tins are my weakness. They are perfect containers for tea, keeping it fresh for longer, and after the tea is finished, you can reuse them for any other dried foods. And they look so pretty in the kitchen. I first spotted tins of Queen's 90th Birthday tea from Twinings before Easter.
We were planning to go to Italy for a week, and I bought a tin as a gift to one of our friends who is an  Anglophile and a great admirer of Her Majesty. I knew he would be delighted with this special edition tea.
I also bought a tin for myself.

This special edition tea has been created by master blenders to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday.
90th birthday tea blend uses the finest quality black teas from three Commonwealth countries. You will find a full-bodied tea from Assam, India, a refreshing Kenyan tea and a rich smooth Sri Lankan variety, all blended together as a tribute to Her Majesty.

It is a smooth refreshing brew indeed, albeit not very imaginative. I don't know what kind of tea Her Majesty prefers, perhaps this blend reflects her personal taste in tea.
The colour is beautiful - dark amber, and the aroma is very pleasant.

I do love flavoured teas (Earl Grey is my top favourite), or if they are black, then with a hint of smokiness like Russian Caravan, or very smokey like Lapsang.
My garden is full of roses this month, and I like adding a few petals to the black tea.
It is probably a habit I picked up from my Mum, she has always been adding slices of lemon, orange, apple or herbs to black tea, and I rarely drink black tea as it is (I'm not very keen on milk in tea, I know, I'm failing my test on Britishness).

These tins are still available (found in Waitrose locally).
 For every commemorative tin sold, Twinings will make a donation to QEST: the Royal Warrant Holders Association Charity, supporting excellence in British craftsmanship.

This weekend the country was celebrating Her Majesty's official birthday by holding street parties. Our street didn't have a party, as it's a very busy road, and I guess, it would have been impossible to close it for the party. We did watch some of the footage of the commemorative events including the Patron's Lunch, and raised a cuppa to a lady who keeps herself very busy despite her advanced years. Here's to another big birthday!

Did you join in any street parties this weekend?

Not a 90th birthday mug, but one that my older son got in school as a gift in the year of the Diamond Jubilee