OP
Texas Star
US Veteran
When I want hot tea--I only do twinings--nobody else comes close.I love: English Breakfast,Irish Breakfast and Earl Grey.
Bigalow tea is the worst ive ever had.
Bear in mind that Robert Twining & Co., founded in London in 1706, hold the Royal Warrant as supplier of tea to Queen Elizabeth II. I don't like Earl Grey, which has strong Oil of Bergamot flavoring. Their milder Lady Grey is a lot like Bigelow's Constant Comment. My daughter likes it.
I like most Twining's blends, esp. Irish Breakfast and Ceylon Orange Pekoe. But their Darjeeling is a bit light for me, and for a Darjeeling-origin tea, I prefer that from Taylor's of Harrogate. That firm holds the RW from Charles, Prince of Wales, a keen student of agriculture and of fair trade in tea and such. His crest of three white feathers and the motto, "Ich Deign" is on their boxes. Look carefully at that logo on the Twining's boxes. You may need a magnifying glass, but that's the lion and unicorn, the crest of his mother, the Queen. Only Charles and his parents can issue a Royal Warrant to a merchant, and it is reviewed every five years to ensure continuing quality.
In an English Breakfast Tea, I prefer Taylor's to Twining's. But both brands are excellent, especially in their region- specific blends.
If your grocer doesn't stock Twining's or Taylor's of Harrogate teas, their sites sell by mail in the USA. Study their sites and you can learn a lot about tea.
The Tetley British Blend tea is also good, but seems to me to lack the final edge to equal the other British brands mentioned. But it's a good value, at $4.49 for an 80-bag box. A typical Twining's or Taylor's box of 20 bags is about $2.89. It's one of the great real values left in the world.
Please do visit their sites. They do get around. A Swedish friend buys Twining's there.