"It's no' th' tea," said my Scottish friend. "It's th' water. Ye kin take th' tea home, but ye kin no' take th' water."
Hmmmm, well, I grant that most places I've visited in Scotland have wonderfully soft and pleasant-tasting water. Still and all, we also have very nice soft water in ... Read review
Advantages: Flavorful tea especially blended for soft water Disadvantages: Difficult to procure (in the States, that is), short of a trip to Scotland
"It's no' th' tea," said my Scottish friend. "It's th' water. Ye kin take th' tea home, but ye kin no' take th' water."
Hmmmm, well, I grant that most places I've visited in Scotland have wonderfully soft and pleasant-tasting water. Still and all, we also have very nice soft water in my little corner of America. We don't, however, have ready access to Scottish Blend tea. Fortunately, this particular problem is easy ... ...a ready supply on hand! (Failing that, Scottish Blend can sometimes be found in the States at specialty shops stocking UK foodstuffs.)
You may think I'm jesting with this flippant remark about flying off to Scotland. I'm not. Scotland and I have been involved in a torrid love affair for just over a decade now, and I cross the Pond to this bonny piece of green earth about once a year. Rarely do I return without a fresh supply of Scottish ... more
"It's no' th' tea," said my Scottish friend. "It's th' water. Ye kin take th' tea home, but ye kin no' take th' water."
Hmmmm, well, I grant that most places I've visited in Scotland have wonderfully soft and pleasant-tasting water. Still and all, we also have very nice soft water in my little corner of America. We don't, however, have ready access to Scottish Blend tea. Fortunately, this particular problem is easy to solve--just fly off to Scotland often enough to keep a ready supply on hand! (Failing that, Scottish Blend can sometimes be found in the States at specialty shops stocking UK foodstuffs.)
You may think I'm jesting with this flippant remark about flying off to Scotland. I'm not. Scotland and I have been involved in a torrid love affair for just over a decade now, and I cross the Pond to this bonny piece of green earth about once a year. Rarely do I return without a fresh supply of Scottish Blend.
Why go to so much trouble for a good cuppa? Well, it isn't really trouble. It's actually more like an excuse, an act of homage. . . . That confession aside, Scottish Blend simply makes a great cup of everyday tea--far better than Lipton or Tetley, and more satisfying in many ways than PG Tips, which I also love. It's a calming, comforting blend of black tea--flavorful without being quite so robust. When you need a more serious caffeine high, go for PG Tips--or even coffee. But when you need a bit less caffeine and a tad more comfort (and who doesn't regularly need comfort?), go for Scottish Blend.
By now it will come as no surprise that I first encountered Scottish Blend in Scotland. The Scots take their tea very seriously, and Scottish Blend is a bit like the Scots themselves--gentle yet steadfast. As Scots will tell you and the packaging will confirm, Scottish Blend is especially blended for "our soft Scottish water."
Like PG Tips, Scottish Blend is a product of Unilever, which helps to explain why both products have such similar packaging and "engineering" for their pyramid-shaped tea bags. The shape of the bags allows more hot water to flow easily through the tea leaves and infuse more flavor into the finished beverage. In addition, Unilever's so-called "freeflow fabric," is "webbed" rather than perforated to keep out bits and pieces of the tea leaves, allowing only the liquid to pass through the tea bag.
The end product is a perfect cup of tea, ready to be completed in the manner than suits you best. I usually add a bit of milk to mine. Himself prefers two sugars. Mother wants a teaspoon of honey. Any way you drink it, Scottish Blend delivers--provided, of course, you have soft water and are willing to let your tea steep for the proper amount of time (5 minutes works for me).
Once my cup is ready, it's time to kick back, sit quietly, hold the cup, close my eyes, and dream of Scottish landscapes.
Advantages: Blended for use with soft water Disadvantages: May not be available in other places
Scotland is well known for its Pyramids, in fact in West Lothian we have quite a few, although I admit they are really called “bings” a result from coal and shale mining, but along the M8 there are art projects including pyramids to brighten up the journey between Edinburgh and Glasgow! Seriously though I’m taking about Scottish Blend pyramid tea bags made especially for soft Scottish water.
Serious tea drinkers will know that the same tea bag or ... ...water. I used to love to get home after holidays for a decent cup of tea!
I stopped drinking tea with caffeine a couple of years ago but have started to have the odd cup of tea instead of my usual fruit infusions. And as I filled up the Tea caddy with bags I thought I must tell people what Scottish blend is like.
My box has on average 160 pyramid shaped tea bags and that is equivalent to 500grams. The box is mainly blue with a lovely green leaf ...
jo145 07.10.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Brooke Bond Scottish Blend
Advantages: Smooth taste in a superior cuppa. Disadvantages: Not as readily available nationwide as it could be.
Brooke Bond`s "Scottish Blend" is an absolute must for the tea lover. Specially blended to compliment the soft waters of Scotland, "Scottish Blend" has a very smooth and distinctive taste. Typically purchased in packs of 80, (they are also available in 160`s and 240`s), "Scottish Blend" has recently been made even more attractive to the tea drinker with the introduction of the "100% Extra Free" promotion (only available on 80`s). 160 tea bags for ... ...more simple than that. Brooke Bond recommend that the following points are followed to allow the drinker to experience the full flavour of their product.
If you live in a hard water area you should use a metal kettle (unless your plastic jug kettle has a limescale filter).
Always fill the kettle with FRESH water as fresh water contains more oxygen which enhances the flavour.
Do not use water which has been boiled previously.
Always boil the water ...
roy_l_t_1970 25.03.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Brooke Bond Scottish Blend
