PG Tips has been an established brand in the United Kingdom since 1930 but has just recently offered their teas to tea drinkers in the United States. These tea bags are a little different in that they are pyramid style but constructed of the a paper-like material typical of tea bags. Tiny holes are visible throughout the bag. I brewed this tea the plain old fashioned way with boiling water and a coffee mug, allowing it to infuse for about a minute. I do miss the presence of a string but a spoon is an easy enough remedy for that. I was surprised by how much I liked this tea. The flavor was full, rich and nutty without being overly bitter. This is a well balanced black tea with just the right amount of astringency. While I consider myself a loose leaf convert I’m not above using a tea bag at work or when I on the run. However, it is hard to find a tea bag that I enjoy very much. I absolutely loved this tea iced. Since New Jersey’s recent heat wave has hit I’ve been making big pitchers of it on a regular basis. They also happen to have the cutest monkey mascot ever! I would definitely recommend it.
Now that RateTea.net is starting to get enough ratings to start caluclating some things, I decided the other day to pull up the most frequently rated teas and I was not surprised to find PG Tips was #1, beating (by only one rating) the expected followers tied for second place: Bigelow's Constant Comment, Lipton's Black Tea, Celestial Seasoning's Sleepytime, and Twinings' Earl Grey.
Interestingly though, the average rating for PG Tips is lower than all of the top 10 teas but Lipton.
I only tried PG Tips once and I wasn't a fan…but I think I possbily brewed it too strongly. Maybe I will try it again and give it a second consideration.