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Review: Whittard of Chelsea English Rose

125g loose (Herbalteasplus.com, $8.99)

For those seeking strength as well as whimsy, English Rose from Whittard of Chelsea is a good place to begin. Strong enough for a man, yet floral enough for a sissy man this is a complex combination of black tea and fruit.

Known by fans as 'dream flavored', English Rose combines Keemum and Assam black tea with touches of mango, papaya, and rose petal. The resulting product is an enticing mixture that pleases the senses from the get go. Lacking the overbearing perfume like quality that tends to plague more haphazard blends, all the ingredients in this medley make themselves accounted for in their own way.

The initial smell can certainly be described as dream like, assuming of course that your dreams tend to be gentle frolics through private gardens of spring time delight and earthly pleasure. From this frolic though comes a liquid that is somewhat more serious. Its deep, malty appearance is more like the result from a standard English Breakfast or no nonsense Earl Grey. We are playing with Keemum and Assam after all, not just flowers and love.

The resulting flavor is a neat combination of all the forces at work. The black teas work to make a strong undercurrent for the dotting of mango and rose. Overall this is a fine cup and easily one of the best black tea blends I have ever tried.