TEA OF POSSIBILITY
*Our current batch of this popular tea tastes & looks different than usual. The vanilla is softer, but also slightly sweeter & has a more creamy, almost milk-like, taste. The bergamot notes are more lemony & have stronger lavender-like floral notes. The dry tea leaves are also smaller, but a bit puffier in visual appearance.
Premium quality, organic tea is like fine wine—it changes from batch to batch & season to season. Rainfall patterns & temperature variations cause changes to the taste of ingredients, & to the appearance of tea leaves. This is a plus overall, because it reflects a high quality, fresh, seasonal product grown in harmony with nature, & showcases the use of natural ingredients. We do not use any artificial flavourings.
However, this batch of LONDON FOG has much more significant change than previous batches. The key factor responsible for this is climate change. Rising heat levels & stronger dry spells followed by unusually heavy rains are fundamentally altering the taste of ingredients, as well as the appearance of tea leaves. Plants are being subjected to severe stresses as they respond to these unusual climatic conditions, & that ends up being reflected in the taste & visual appearance of the tea leaves.
Vanilla & bergamot, both of which are key ingredients in this blend, are both experiencing profound changes in their taste as a result of climate change.
For over a decade, we've been hearing from farmers about increasing difficulties due to climate change, & observing significant changes in tea's taste & leaf appearance. Differences from harvest to harvest used to be subtle. However, the longer-term effects of increasingly extreme weather patterns are causing the differences to become even more pronounced.
If you love this tea & purchase it regularly, we recommend purchasing a smaller quantity of this batch, in case it's not your cup of tea! As tea is a food product, it is not refundable, so it's best to stock up once you know for sure you're a fan of this batch.
We will continue to update this page with details about how future batches of this tea taste. Check back to find out more about how the next batch tastes, once it is available.
In the event you fall in love with this version, we recommend purchasing more soon, as climate change is having unpredictable effects on harvests, so we don't yet know what the next batch will reveal in terms of aroma & taste.
The history behind this blend: we are renowned for our LONDON FOG TEA, made with the highest quality natural, organic ingredients. Nowadays, most teas that contain vanilla use artificial vanilla extract. Nowadays, it's also very rare to encounter Earl Grey tea made without the use of artificial flavours, as artificial flavours have become the norm in the tea industry. This is because artificial flavours are cheaper & result in a more consistent taste, but they have a higher carbon footprint & may also have some unexpected side effects.
In our view (& that of our many loyal clients), artificial flavouring doesn't compare to the taste of real bergamot & vanilla. Many clients also report that they don't react well to artificial flavours & there is increasing concern about the potential health impacts of artificial flavours. The other downside of artificial flavours is that they don't appear to contain the benefits of real ingredients. Real vanilla & bergamot have been linked to natural mood boosting & stress relieving qualities.
What makes our LONDON FOG TEA unique & special is that we use the highest quality vanilla, bergamot & black tea, masterfully blended together to create the most peak taste possible, based on what mother nature provides us with.
flavour profile: classic bergamot with a smooth vanilla note
ingredients: Ceylon black tea, vanilla beans, vanilla and bergamot fruit essence
also available in tea bags
Brewing Instructions
Pour 2 cups of water over 1 tsp. of SILK ROAD premium quality, organic loose tea. This may not seem like a lot of tea but SILK ROAD teas are incredibly fresh & flavourful, which means that you don’t need very much in order to produce a delicious cup of tea. Using any more tea leaves can result in a cup of tea that is too strong.
- herbal tea bring water to a full, rolling boil | steep 7-10 minutes
- wellness tea bring water to a full, rolling boil | cover & steep 7-10 minutes
- green tea bring water to just before the boil begins | steep 1-3 minutes
- black tea bring water to a full, rolling boil | steep 2-5 minutes
- white tea bring water to just before the boil begins | steep 3-5 minutes
- oolong tea bring water to the boil | steep 5-7 minutes
Sizing Information
LOOSE TEA SIZES
TASTER contains approx 3 tsp of tea. Packaged in a foil lined, small envelope.
TIN contains approx 40 tsp of tea. Packaged in a food grade stainless steel tin. Tin dimension is 8.3 cm (3.25") in diameter x 5.5 cm (2.125") tall
TIN REFILL contains approx 40 tsp of tea. Packaged in a small brown paper bag. The bag does not have a zip top and is not designed for storage. Transfer to tin or airtight container immediately after it arrives to you.
BARISTA is a special value size - get 10 cups free, compared to the price of a tin! Contains approx 90 tsp of tea. Packaged in a zip top kraft satchel. If you previously purchased the 80 cup tin, we recommend getting one BARISTA satchel. It contains more tea, and is offered at a higher savings. If you previously purchased the 300 cup tin, we recommend getting two BARISTA satchels. Please note that BARISTA is not a price increase as compared to the 300 cup size, unless the tea being purchased has been impacted by price increase.
We have been delaying price increases as long as possible, and have recently implemented price increases on some teas. We have done our best to keep price increases as minimal as possible.
SERVING SIZE Our teas are made with premium botanicals, bursting with superb flavour and nutrient richness. You need less per serving to make a delicious cup of tea! Our recommended serving size is 1 teaspoon for 2 cups of tea.
STORAGE & FRESHNESS To maintain tea's freshness, taste and nutrient benefits, store away from exposure to heat, light and moisture. While the BARISTA size comes in a zip top satchel, if it takes longer than a few months to consume the tea, we recommend transferring it to a glass mason jar. It is more airtight and can offer better protection against humidity and moisture, as long as you store the jar out of direct light.
Interested in purchasing tea by specific weight amounts? This is not an option at this time. Our teas are only available in preset sizes shown here.
Wondering if some of the tin sizes we used to carry will return, and if so, when? Supply chain issues are impacting the availability of many items, including tins. We're doing our best to provide you with the best value and options, and may return to past packaging formats if and when possible. We recently introduced the TASTER and BARISTA sizes in response to supply chain shortages of tins, because some tin sizes that we used to offer are not available at this time. If you previously purchased the 80 cup tin, we recommend getting one BARISTA satchel. If you previously purchased the 300 cup tin, we recommend getting two BARISTA satchels.
