Pique Tea, English Breakfast Organic Black Tea

Picture Credit: piquetea.com

Pique Tea Description:
Silky. Malty. Smooth as Al Green’s voice. Our English Breakfast is a special blend of organic Ceylon tea from the world-renowned Idulgashinna Estate in the Uva region in eastern Sri Lanka, and a superior Assam from a boutique estate located in Northeast India near the Namdapha National Park, which is recognized as one of India's richest areas of biodiversity. These medium-black, slightly tippy leaves of the Assam brew to a medium amber cup with a earthy and well-bodied malty taste. 

100% certified organic ingredients
Sourced from Fair Trade Certified tea farms
Batch tested to ensure antioxidant levels and no heavy metals

Sample provided by Pique Tea

My Review:

Today we will be looking at the 5th and final of the samples found in the variety pack from Pique. Each is available for separate purchase, but with a monthly subscription from Pique you can save 20%.

Pique teas are individual serving sized packets. Pique steeps the tea in their facilities, then turns the brew into crystals. The result is far different from any thing resembling instant tea that I have ever experienced.

Pouring the contents from the packet into my mug, the color reminds me of rooibos. The texture is similar to hot cocoa mix.

The moment the boiling water hits the mug, the crystals completely dissolve, leaving a beautiful deep orange tea with bright ruby tones. Pique notes this as a medium amber. My result is much different. I'm impressed with how dark and rich the color appears. It has a solid woodsy malt scent.

The first thing I notice when tasting is not what is there, but what isn't. All the Pique teas so far have had a sharp bite. I believe I likened it to a citric feel in one review. It is completely absent in this mug. This is amazingly smooth. This surprises me from a blend made with Ceylon and Assam.

What I do taste is smooth and malty. There are light notes of floral and fruit. It has the woodsy notes one associates with a breakfast blend. At the end of the sip, just before slipping into the aftertaste, this blossoms into a touch of an edge. This light astringency breaks the mellow mold and adds extra interest.

This is a tasty breakfast blend, however, just as with the other Pique teas, I want to know how this works as an iced tea. I took another packet and poured it into a 12 oz bottle of icy cold water and shook it. The result is a more robust tea than its hot counter part. For me this is a perfect combination. I like a hot breakfast tea that packs a lot of flavor but doesn't jolt me awake. I want my iced tea with more edge. For some odd reason this tea does both.

You can find Pique English Breakfast Organic Black Tea here.