This bright and fresh tea, H. R. Higgins Summer Peach Tea, could very well be my favourite tea to drink this summer. So, I’m giving it a thorough review now so all my readers will have a chance to order it before the summer months arrive!
H. R. Higgins are a small business but a great one. They very kindly sent me this tea along with a couple others (find those reviews on the Immortal Wordsmith blog too) to promote on Instagram. Reviews weren’t included in the deal, so you can consider this article completely unbiased.
Let’s dig into the flavour, aroma and ingredients used to make this summery black tea blend.
Note: Since H. R. Higgins sent me this tea sample, they have changed the ingredients in this blend. Rather than containing the ingredients listed below, it is a blend of Chinese black tea with cornflower and marigold petals with tropical fruit flavouring. It is highly rated by customers nonetheless.
H. R. Higgins Summer Peach Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Black and white tea with sunflower petals, peach chunks and flavouring
- Flavour: Fruit notes of peach and melon balanced against green and floral notes with a smooth tea base
This tea is gorgeous. High notes of juicy peach and melon drizzled over meringue is contrasted with astringent floral and green notes. The entire flavour profile is artfully balanced atop a base of slightly malty black tea. Utterly delectable.
Full Review – Peach Black Tea by H. R. Higgins
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: Chinese white tea and Indian black tea
- Additives: Sunflower petals, dried peach chunks, peach flavouring
- Flavour Notes: Peaches, meringue, melon, astringent greenness, black tea tannins and malt
- Aroma: Ripe peaches, stewed peaches, soft tannins, malt, floral, sweet, cantaloupe melon
- Milk or Lemon: Lemon and/or honey to taste
- Where to Buy: H. R. Higgins Teashop
Popping open the packet, the initial aroma is intensely peachy. There’s a mix of fresh and bright peaches (juicy ripe and just sliced open) and jammy rich stewed peaches (simmered on the stove with a pinch of brown sugar). Alongside the peach notes, you can smell a soft hint of florals, tannins and black tea malt.
Once brewed, this tea creates a tawny walnut brown liquid colour, with a hint of caramel. It’s light and clear, but so warm with rich brown tones. The aroma is also exquisite. I can detect smooth black tea tannins, hinting at a thirst-quenching tea, with higher notes of peach and cantaloupe melon sweetness.
The flavour is freshly baked meringues topped with those sticky peaches, slices of fresh melon and a small, subtle floral garnish. The tea base has some greenness and good astringency which balances that fruity sweetness well, with a good smooth black tea foundation to hold everything up comfortably.
As for the texture, it is slick and thin which is very refreshing. This tea would make a wonderful iced tea but is also very satisfying when consumed hot.
How to Brew Peach Flavoured Black Tea
Mr Higgins recommend that you brew this tea for 3 minutes and 30 seconds, using boiling water. They also recommend serving it black, without any milk or other additive. I mostly agree with that, but a slice of lemon or drizzle of honey wouldn’t ruin it.
Use 1 full teaspoon of this tea for each cup you brew, using a metal infuser or fillable paper teabag. If you would like to drink this tea iced, you can double the tea volume (2 teaspoons per cup) and brew the tea super strong. Once it has cooled, store it in the fridge and dilute with ice to taste. A slice of lemon or even a few peach slices could be a nice addition too!
This is an elegant and thirst-quenching afternoon tea. Serve it alone, with a little honey, or with a sweet treat. A fruit tart or custard tart would pair nicely. The crumbly buttery taste of pastry will be sublime with H R Higgins Summer Peach Tea.
Why H. R. Higgins?
As I covered in my review of H. R. Higgins Japanese Cherry, this brand is London-based and has a long, interesting history in the capital. If you are based in London, you can actually visit the H. R. Higgins café in Mayfair – they serve a lot of fine quality coffee as well as tea.
The quality of this tea is great. The white and black tea leaves are large pieces but not quite whole and I adore the bright colours that the flower petals add to this blend. Unfortunately, I’m not a huge fan of flavouring. It is hard to tell what is a result of the peach chunks and what is a result of the flavouring.
If you are buying the new blend of this tea, remove the white tea leaves, add more flower petals, and swap the peach for tropical flavouring. It is more visually impressive but lacks the fresh fruit element. Nonetheless, I can see that H. R. Higgins Summer Peach has many positive reviews on their site, so I am confident that this tea blend is still a winner.
In comparison to other peach teas that I have reviewed (primarily Janat Peach Tea as a black tea blend and Whittard Peach Bellini for a green tea option), this is definitely one of the best. The aroma and freshness is gorgeous and it is a visual stunner too. Top notch tea!
Summary
Overall, I have no hesitations recommending H R Higgins Summer Peach tea. It’s sweet, astringent, full-bodied and just gorgeous from the first sip to the last. The best place to buy this tea is directly from H R Higgins – tap the link below to find it on their official website.
How to Write Your Own Tea Review
If you buy this tea – or any other – and can’t find a review for it on the blog, don’t panic! First, leave a comment on any of my articles with your request so I can add it to my list, and then check out my Flavoured Tea Review Template so that you can start writing your own tea journey at home.