This is one of those teas that’s so undeniably British. Whittard Afternoon Tea is just begging to be served with little sandwiches and cakes cut into bitesize pieces.
I’ll admit now, I don’t have the patience to go to those extremes for a little afternoon snack, but I have for this Whittard Afternoon Tea review cut the crusts off my pastrami, tomato and lettuce sandwich.
As for the tea, this is really a delightful blend with an interesting mix of tea leaves. If you like floral teas, Earl Greys and jasmine greens, you’ll love this. And if not, try it anyway. It may surprise you!
Whittard Afternoon Tea Blend at a Glance
- Blend: Mix of delicate teas with floral ingredients
- Flavour: Smooth and delicate floral black tea with a silky texture
A lovely tea with soft floral notes and citrus bergamot. Delicate enough to be sipped and savoured but strong enough to stand up to the sweet and savoury delights you’ll eat at the afternoon tea party.
Full Review - Afternoon Tea
- Type: Tagged paper filter tea bag
- Tea: Black, oolong and green tea
- Additives: Rose petals, jasmine, bergamot, cornflower petals, flavourings
- Flavour Notes: Silky smooth medium-light black tea body with uplifting citrus and delicate floral notes
- Aroma: Earthy, smoky and warm with citrus highlights
- Milk or Lemon: Lemon
- Where to Buy: Amazon or Whittard Official Website
I’m throwing my usual tea review style of building up through the process of opening the tea out of the window.
Let’s jump right in to how this tea tastes. In a word? It’s lovely. So lovely. It’s a fresh spring day when the sky is clear and the air is full of flowers. I’m trying hard not to sound pretentious… but Afternoon Tea is a pretentious type of tea! It’s a step up from “posh” Earl Grey.
Whittard’s blend is a smooth, predominantly floral tea built upon a classic black tea base. It’s a delicate black tea but just about strong enough to battle with the fragrant flowers and bergamot citrus for dominance. The body of the tea is medium-light and not bold enough to have with milk, in my opinion.
As for the texture and sensation it provoked, it’s very calming and refreshing. Pleasant. The texture is silky smooth and glides easily across my tongue and down my throat. Although I should note the last gulp at the bottom of the cup was a little grainy.
The aroma isn’t a complete match with this delicate, typical Afternoon Tea flavour. Dry, the tea bag was very citrusy, with notes of bitter bergamot, lime and lemon zest. Wet, it took on a pleasant but surprising smoky and earthy aroma. It was only when the tea cooled to drinking temperature that the citrus notes returned to add fragrance.
How to Brew Whittard Afternoon Tea
This is not a tea you want to brew too strongly. I brewed it for 1 minute and 30 seconds until it was a rich, warm, mahogany brown colour. I didn’t want it to be too dark as I know from experience that it turns bitter shockingly fast.
I used freshly boiled water, as the majority of the tea base is black tea.
I drank it with the sandwiches you can see in the photo plus the crusts, which I cut off earlier and nibbled while the tea brewed.
It goes very well with a light meal to wash down the flavours and refresh the palate. It’s too strong for me to consider drinking in the morning or late at night.
Why Whittard of Chelsea?
Afternoon Tea blends vary widely. You can really explore a variety of different floral and citrus flavours all under the banner of Afternoon Tea. I like the Whittard blend in particular for the notes of jasmine (which I absolutely love) and bergamot which reminds me of Earl Grey and my family’s tea habits.
The tea in the bag was finely diced but not too dusty. There’s a mix of black, green and oolong tea in the tea bag, which is an interesting blend. Even if you’re a tea fanatic and have had a thousand Afternoon Teas, I doubt you’ll have come across many that have all 3 in.
It works well, the quality is good. I trust this brand to deliver and they do. I’ve only had the bagged version of this tea but given the option I’d definitely go for the loose leaf as it is nearly always better.
Summary
The 3.5 out of 5 score reflects not only a very decent and well-balanced flavour but also a good quality of tea too. The experience was pleasant.
Sure, I’m not bouncing of the walls with a 5 out of 5 review, but would you really want that for a relaxing Afternoon Tea?
Try Whittard Afternoon Tea for yourself on Whittard’s website (international shipping!) or find it on Amazon.
About Me
Unlike this tea, I’m not pretentious. I’ll give any tea a try, from regular builder’s to ripe Pu-erh. On my blog at Immortal Wordsmith you can find all kinds of tea reviews, to discover something new to try. If you like the sound of Whittard Afternoon Tea, you’ll also like:
Ahmad Tea Jasmine Romance (an affordable classic green tea and jasmine blend)
Zest Tea Earl Grey (an early afternoon caffeine boost with a gentle citrus note)
Whittard Chamomile (your caffeine free alternative for relaxing in the afternoon/evening)