Happy Halloween from everyone at Immortal Wordsmith! Yesterday I enjoyed the spooky season with a strong cup of Whittard Whisky Tea, which I managed to snag in their limited-edition Halloween packaging.
Before we begin, I’ll just point out that this whisky tea doesn’t contain any alcohol. Instead, it’s a blend of black tea with flavouring and heather flowers to imitate the flavour of whisky. As I’m not a whisky drinker, it’s hard to judge how successful the flavour is. But I can definitely judge whether it tastes good or not!
If you want to get into whisky drinking, start by reading Jon’s whiskey reviews.
Whittard Whisky Tea at a Glance
- Blend: Black tea with flavouring and heather flowers
- Flavour: Light black tea with strong alcohol notes and mild tannins
Despite not containing any alcohol, Whittard have managed to create a very strong alcohol aroma and flavour to go with this black tea. As a non-drinker, it can be a little off-putting, but the black tea is mildly pleasant nonetheless.
Full Review – Whittard of Chelsea Whiskey Tea
- Type: Loose leaf
- Tea: Black tea
- Additives: Flavouring, heather flowers
- Flavour Notes: Light tea, smooth, mild tannins, whisky alcohol
- Aroma: Alcohol, sweet almonds, malt, black tea
- Milk or Lemon: Neither
- Where to Buy: Whittard of Chelsea or Amazon
I am not a big drinker. Besides my occasional Baileys in the evenings or Disaronno and coke at Christmas time, I don’t drink throughout the year. I have tried whisky, however, so I have a vague idea of what it should taste like… although to be honest, it all just tastes like alcohol to me.
The initial aroma from this tea is really promising. It’s smooth and sweet with notes of malt and almonds beneath the strong alcohol aroma. There’s also a slight floral greenness that I think comes from the heather flowers.
It brews into a very clear and very light amber brown tea colour, which is surprising as Whittard describe this tea as “a rich black tea… warm, rounded flavours and malty sweetness” which hinted at a more full-bodied cuppa.
The aroma from the brewed tea loses complexity. Generic alcohol and a hint of smooth black tea tannins are all I can detect. The flavour is pretty similar too. You’ll find that the black tea is very light with only mild malt and tannin notes. The whisky, on the other hand, is quite strong (at least, to someone who doesn’t drink regularly) in flavour but doesn’t have that burning quality. It’s strange how Whittard have managed to lock in the flavour of alcohol without the nuances I have heard can be found in whisky.
If you are an experienced whisky drinker and you get a chance to try this tea, please let me know your thoughts! Leave a comment here on the blog or message me on Instagram @izzysden.
How to Brew Whisky Flavoured Tea
For black tea, use 100°C water. Usually the brew time falls between 3 and 5 minutes. For Whittard Whisky Tea, I recommend 4-6 minutes as it is quite light and needs longer to develop.
If you have the loose leaf version, use 1 teaspoon (approximately 2g) of leaf in 250ml of water. Scale up and down as required.
I wouldn’t recommend adding additional alcohol to this tea. It’s too light to add milk as well. I’m not sure lemon would work, and it definitely doesn’t need sweetening. So, what can you add to this tea? Perhaps a slither of orange peel would be nice!
Why Whittard of Chelsea?
I enjoy many Whittard of Chelsea teas, including their jasmine green tea and earl grey classics. This loose leaf tea is pretty good as well. You can see from my photos that the quality is great, with large and whole leaf pieces with heather flowers scattered around.
There is flavouring used in this tea, making up 2% of the total ingredients. On one hand, I dislike the use of flavouring in tea… but on the other, I wouldn’t want to drink this tea if it actually contained alcoholic whisky!
Although the quality is decent, I feel like this tea hasn’t been blended correctly. Whittard need to add further ingredients to create a whisky-like complexity and depth of flavour.
Summary
This tea was certainly drinkable and I think anyone who enjoys a tipple will find this tea really smooth and simple. It’s not one of my personal favourites, but it’s decent nonetheless.
You can find this tea to buy from Whittard using my paid link below (it won’t cost you any extra) or find it on Amazon above. I prefer to buy from Whittard within the UK and select Amazon for international shipping options.
Tea Recommendation
If alcoholic teas are of interest to you, I highly recommend you read my review of Niederegger Marzipan Black Tea next. The sweet almond flavours work beautifully with a generous splash of amaretto (Disaronno is my favourite) as a festive hot toddy.