Ahmad English Tea No. 1 Tea Review
I have the Ahmad Twelve Teas box, containing the bestselling teas from Ahmad Tea London. So, it’s no surprise that the ever-popular English Tea No. 1 blend would be included.
I’m reviewing the teabag version, although there is a loose leaf option available to buy if you want to boost the quality a little bit.
This tea won a Great Taste Award in the UK in 2017, so I set about to review it and find out if it was truly deserving! Keep reading to find out what it tastes like, how to brew it, and where to buy it.
Ahmad Tea English Tea No 1 at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
2.7/5
- Blend: Black tea from Sri Lanka, Assam India, and Kenya
- Flavour: A bold and hearty black tea, typical of a breakfast tea
A very pleasant tea that’s excellent with a splash of milk at breakfast. It’s warm, full-bodied, bold and has a great depth. My only big gripe is that there’s a bitter edge that isn’t very pleasant to drink without milk.
Full Review – Ahmad Tea London Breakfast Tea
Izzy's Rating
2.7/5
- Type: Tagged paper tea bag
- Tea: Black tea
- Origin: Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Assam India, Kenya
- Flavour Notes: Warm tannins, slight bitterness, bold, hearty
- Aroma: Brisk, clean, bright, breakfast
- Milk or Lemon: Milk, if desired
- Where to Buy: Amazon
I was reviewing this tea at breakfast time, so when I ripped open the wrapper to be met with typical breakfast tea aromas, I was already grinning. Notes of bright black tea hit my nose, fresh and flavourful – the perfect accompaniment to any breakfast. Even banana bread, as you can see in my photos.
It brews into a very clear amber-brown colour with a fresh and bright aroma from the steam. I reviewed it without milk first.
As for the flavour, it’s not an easy one to describe. It’s a good breakfast black tea – warm, full-bodied and hearty. As for pulling out distinct flavour notes, I’m struggling… but that doesn’t mean it’s bland. Actually, it’s the opposite. I’d say it’s very well blended to create a smooth breakfast tea with a lot of depth.
It left me feeling warm, sated and very happy. A fantastic tea!
How to Brew English Black Tea
After a little experimenting, I settled on brewing for 3 minutes to drink black or 5 minutes to drink with milk. Having tried this tea both ways, I’m going to recommend brewing for 5 minutes and adding milk.
The creaminess of milk really masks the slight bitterness without crushing the warm swirling depth of the full-bodied tea.
Eat anything you want with this tea. I can confirm that it goes down a treat with all kinds of pastries, cakes and yummy things that we probably shouldn’t be eating…
Why Ahmad Tea London?
I like the transparency that I get from this brand. There aren’t many simple teabag brands that give you an idea of where their tea is from. Ahmad Tea London declare that English Tea No. 1 is a blend of 3 different teas:
- High-grown Ceylon tea – brisk and bright.
- Assam tea from India – malty and full-bodied.
- Kenyan tea – warm, hearty and makes a great tea body.
They also add a hint of bergamot that went completely over my head when tasting this tea, so don’t be alarmed if you can’t taste any bergamot (that citrusy/floral Earl Grey note) either.
The quality is… meh. It’s what you’d expect to find in a teabag.
Summary
After I sang praises about the flavour of this tea, you might be wondering why the score is only 2.7 out of 5. This is because I take more into account than just the flavour. I also consider how versatile it is – this tea is only great with milk, no black. And then there’s leaf quality to think about – this tea would taste even better if the leaves were a larger size/higher quality, which is why the loose leaf version would rate better.
I digress.
This is a good tea that I whole-heartedly recommend trying. If you want an everyday tea but don’t want to spend a fortune, this is a great contender.
Tea Recommendation
If you want to build up a cupboard of warm, flavourful teas that make you smile, then check out my list of the best teas for Autumn. They’re actually great for any time of the year when you need a little tea hug!