Tea Review: Queen Catherine Tea

I recently received a wonderful surprise gift box from Alice at Tea in My Cup. The gift was part of the "Pay it Forward" blogging event. Included among the wonderful tea goodies was a tin of Queen Catherine Tea by Harney & Sons.

Description from the website:

"As lovers of good tea, we have many reasons to be thankful for Catherine of Braganza of Portugal. By marrying King Charles of England, she brought tea drinking to the British and thus on to the Colonies. We have created this blend of select Chinese black teas in her honor."

More on Queen Catherine.

The tea is a blend of chinese leaves, from three regions. The instructions on the side of the tin tell me to steep this tea for 5 minutes, but I've found I prefer it steeped between 3-4 min. I take this tea plain or with just a touch of honey.

Would I recommend this tea? Yes. It's a sophisticated black - full of flavor but not overpowering.

Since I'm discussing tea and Queen Catherine, here's a poem written by Edmund Waller in 1663, in honor of Queen Catherine for her birthday:

Venus her Myrtle, Phoebus has his bays;
Tea both excels, which she vouchsafes to praise.
The best of Queens, the best of herbs, we owe
To that bold nation which the way did show
To the fair region where the sun doth rise,
Whose rich productions we so justly prize.
The Muse's friend, tea does our fancy aid,
Regress those vapours which the head invade,
And keep the palace of the soul serene,
Fit on her birthday to salute the Queen.