Davidson's Organics, English Breakfast, Loose Leaf Tea, 16-Ounce Bag

This tea is excellent for both taste and value. At first I was skeptical after reading some of the less favorable reviews, but cost wise I couldn't NOT try it and see for myself. The bag comes and is surprisingly large... yes, I know it lists the size, but if you are used to buying 2 oz. etc. from brands like Teavanna for crazy high prices you will be pleasantly surprised. This bag will last a while. The tea itself is high quality black tea with larger pieces, very comparable to more expensive alternative. When brewing, like any tea, you need to know how this tea works. Here is my take: 1.) if you want more flavor, use more tea leaves 2.) it says 1 tsp 3-5 minutes boiling water, if you are like me you make a CUP of tea in a regular mug, which is closer to 10-12oz. I use at least 2-2.5 tsp for this. 3.) 3-5 Minutes is a range for a variety of tea drinkers, but if you truly want that stronger black tea taste, I would go closer to 5-6 minutes... I have not found this tea to get bitter at ALL in that range. Much more, you risk bitterness. 4.) a touch of honey and cream really compliments this. If you follow this, you will enjoy a balances flavorful black tea that is smooth, tasty and will give you that pick up needed at a fraction of the cost of "Alternatives". For those that drink lipton and PG Tips... I am not a tea snob and enjoy those as well, brewed properly those also make a proper cup. This tea is another good friend that seems a bit more refined and flexible. Lipton and PG tips turn to a bitter mess if steeped very long, this tea seems to develop more balanced flavor ...to a point. This tea seems smoother and richer overall. For those that drink Teavana English breakfast, this is a solid alternative. I just switch from that to this. The teavana seems to have a more robust smoky flavor, but this one is smoother without diminishing flavor... just smokiness. I hope this is helpful! I know I read a lot of review in my search.

Color and quality seem good. Good smell. Brewing time is the recommended 5 minutes using a OXO BREW Twisting Tea Ball Infuser (highly recommended). Ease of use? Why is that even an issue? Dip tea ball infuser and scoop. Insert into cup. Wait 5 minutes. Good tea. It has enough of a strong flavor without being overwhelming. Best of all? No plastics that you find with tea bags. The bag seal is reliable. Taste is pleasant. Goes well with the brown sugar cubes I use. I find it best to put the brown sugar cubes in first and then pour the hot water in with the tea infuser inserted. Using my tea infuser to complete the dissolving of the sugar. Works like a charm. Family members like the tea. I like the tea. Again, flavor is pleasant. Caffeine content? If I have a caffeine headache, no tea works for me. It's the soda. I do find that this I can use this tea as a substitute for soda, which is quite welcome.

This tea is perfect for my morning cup! The health benefits of fresh brewed organic loose teas are the higher quality of leaves give you better extraction and nutrients. The leaves expand slowly and are a joy to watch!

I'm going to start with an "Update" on the change in flavor thing others mention, then go into my "regular" review. The first couple times I bought Davidson's it was awesome. I too however did notice a few batches that seemed to be "weaker" than usual, as other reviewers mention. They just didn't seem to have quite the same bite, more mellow. The reason I kept buying it was because it was still better than others I'd tried (by the money for quality ratio, see about comparisons below), even if I did have to step up the amount by a hair. That said, I think the strength and flavor has returned compared to where it was. Perhaps this was an intentional blend change they made that people didn't like (Their English is stronger than many others I've tried), perhaps it was an issue with the tea crop, I don't know. Whatever the case they seem to have resolved the issue. If it's still not enough bite I'd suggest their Irish Breakfast which is stronger, and I also like to keep on hand alongside my English. Let's hope it stays consistent from here on out! So to give everyone an idea of where I'm coming from, I've drank tea since I was a kid. Never liked coffee... but I loved tea. Probably about 10-12ish years ago I started down the road of buying better and better teas. I drank bagged stuff, as most people do, but got nicer and nicer bagged teas as the years went on. Well a couple of years ago I finally decided to go loose leaf. So, I proceeded to try different brands to find one I liked. Although I did try some that weren't, I wanted my "regular" tea to be organic. There are a good number out there, most outrageously expensive. Even of those ones I would say Davidson's is just as good, and at a fraction of the price. One of the only others in the same ballpark was Frontier Brand organic teas. Their tea is seriously half as strong, no exaggeration. You can use tons and it doesn't get any bite. This makes for quite a mellow, but still flavorful tea, but that's not my preference. As said above I like Irish too for it's bite. As far as English goes, this one has good flavor, plenty of bite if you brew it that way, and is the best deal on organic loose leaf I've found anywhere... And I'm very computer savvy. So all in all to me it's the best all around. I still occasionally buy some others because they're a little bit different, but as my go to this is it. I like getting something that is the same quality but literally half or less the price than many other comparable organic teas. I just don't think you can lose. Certainly worth trying a batch if you're considering it to see if you like it!

I am a big fan of Davidson teas, I've tired quite a few, but if you want a good all around bulk tea that can be sipped or iced their English Breakfast is my favorite.

My first time trying loose leaf tea. I did my research, I wanted a good organic loose leaf black tea that was also affordable. This hit the spot. Smooth, medium boldness, tasty, good for me.