Leaves by ordinary command
Twinings introduces tailor-made blends to suit individual tastes
If you thought it was necessary to be a VIP to enjoy your very own blend of tea, the tea masters at Twinings Tea Boutique in CentralWorld will quickly set your right.
The boutique’s new bespoke blend service allows you to savour the leaves of your choice and even emulate Prince William and Kate Middleton’s Royal Wedding blend by coming up with a special brew for your nuptials.
An individual blend costs Bt700 per 100 grams and the tea boutique ensures your supply will never run out by keeping your special blend name on file for further orders.
Bespoke blends are part and parcel of the company’s 300-year history, with its popular Earl Grey tea named in honour of British prime minister Charles Earl Grey II. The special blend for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge uses the finest white tea to symbolise the traditional white wedding dress with pink-rose petals added for aroma and the mood of love.
“We actually offer more than 50 different blends. Tea lovers who have already tasted classic, speciality and single origin teas often prefer to design their own blends and our bespoke service meets their needs,” says tea master Theerasak Phangmuangdee.
“For your wedding, you may want a cup of tea with a smooth character and sweet aroma. If you’re having a party, then a blend that serves as a mood booster is preferable.”
Like wine, the taste and flavour of tea depends on several different factors. Even if two batches of tea come from the same tea garden, they can have very different tastes.
“You have to know the characteristics and profile of each tea – the fragrance, body, flavour and aftertaste. Just as a sommelier knows his Bordeaux, the tea master should know how to accentuate and bring out the distinct flavour and aroma of each tealeaf with appropriate servings,” explains tea master Jiratha Kaewpie, who works alongside Theerasak.
To come up with your bespoke blend, the tea master will ask you a range of questions including the type of tea you usually drink, the times of day you enjoy a cup and whether you prefer your tea relatively weak or strong.
Jiratha also asked me about my favourite smell, what I expected from my cup of tea, how many cups I drank a day, whether I preferred my brew with milk, black or with sugar or lemon and if there a particular food I regularly enjoyed with my tea.
I told her that I preferred an afternoon tea without milk with a grassy and malty aroma and moderate body. Jiratha blended Assam and Darjeeling teas from India that give off an earthy and grassy taste and offered me a cup to taste.
“Never reboil water when brewing tea,” she told me. “The boiling temperature for white tea is 70 degree Celsius, whereas green, oolong and black are ideally brewed at 80, 90 and 100 degrees respectively. Tea needs oxygen to bring out its flavour and normally it takes about two minutes for white tea, three and four for green and black respectively.
After tasting the blend, I asked if she would make the grassy aroma a little stronger so Jiratha added more Darjeeling to bring out the floral and grassy characters.
“I won’t add more Assam tea because the body will be too strong,” she said. “The character of tea identifies each person’s personality. Many young girls love tea infused with bergamot and citrus while older women tend to love tea with a smoky taste.”
“You need a tea that matches your determined, strong and independent nature.”
AMAZING AROMAS
<< Twinings Tea Boutique is at Level G of Zen at CentralWorld. It’s open daily from 10am to 10pm.
<< Call (02) 613 1230-1 or visit “TwiningsThailand” on Facebook.
