Rare Afternoon Tea

9 reviews
£7.49
(19p per cup)
373 in stock

A luxurious blend of black loose leaf teas, designed specifically to be enjoyed in the afternoon when a delicious pick-me-up is required.

Exquisite on its own; or as the perfect accompaniment to the great British tradition of sandwiches, scones and cakes.

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Customer Reviews
5.0 Based on 9 Reviews
5 ★
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Filter Reviews:
AF
05 January 2022
Anne F.
United Kingdom United Kingdom

Best tea

I just love this tea. Don't just save it for afternoons, drink it any time of the day!

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SP
28 October 2021
Simonetta P.
United Kingdom United Kingdom

Delicate light amazing flavour

I love tea but it is so difficult to find a very good afternoon one. Your tea is simply amazing. It tastes so good, aromatic, delicate and yet intense. And it is light, Infact I can enjoy a cup of it also late in the afternoon and I can still sleep!!!

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MS
06 June 2021
Miss S.
United Kingdom United Kingdom

Rare Afternoon Tea

I love Rare Afternoon Tea. It has a rich, golden flavour, no harshness to it at all. I find it a mellow, comforting cup of tea. I enjoy it late morning and afternoon.

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L
27 April 2021
Lizzie
United States United States

Amazingly delicious

I thought that I found my best go-to black tea of all time with Speedy Breakfast, but Rare Afternoon is quickly overtaking it. They are quite different teas, but equally wonderful. While Speedy has a brighter flavor and is a bit more malty, Rare Afternoon is still plenty malty but is also darker in flavor. As soon as I took the first sips, I tasted milk chocolate and malt. I was amazed because I do have black tea that is blended with real chocolate, and I have never tasted a black tea that tastes so chocolatey without any actual chocolate blended in. It's so addictive and scrumptious. Sinful for a black tea! Outrageously delicious with 1/2 and 1/2 and brown sugar. The second infusion will taste a tad more delicate, but the milk chocolate flavor will come out even more. I will be rushing to by more of this. I can not be without it!

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VF
09 March 2021
Valerie F.
United States United States

Wonderful

Delicious and refreshing - perfect with a biscuit in the afternoon.

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Rare Afternoon Tea
Rare Afternoon Tea
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Rare Afternoon Tea
Rare Afternoon Tea
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Rare Afternoon Tea

Tasting Notes

There are notes of chocolate and a malty richness. With a short infusion you can find a silky subtlety with intense cacao aromas.

With a longer extraction (and milk), the tea becomes creamier and the malty, milk chocolate flavours develop even further.

Quantity

Use 2.5g of tea per 150ml of water.

Temperature

For the optimum infusion (without milk) use 85°C (185°F) water.

If you prefer milk, use 100°C (212°F) water.

Time

Infuse for 1 minute at 85°C, and 2 minutes at 100°C.

Taste regularly to find your optimum time.

Infusions

You can infuse this tea at least twice.  With each careful infusion, different subtleties of flavour are revealed.

Cost Per Cup

19p per cup based on 2.5g of tea per 150ml of water and 2 infusions.

Jun Chiyibari Tea Garden & Satemwa Estate

This blend comes from the highest tea garden we work with – Jun Chiyabari right up in the foothills of the Nepali Himalayas; combined with rich leaves from Satemwa in the Shire Highlands of Malawi. These mountain teas combine ethereal elegance with great profundity and depth.

AFTERNOON TEA

A thoroughly British invention

Tea in the afternoon has been enjoyed for millennia. It would be almost inhuman not to long for a cup as the day ebbs. But what we now think of as the ritual of Afternoon Tea is a thoroughly British invention that arose in the middle of the 1800’s around wealthy aristocrats and their need of a boost, and to demonstrate their wealth and good taste.

AFTERNOON TEA

Showing off...

Tea was expensive and they had the good fortune to not need to work. So the afternoon became a time to show off; not just their wealth and good taste in being able to purchase tea, but having the leisure to enjoy it in the afternoon.

(For the working classes tea was taken in the evening, often with the evening meal- which is why in some parts of the UK, dinner is still called “tea”.)

Serving Suggestions

We recommend drinking this tea without milk if you are eating something sweet and creamy or buttery alongside it. The tradition has always been that the cream or butter and jam (on bread, crumpet, scone or a slice of Victoria Sponge) was there to have with your black tea to balance the bitter tannins. It’s the perfect flavour pairing. You only really need to put the milk in your Afternoon Tea if you don’t have something sweet and creamy to eat with it.
A piece of shortbread is also wonderful. A simple piece of good bread and butter is sublime.

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