Fortnum and Mason Royal Blend

Fortnum and Mason, often abbreviated Fortnum's, is an iconic British department store, well known for quality tea blends and fancy (and quite expensive) stocked picnic hampers.  They also claim to have invented the Scotch egg, which is sort of like claiming you invented the hot dog...it's plausible, but unlikely.  If you've never had a Scotch egg, and have the chance to try one, go for it.  It's a hard boiled egg encased in a layer of pork sausage and an outside layer of breadcrumbs.  The "Scotch" part of the egg is a nod to the snack's origin as a treat for the working class rather than coming from north of Hadrian's Wall, "Scotch" (and "Welsh") having been used to mean "cheap" or "poor" by the English at one time or another.  Working class fare or not, the Scotch egg is delicious, and I often wonder why it hasn't caught on in the States.

Today's review is Fortnum's Royal Blend, a strong malty blend of Assam and Ceylon teas first created for King Edward VII during the early 20th century.  Edward VII became King following Queen Victoria's death in 1901, so we can't properly call this tea blend "Victorian,"  but it's close.  The actual historical period is "Edwardian," which it turns out is the brief period between Queen Victoria's death and World War I.

The tea is a blend of a strong, malty Assam and a lighter Ceylon, and in all actuality, is not that different from several different breakfast teas I've had.  The Assam lends notes of malt and oak, and the Ceylon balances out the Assam with a little bit of a floral or grassy note.  It's a strong and pleasant, if not unique cup of tea, and offers a nice, old fashioned looking tin and a bit of a history lesson.  On the whole, I'd probably go for Scottish Breakfast, which has similar flavors but offers a touch more complexity, but still, not a bad cup of tea at all.  Score:  80 (B-)