By Mrs Robot
Steampunks love tea. I'm not sure why, but they do. Chap-hop musician Professor Elemental is also very popular with steampunks. He's especially fond of a good cuppa, to the point where one of his most popular songs* is his ode to the drink, 'Cup of Brown Joy'. So what could be more fitting than that he should also release his own brand of tea?
I ordered this when I ordered the latest issue of the Professor Elemental comic. I did have some qualms – £8.99 is a lot to pay for some tea, and I'm not prone to being adventurous when it comes to tea. I don't know why insisting on, say, a particular sort of Assam or Darjeeling marks the drinker out as a person of taste whereas being equally keen on PG Tips or the like means you're seen as a tea oaf, but I am very much a tea oaf. I run on plentiful amounts of good, strong tea. My morning cuppa makes getting up to commute more bearable, and I drink a pot of tea each morning and afternoon at work. (Yes, I have a teapot on my desk.) Was I going to like this blend of Earl Grey and Russian Caravan? Would it be a costly mistake?
However, you do get a lot for that, 250g of the stuff. And it's delicious! Sometimes I find Earl Grey too strong, with the bergamot overwhelming the other flavours. This blend is nicely balanced, with the Russian Caravan giving it a good, tannin-rich bottom that is really satisfying. It worked very well with milk, which is how I take my tea, but it was also super without it. This makes it ideal for taking to work, where I don't always have milk to hand. What's more, from the first light cup to the last well-brewed (possibly stewed!) one, it remained perfectly drinkable. It's versatile, tasty and just a bit different. Splendid!
*Are they called songs when they're rapped? I'm an ex-goth and old fogey and have no idea what the kids call these things nowadays.
