The Lipton tea company is a huge manufacture and distributor of many types of tea (mostly black), of both hot and cold tea products. Did you know that this brand is present in over 80 countries?
We've all heard, seen, or even tried a brew from Lipton, and you know what...it's not that bad either...but it still doesn't come close to what I'm used to; loose leaf tea.
A little about Lipton.
In 1893 a man named Thomas J. Lipton established his well-known company several years after he acquired his own tea estates in Sri Lanka.
Today the company has tea gardens in Indian, Sri Lanka, and Tanzania, and constantly blend their teas to ensure a consistent tasting brew. They state that there can be as many as 40 different "blends" of tea in just one bag! This means that on different days, the weather can affect how a tea leaf will mature which will give it a different taste resulting in its own sub-variety.
The more common products in America offered by Lipton tea is the average tea bag which is a black tea type, and iced tea products, which are both black tea and green tea beverages.
The tea selected for the normal bags is a Ceylon black tea variety and is an "orange pekoe" (or less) grade. The liquor produces a dark-red color with an aroma which is somewhat sweet.
The taste however is average at best but is great for that quick cup of tea. The reason being is because "orange pekoe" is a medium and more commercial grading of tea. It cannot compete with the tasty brews of higher-grade loose leaf teas that have a "GFOP" (Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe) grade or higher. This is the grade where the loose leaf style of brewing begins.
Furthermore, this "orange pekoe" grade of tea is broken down into fannings so it can fit in the small bag. So what you really are getting is the lowest grading of tea...which was once an "orange pekoe" grade!
That's the nature of the tea bag...nothing against Lipton tea.
Lipton also sells green, white, and herbal teas which also have an ok taste...but no where near the loose leaf I brew! Remember, you get what you pay for in this world...tea is no different!
Lipton tea did release a recent product they call "Pyramid tea" which is simply a higher grade tea (not fannings) in a bigger pyramid shaped bag. This shape allows the larger leaves to open up and steep more freely. I've seen them in black, green, and white tea types.
I only tried the black and green teas so far. The black was medium-bodied, with a malty taste accompanied by sweet undertones, and is worth the money, where the green being infused with mandarin gave more of a citrus aroma and taste hiding the green characteristics. This is probably because most Americans are not used to the vegetal plain taste of green tea.
I happen to like these pyramid teas and can say it is a step up from their average commercial bags. However it is only a few steps and still doesn't offer what whole loose leaf brewing brings to the palate.
So if you are on the hunt for some Lipton tea bags, go the extra yard and give these new Pyramid tea products a try. It's the best a spoiled loose-leaf drinker like myself can recommend from the bag.
Lipton also has a cool website too full of information about their history and tea products...so be sure to make a cup and check it out one day.
I'm waiting for the day for Lipton to offer high grade loose leaf tea in America! And with the constant news about the ever popular health benefits of tea...that day may soon come!
