Whittard English Rose Tea Review Summary
Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.1/5)
Aroma: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Taste: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Packaging: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Value for Money: ★★★★★(4.5/5)
Brand: Whittard of Chelsea
Blend: 95% black tea with 5% flavoring
Origin: Blended in Germany
Caffeine: Medium
Price: USD 4/20 teabags
Brew: 100°C, 3 mins
Pairing: Chicken apple salad sandwich/toast with marmalade
Buy: Whittard
Whittard English Rose Tea Review
Whittard English Rose Tea is like a stroll in the gardens
Good afternoon my beautiful tea lovers! This is my first blog post in about 2 months, the first post of 2025, and my first post from my new home in Sylhet, Bangladesh!
Today, I’ll be reviewing Whittard’s English Rose Tea: a tea that will transport you on an idyllic stroll in a beautiful garden, filled with rose bushes, as you listen to the quiet chirping of sweet little birds.
By the way, If you love rose-flavored tea, you can also try Dilmah’s Rose with French Vanilla. It will not disappoint!
In this article, we will explore:
- Brewing Conditions
- Aroma
- Taste
- Packaging
- Value for Money
- Caffeine Level
- Food Pairings
- About Whittard
- Where to Buy
But first, let me give you some updates on my life.
Personal Updates
I’ve taken a long unplanned break due to several reasons. It started with a bloody revolution in my country (Bangladesh) that led to the toppling of a dictator of 15 years.
Amid the madness, the government shut down the internet to suppress the movement. So, I was quite literally disconnected from the rest of the world.
When the internet came back, it seemed strange and insensitive to be posting pictures of peaceful tea drinking while my fellow countrymen were dying.
Once the country began to return to normalcy, my personal life turned chaotic as we lost 5 family members in less than 2 months due to various medical reasons.
To add to the chaos, my husband and I decided to move from Dhaka to Sylhet, a city 236 km away from our home and loved ones.
While 2024 has been a tumultuous year, to say the least, and while we are sad to leave our families behind, I’m very thrilled about the move as it is a very exciting time for Where is the tea?
Sylhet is considered the tea capital of Bangladesh with over 150 tea plantations. Bangladesh is the ninth-largest global tea producer and 90% of our country’s tea is produced in Sylhet!
So, I’m really looking forward to telling you guys all about the tea culture, tea plantations, and the best teas of Sylhet!
However, the tea I’ll review today is from the UK, courtesy of my dear friend Adeeba Asri. So let’s get to it!
Brewing Conditions:
According to the instructions on the box, you should brew the tea at 100°C for 3-5 minutes. After 3 minutes, I found the floral/fruity flavor to be quite strong.
If you find an intense smell of roses off-putting, I would recommend brewing for no longer than 3 minutes.
I preferred the tea without honey. However, adding a few fresh mint leaves to your cup could really complement the flavors!
Aroma (4/5):
The tea smelled both floral and fruity. I could detect hints of rose and strawberry, mixed with the strong smell of black tea. Overall, the tea smelled really good.
Taste (4/5):
The Whittard English Rose brew is dark and rich, with a thick texture. It has a bold, strong flavor that stands out.
The mouthfeel is especially satisfying—many teas can feel thin, but this one has a full-bodied quality that enhances the experience.
Packaging (4/5):
The Whittard English Rose Tea packaging is charming: a cute pink box illustrating a fountain in a garden. The box itself belonged to a larger, beautiful gift box: the Whittard Famous Tea Collection
It says on the box that the teabags and box are 100% compostable. The card is recyclable as well and FSC-certified.
The round teabags are packed in aluminum foil but not individually wrapped. Once opened, it’s best to store the tea in an airtight container.
This was a bit inconvenient. Since this tea came as part of a gift set with nine different teas, I had to find an airtight jar for storage every time I opened a new box.
However, they do offer other boxes on their website where the teabags come individually wrapped, though those are a bit pricier.
The box also mentions the Ethical Tea Partnership. While it says the tea was blended in Germany and packed in the UK, it doesn’t indicate where the black tea was originally sourced from, which is a bit disappointing.
Value for Money (4.5/5):
The Whittard Famous Tea collection costs 28 pounds and contains 9 boxes with 20 tea bags each. This brings the price of each box to USD 4. I would say that’s pretty good value for money.
If you would like to order an individual box of English Rose containing 50 teabags, you would get an even better deal (USD 8,7/50 teabags).
Caffeine Level: Medium
While the Whittard English Rose tea tasted quite strong, it says on the website that the caffeine level in this tea is medium. It did not cause any jitters and would be perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Food Pairings:
This Whittard English Rose tea pairs perfectly with savory sandwiches, evoking the feeling of enjoying a picnic lunch in a garden.
It complements foods like toast with marmalade and jam, or a crisp apple chicken salad sandwich.
About the brand: Whittard
Whittard of Chelsea was first established in 1886 by Walter Whittard under a different name. They primarily sell tea, coffee, and hot chocolate.
Today they own over 50 stores in at least 3 countries and are digitally present in over 40 countries.
You can learn more about their teas and sustainability goals from their website.
Where to Buy:
You can buy the Whittard English Rose from their UK website. It is also available on Amazon and several international websites. They ship to North America, Europe, and some Asian countries like Japan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.
