Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
I’ve always considered myself a decisive person, but when it comes to the question, “coffee or tea?”, it admittedly leaves me stumped each time. I love them both so very much, but if I had to pick, I’d choose tea simply because it’s something I drink all the time, at any point in the day. Oh, and I appreciate my teas straight—no sugar, no milk, in other words.
After buying tea for so long, it’s undeniable that a few brands have emerged as favourites, and The 1872 Clipper Tea Co., Singapore’s homegrown tea brand, is fronting that list. Perhaps you’ve given their loose leaf teas a shot, or maybe gotten a bite of their Tea Puffs (which are delightful bursts of creamy, tea-forward custard if you’re wondering), but now, Clipper Tea’s got in-house brews made on the spot for your indulgence—so you know you’ll be getting your caffeine fix brewed in the way it’s supposed to be.
Available exclusively at the Jewel outlet for now, there are five blends available, from the lightest to boldest—Nuwara, Shibuya, 101, Kowloon, Chelsea—which are all priced at S$3.20 served hot, and S$3.70 iced. And if these names sound familiar to you, that’s because they pay homage to some of the cities that inspired them, and what a perfect way to drink your way through the globe at that. We’re holding out hope for the travel corridors to come, but until then, wanderlusting one sip at a time might help ease that itch.
The most delicate of them all, the Nuwara is light in colour, delicate in taste, and naturally sweet with a pleasant mellow floral note. Call me biased, but the Shibuya really hit home with its honey and smokey oak notes. This was my favourite when served straight; the honied touch more than did the trick.
Seeing as how Taipei might be considered as the land of bubble tea, it’d be almost sacrilegious not to include them. The 101 is inspired by Taiwan’s iconic brown sugar bubble tea, and possesses a bold burnt caramel flavour, with a subtle aftertaste of honey and apricot. This was, as the children say, lit when served with milk.
Moving on to the heavier blends, the Kowloon would be a good choice if your cup of tea (yes, pun indeed intended) resembles that of local teh, while the Chelsea boasts notes of fresh citrus and bergamot; so think of earl grey, but zesty.
Aside from these freshly-brewed beverages, also look out for this year’s National Day blend—Sunny Island Coconut (S$23)—concocted with Ceylon black Tea and sencha, punctuated with a hint of coconut. The blend can be purchased in-store or online, here.
The 1872 Clipper Tea Co. maintains a strong vertically integrated supply chain, which is why they’re constantly able to deliver fresh batches of tea to consumers. And that only spells joy for hopeless tea romantics like you and I.
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