Morgan Blend Tea

One of Mr. Vail's 15 original tea blends. Correspondence at the Morgan Library in New York City shows the association between J.P. Morgan and Mr. Vail. Back in the early years of the company, these esteemed gentlemen created a most distinctive tea blend. The original formula of Mr. Vail and J.P. Morgan is still used today in creating their unique blend of our Earl Grey, Lapsang Souchong and other hugger-mugger teas. The mellow smokiness of this Morgan Blend is definitely an acquired taste but, if you enjoy smoky teas, there's nothing better than a cup of this on a cold dreary day to pick up your spirits! Ingredients: Black teas, lapsang tea and natural bergamot oil. Brew tea at 212º - steep for 3 minutes. From the New Tea Lover's Treasury, by James Norwood Pratt: "J.P. Morgan, as recent biographies remind us, was not just a great financier but a great connoisseur of art and books who cherished peace and quiet-and tea. There was a tea firm which Mr. Morgan passed each day near his offices. Inside he always saw the same taster at work, "sipping, spitting and looking wise," as it's been described. After many years of this nodding acquaintance, he ventured in to ask this professional to appraise his personal blend. He left, the story goes, visibly agitated and exclaiming, "What do you know about tea-nothing!" To tease the great man, the taster had solemnly assured him that his favorite blend was the worst tea he'd ever tasted. Mr. Morgan never forgot-but never caught on. Perhaps no one else had ever outwitted him. His blend, which combines Formosa Oolong and certain black teas with a faint smokiness from Lapsang Souchong, was created for Mr. Morgan by Lester Vail of Simpson & Vail, a firm that has been an institution for New York tea lovers for almost a century. The firm still sells J.P. Morgan tea, as does the Morgan Library."