The Palm Court at the Balmoral Hotel reveals their top ten teas after serving guests around 39,000 cups of tea throughout the year, all accompanied by 1,820 hours of live harp music.
The Balmoral say it is Palm Court’s dedication to luxury service and tradition which makes it one of Scotland’s most sought-after destinations for afternoon tea and festive gatherings. The venue also provides the perfect setting for Christmas Day celebrations with its cosy elegance and timeless charm.
Omar Ismail, manager of Palm Court said: “We are so proud to celebrate another extraordinary year at Palm Court, where tradition, luxury, and impeccable service come together to create unforgettable experiences for our guests. From sharing thousands of cups of tea and perfectly paired treats to live harp performances that add a touch of magic to every visit, Palm Court continues to be a cherished destination for festive gatherings and timeless celebrations.”
Spaces are still available for Christmas Day dining at Palm Court.
Here are the top ten teas served:
1. Rare Breakfast Tea
Blended in the style of the original 19th century English Breakfast from only the finest leaf.
A combination of some of our single-estate black teas to create something even greater than the sum of its parts. A rich and aromatic honey nose with a deep malty finish. It can be enjoyed with or without milk or a twist of lemon zest.
2. Earl Grey Tea
A traditional Earl Grey – hand-crafted black tea with pure bergamot oil from ancient citrus groves in Calabria, Southern Italy. A British classic, full-bodied and rich with heady citrus notes, it is a clean and exceptionally bright infusion. With a malty base and exhilarating citrus notes, it can be enjoyed with or without milk or a twist of lemon.
3. Emperor’s Breakfast Tea
A rare Chinese tea crafted by masters to produce an astonishingly sweet black tea. Made from young and tender spring leaves and golden buds that have been carefully kept whole during hand rolling. A more delicate flavour than a modern breakfast tea. Remarkably smooth with flavours of rich toffee, butterscotch and vanilla. It is best enjoyed without milk.
4. Cloud Tea
A fragrant black tea from the “Abode of Clouds” – high in the verdant hills between Assam and Darjeeling. Light and floral as a Darjeeling with the rich caramel and malty notes you expect from the best Assam. This harvest has exceptional notes of apricot. It is best enjoyed without milk.
5. Cornish Peppermint
A rare English Peppermint is grown in the private botanical garden of the Tregothnan Estate. The menthol oils infuse from the dried leaf, providing a brighter and cleaner flavour than that of fresh mint. Powerful and uplifting with a gentle approach, leading to a long finish.
6. Malawi Lemon Verbena
Grown by smallholder farms in the Thyolo Mountains of Malawi. This pure, whole-leaf verbena reveals complex aromatics. Lemon is the bright top note and beneath lie hints of sage and oregano to give a deeply herbaceous infusion.
7. Hibiscus Flowers
A delicious herbal infusion made from the beautiful red petals of Hibiscus Sabdarif. These whole hibiscus flowers produce a tea that is raspberry red with the flavour of rich berries and a cranberry sweet finish.
8. Sikkim Second Flush Muscatel
High in the Indian Himalayas, between Nepal and Bhutan, lies the secret region of Sikkim – not as famous as its Darjeeling neighbours, but making a black tea of such delicious delicacy that it makes the heart soar. The tea has a heady, floral aroma with soft notes of muscatel grapes. Best enjoyed without milk.
9. Oolong Tea
This Chinese Oolong is known as the Iron Goddess of Mercy (Tie Guan Yin). Crafted to an exact point at which the leaves reveal their hidden subtleties. It has rich floral aromas leading to a perfectly balanced mineral finish. The first infusion has a succulent sweetness with later infusions leading to green floral notes. With each infusion, different subtleties are revealed.
10. Nepalese Himalayan Spring
A hand-rolled Nepalese green tea from Jun Chiyabari that truly exemplifies the idea of terroir. This early Spring pick originates from one specific field and one specific harvest. Notes of mango and cooked pineapple, yet low in acidity.
