A superb blend of Uva Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka combined with Darjeeling from the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains, Himalayan Tea from eastern Nepal, rich Assam from Northern India and full-bodied Yunnan from the genesis of tea in China. A sweet dessert-wine fragrance completes the experience.

Blended and named for the Governor General's official residence in Ottawa, this tea is served at all the residence's special occasion.

Caffeine Caffeinated
Cup Strength Strong
Origin Blend
Tea Format Loose Tea
Type Black

My afternoon cup  Review by  ['Acuitea']

I am embarrassed to admit I first tried this blend in the smallest 2oz amount as a challenge; who could possibly successfully blend teas with such wildly different characteristics as Darjeeling and Ceylon? All the subtlety of Darjeeling, Himalayan, and Yunnan couldn’t possibly stand up to the brash assault of a (delicious) Assam or Ceylon. When it arrived, I made a cup with full confidence that Murchies had just thrown together a laundry list of nice tea varieties in the hopes that they would attract people just by naming every tea people might want to try, regardless of how they interact. That first cup was far too strong. Of course, I thought: this tea can’t work, because the steep times for each type are so different. I was still feeling like I was right. Then I made another cup with a very short steep. And realized I was completely wrong. Murchies has made such a nice blend with this tea. The garden fresh taste of the Darjeeling and Himalayan teas gets a subtle but pleasant twist with the Yunnan, Assam and Ceylon. It has become my last tea of the day in the mid-afternoon, when I want a light, comforting cup that isn’t too strong, but has plenty of flavour and interest. I steep for 1.5 minutes, sometimes even less, and love it that way. Perhaps others who want the darker teas to shine like a longer steep… I think the Yunnan shows its face more when steeped longer. The Assam starts to take over too much for my tastes when steeped too long, but for those who take sugar or milk, perhaps that would work well for them. Now I’m hooked, caught by my own haughty challenge. At least the tea is remarkably affordable relative to, say, a fine single estate Darjeeling that I would have had instead. A great value on a delicious and surprising blend; a tour of Asia in a single cup.

Posted on 2023-01-28

Lovely tea  Review by  Peggy

What a perfectly lovely tea! I think I may even prefer it to Darjeeling; it's at least a draw.

Posted on 2022-06-29

So nice!  Review by  Karen

Rideau is one of my favourites. I like almost any blend that has Darjeeling in it and this is no exception. Its a lovely tea with good depth, nice florals with a solid base of Assam, Yunnan and Ceylon. It also has the Himalayan tea in it. Another yum from Murchies!

Posted on 2014-12-01

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Flavour Profile Guide

Tea and coffee tasting is a very individual, multi-dimensional experience: one person’s perfect cup can be too strong or weak, too brisk or watery for the next person. At Murchie’s, we believe that the best tea or coffee is the one that YOU like the best! We use the following flavour profile guides to help compare our teas and coffees within a relative scale.



Tea Strength Ratings

This rating method indicates the strength of flavour each tea has when brewed according to our brewing guide.

RATING
           
RATING PROFILE
Light/Delicate Tea | Murchie's Tea & Coffee              Light/Delicate: Very light in colour and delicate in flavour
Medium Tea | Murchie's Tea & Coffee              Medium: Medium-light cup with slightly fuller cup
Medium-Strong Tea | Murchie's Tea & Coffee              Medium-Strong: Medium-dark cup, medium body, and full flavour without harshness
Strong Tea | Murchie's Tea & Coffee              Strong: Full body, rich cup, takes milk well
Very Strong Tea | Murchie's Tea & Coffee               Very Strong: Rich, dark cup with very full, strong flavour and briskness

Coffee Ratings

We rate the flavour properties of our coffees along two dimensions: roast and body.

Roast is simply a result of how long and how hot the beans have been roasted, which can be seen in the colour of the finished bean, and typically results in general flavour traits:

Light Roast           More acidity, brightness and a slight pucker
Medium Roast           Slightly richer flavours, some acidity, enhanced creaminess
Dark Roast           Distinctive roasted flavour, sometimes notes of toasted sugar or charcoal

Body is the term used to describe how the brewed coffee feels in your mouth:

Light Body           Easy to drink with little lingering flavour, ‘thin’ or ‘clean’ feeling on the palate
Medium Body           Heavier, creamier mouth-feel with more lingering flavour
Full Body           Rich, full-mouth feeling: hits all of the palate and lingers

Brewing Guide | Murchie's Tea & Coffee

Tea Brewing Guide

Different types of teas should be brewed according to certain times and water temperatures to bring out their best flavours. Use this guide as a starting point, and then experiment until you find the perfect brewing method for your favourite tea.

Based on approximately one level teaspoon (2.5g) of loose tea or one tea bag per 6-8 ounce (180-240ml) cup. For stronger flavour, add more tea. Brewing for longer may increase the strength of the tea, but will likely also cause bitterness.

Brew times shown in minutes.


Coffee Brewing Guide

The simplest methods for brewing coffee are drip coffee, pour over and French press. These guidelines are a starting point; modify the ratio of coffee to water, the grind, and brewing time to your taste. If your coffee is not strong enough, increase the proportion of coffee per cup of water, grind the beans finer, or allow them to brew longer – or any combination of these factors. If your coffee is too strong, simply do the opposite.

Drip coffee or pour over method: hot water is gradually poured over coffee grounds and slowly drips through

  • Fine to medium grind coffee
  • 1.5 to 2.5 tablespoons of coffee per cup of water
French press: coffee grounds are ‘steeped’ in hot water, and then a filter presses down the grounds, allowing the finished coffee to be poured off
  • Coarse grind coffee
  • 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of coffee per cup (e.g. 4-6 tbsp for a 4-cup French press)
  • Pour about 1/3 of the water over the coffee grinds; wait about 30 seconds and then pour in the rest
  • Wait 4-5 minutes, then push down the plunger to separate the grounds from finished coffee, and enjoy!

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