The taste of drinking water onboard differs from your typical tap water. The unique purification method used on ships, called reverse osmosis, results in soft water that often alters the taste of brewed tea. This article highlights HMS Bulwark teabags, which gives a satisfying taste when combined with soft water.

Key Takeaways:

• Gadsden was formerly an officer with the Royal Navy and with All About Tea based in the port city of Portsmouth, he thought the country’s warships could use their own special blends.
• The drinking water onboard a warship is different to your regular tap variety, and therefore results in a different brew that can affect the taste of a cuppa.
• This produces a water which has very few minerals in it; it’s very pure water, which means it’s very soft water

“Soft water doesn’t contain many minerals, whereas hard water does. This varies around the country—if you see a lot of residue and soap scum around your taps, it’s likely hard water. As a result, soft water is more acidic, and hard water more alkaline. It’s this that affects tea brewing.”

https://motherboard.vice.com/read/why-british-sailors-need-special-tea