Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  Herbal Republic

Company Description:

Contains black tea, blue cornflowers and bergamot extract.

Soothing blend of selected darjeeling, blue cornflowers and bergamot extract.

Taster’s Review:

As I’ve stated on Steepster, this is a masculine Earl Grey.  While I think that Earl Grey should probably be masculine, because it is named after Earl Grey… and yet some Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried (and I’ve tried quite a few!) come off a bit flowery and are a bit more feminine than the name would suggest.

But, not this tea.  This is why I would call a masculine Earl Grey – and tastes the way I would expect an Earl Grey to taste:  fresh, bright, bold and daring!

I think it’s the Darjeeling tea.  The muscatel qualities of the Darjeeling meld together quite nicely with the bergamot, and give it a different flavor than a typical Earl Grey.  Bergamot, as many of you probably already know, is a fruit – an Italian orange, to be precise.  And while it does offer a citrus-y punch to Earl Grey blends, it also has a somewhat flowery note to it that often gives Earl Grey teas a somewhat feminine flavor… or at the very least, a more androgynous flavor.

But the muscatel of the Darjeeling – that slightly woodsy, musky note – seems to unite with the bergamot to offset some of the more flowery tones to the fruit, and allow the distinctive citrus flavors to shine through.  The result is a taste that is brisk and pungent:  very pleasant with a slightly sharp edge and not at all floral.

This Earl Grey is delicious and refreshingly different.  I prefer it hot (as I do with most Darjeeling teas) but it is also quite good chilled, although the flavors are a bit softer in the cold tea.  It is good without sweetener; however, if you choose to ice it, I do recommend adding a little sweetener to give the flavors a little more gusto.   A very good Earl Grey!