Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants
Tea Description:
The fresh fruitiness of our medium-bodied Earl Grey is sweet, not soapy. Aromatic and balanced, Earl Grey is excellent both hot or served over ice. Traditionally, Earl Grey is made with black tea as a base – we use Chinese Keemun (Qimen), from the Anhui Province in east-central China, and Ceylon, from the major tea-producing island of Sri Lanka.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
While shopping at Chuck’s Produce, I noticed that they had some Earl Grey tea offered by The Jasmine Pearl Tea Merchants in the bulk section. I love getting tea in this section because:
- The teas are sealed air-tight in tins (not glass or plastic jars).
- I can get a sampler size of the tea rather than buying a full 2 – 4 ounces of the tea.
- Chuck’s has never let me down when it comes to freshness or quality of products, so I feel confident that I can trust them with tea.
And this Earl Grey is excellent! I’m glad that I got a little bit of this to try!
When I opened the tin to measure some tea into a small cellophane bag, I was overjoyed by the aroma – a STRONG bergamot fragrance! It smells amazing.
And I couldn’t wait to try it. I brewed up a pot later that same evening when I brought it home. LOVELY!
This is a really wonderful Earl Grey. I love that the base black tea is a blend of Ceylon and Keemun teas. This offers a rich, flavorful background that isn’t overly aggressive, but is still bold and full-flavored. It is a very smooth, well-rounded taste. It’s not bitter and it’s only very mildly astringent toward the tail. I like that what little astringency there is here seems to accentuate the tangy qualities of the bergamot flavor.
The bergamot used here is a high quality bergamot. Full of citrus-y flavor that is highlighted with subtle floral notes, but not at all perfume-ish. The burst of citrus flavor lasts well into the aftertaste. The taste buds really perk up from the bright bergamot notes.
So I find that this Earl Grey leaves me in a bit of a quandary. I have my hierarchy when it comes to Earl Grey. I have my favorites, to be sure! But this one is seriously good and it belongs right near the top – at the very least in the top five (if not closer to that number 1 spot!) Should I feel sad that one of my other favorites is becoming displaced by this newcomer, or should I feel overjoyed that I have found a new favorite? I think the latter rather than the former.
An exceptional Earl Grey – a MUST TRY to those of you who love Earl Grey like I do.
