Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: PMD P.M. David Silva & Sons
Tea Description:
We have taken this cherished tea back to its roots. Many of the Earl Grey teas on offer are created to misguide consumer’s senses. Tea makers mask poor quality tea with blue cornflowers as a visual distraction and then over scent the tea with artificial Bergamot essence. At PMD we have selected a high quality low grown tea and married it with natural bergamot oil; creating you a heavenly aromatic experience whilst finishing with smooth, citrus notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Earl Grey is a hit or miss kind of tea for me. I either love it or hate it. I’m not a huge fan of floral teas that completely overwhelm the senses. I even shied away from them until I met my boyfriend who loves them. He fell in love with them when he was traveling abroad.
This tea comes in two different variations, loose and bagged, which is very convenient for on the go people or for work. I have all of my tea hardware at work (kettle, teapot, filters, etc.) but sometimes you just want to plop the tea in some water and go. This is a tea that I think you could do just that with. I brewed this up on in my favorite rooster mug (yep, I have a rooster mug) with 1 cup of 212F water for about 3 minutes. Without question, I could tell this was an earl grey and hesitation started to grow. I wasn’t in the mood to be smacked in the face with a huge heaping of cup full of bergamot oil.
First sip, holy cow! This is a sleek and polished earl grey! Very smooth! With an incredible rich black base to boot! The citrus notes are a delightful addition. After a few sips, I added in some milk and made myself a latte which brought out the richness even more. As it cools off, the flavors mingle delightfully together and really provide a fantastic treat. Yum!
I’m incredibly impressed with this one! This Earl Grey may be the best bagged Earl Grey I’ve ever had!
Organic Earl Grey Black Tea from White Lion
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: White Lion
Tea Description:
Natural Italian oil of Bergamot gives this tea its crisp citrusy bouquet. An all time classic, this tea is Sir Aubrey’s favorite.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Yay! Earl Grey!
The dry leaf aroma is intensely bergamot with notes of bold top citrus notes and and undertone of a slightly floral note. The aroma of an Earl Grey tea is one of the things I love most about this traditional favorite, and so I was eager to taste this new-to-me Earl Grey!
To brew this tea, I used my Breville One-Touch tea maker and poured 500ml of water into the jug. Then I measured out two bamboo scoops of the tea into the basket and set the controls for 205°F and 2 1/2 minutes. The brewed tea is dark in color with a considerably softer fragrance than the dry leaf, but I can still detect the bergamot very clearly.
The bergamot flavor is much more subtle than I usually desire from an Earl Grey tea, but I can still taste the distinct notes of bergamot. Sharp, tangy notes of citrus that are much more focused if I slurp the cup to aerate the tea as it hits the palate. The aftertaste has a clear citrus note. This tea gets bonus points for a low astringency, as I find that many Earl Grey (or other citrus teas, for that matter) tend to have astringency. Here, the astringency is mild.
The black tea has a pleasing robustness to it. It’s very smooth in flavor from start to finish. It’s a little bit earthy and a little bit malty, and the malty notes meld with the bergamot in a very favorable way. The tea is strong and rich in flavor. It’s a medium to full bodied tea that would make a good late morning cuppa or early afternoon cuppa.
This would be a good Earl Grey for those who are timid when it comes to their bergamot. The bergamot is flavorful but not overdone. It is mellow enough for those who find a strong bergamot flavor to be too overpowering for them, but there is enough bergamot here to know that you’re drinking an Earl Grey.
Personally speaking, I prefer my Earl Grey to have a stronger bergamot essence, but I am enjoying this cup. I like that the tea is organic and it has a very satisfying flavor. It’s a good Earl Grey and it’s of good quality.
That said … this tea is best iced! I usually prefer my Earl Grey the same way that Captain Picard does … hot. But, this particular Earl Grey tastes best iced. The bergamot really pops as the tea cools!
