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!