In some ways, it doesn’t get more traditional than Earl Grey tea.  Next to English Breakfast black tea, it’s the flavor most people think of when brewing a cup of tea.  Earl Grey from Kent and Sussex brews up strong and tart, a full-bodied black tea with a touch of tart bergamot citrus.

Earl Grey is one of those teas that you customize as much or as little as you want, a lot like coffee.  Everyone had their preferred blend and balance.  You can brew this Earl Grey black without any additives, or brew it with honey and lemon, or add your preferred mix of milk and sugar.  Drink it hot, drink it iced, the smooth, crisp taste of Earl Grey works well with them all.

I brewed this tea hot, in my favorite teacup and saucer, and tired the brew black (no additives), and then with a splash of milk. On its own, this tea is a bit too bold for me, with a strong dry, tart mouthfeel that made me pucker.  Sometimes I prefer Earl Grey to be tart, especially when the leaves are blended with extra strong bergamot orange flavors, or when you want to top off your cup with a wedge of lemon and sugar.  This Earl Grey didn’t have as much citrus in the blend on its own, so I took the cup in a different direction, adding a swirl of milk to help boost the creaminess of the tea.

This is a solid standard to have in your tea cupboard, to brew up in whatever style suits your fancy.

Here’s the scoop!

Leaf Type: Black

Where to Buy: Kent and Sussex

Description:

Delicious Earl Grey! THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2007 Award winning Earl Grey. The History of Earl Grey Tea dates back to 1833 the then Earl Grey of Howick Hall the British Prime Minister suspended the price monopoly which the East India Company had until that point enjoyed with its Chinese trading. Originally pure chinese teas were flavoured with fine oils from the Bergamot fruit in an attempt to preserve the tea during the difficult clipper journeys by sea. It was thought that lengthy times at sea could result in tastes of mould and tar. That is how the tea was named and to this day Earl Grey is regarded as one of the very finest flavoured infusions.

Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!

MrsPremise

Growing up, I drank herbal teas like fresh ginger tea during New England's harsh winters and iced blueberry tea during its humid summers. Over time, I was tempted into trying a wider variety of loose leaf teas by the fandom-themed blends available online. I have since gone on to design my own blends, and I greatly enjoy drafting up flavor ideas and drawing tea labels. When I'm not thinking about tea I can be found reading novels and comic books, playing video games, or watching movies; my favorite genres being history, humor, sci-fi, and fantasy. Generally, I prefer bold teas: spicy chais, rich black teas, even smoky lapsang souchong on occasion. But I have also dabbled in herbal rooibos, flavored oolongs, and traditional matcha. I'm glad to be expanding my palette by tasting and reviewing new teas and blends. Find me on Steepster: http://steepster.com/A2shedsjackson Fandom blends: http://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/list.html?userId=292149

This post was posted in Black Tea, Earl Grey, Kent & Sussex Tea Co