Now that I’ve had more time with this tea I can’t believe I ever mistook its citrus scent for anything but an Earl Grey’s bergamot. The illusion of oranges comes from the profound amount of bergamot that jam-packed into this, and it is an overload. I don’t think I have ever smelled so much bergamot, ever and it takes on a sickeningly sweet and sour perfume quality.
This time I had it with milk, the natural sidekick of “the Grey”, and it was much more agreeable. Very creamy, very tart, very Earl. That “perfume” bit comes to rear its ugly head, however, and the last note and the aftertaste is rather nauseating because of it- too bad. Less steeping time is more in this case unless you like the sensation of bergamot taking over all of your senses in a sudden sweeping, conquering blow.
Very citric, but it doesn’t have that sweet, super-fruity quality that orange has and all of the tart, scent oriented powers equated to bergamot. It’s more like dose of lemon if not full bergamot. It’s not a bad Earl Grey but I think I’ll stick with others for now.
Key words: bergamot, perfume, earl grey, “needs milk”
