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Earl Grey de la Creme from SpecialTeas
80

I am the worst swap partner ever. While I always send out my parcels and delight in receiving something in return, I rarely get to actually drinking the tea. That said, I extend endless apologies to Mercuryhime who sent me some of this as well as a handful of oolongs to try…a year ago. Oy. It all ended up in an envelope in a basket in my cupboard underneath 50 or 60 other samples. I hope to remedy my tardiness though!

Opening the bag, I’m hit by an intense citrus aroma, one I am calling lime. The lime is fab. There is something behind that though that is dusty and musty – that’s probably the bergamot. I’m not getting any creme but neither does this smell like a typical earl grey. I’m not a huge Earl fan, but I like Lady Greys and Cream Greys, so this could be great.

Steeped, I get lime and orange with a sweet creme beneath, I am reminded of those popsicles with vanilla ice cream on the inside. Creamsicles, maybe? Anyway, the steeped aroma is delish and decadent, I’m loving the vibe I get now. The first sips are mild, sweet with some light citrus in the background. The taste still holds with the steeped aroma, popsicles and ice cream! There is no dustiness from the bergamot and no bitterness from the black tea, so I’m gonna call this blend a win. I get the sense that it could become bitter as the cup cools but I’m off to enjoy it quickly. Yum, and many thanks to Mercuryhime for sending it to me!

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Comments

Mercuryhime
Mercuryhime 2012-11-16 11:37:15 -0500

I was trying to remember who I sent this to! Glad you enjoyed it! I had some earl today too. :)

Babble
Babble 2012-11-16 17:15:05 -0500

If you swap like I swap, it’s almost impossible to get to all your tea samples in a reasonable manner :)

Nik
Nik 2012-11-17 14:49:35 -0500

I reckon as long as they get drunk and enjoyed, no harm done. The only time I feel guilty is when I get free samples from arteasans, with the expectation that I’ll say a few words about what I’m tasting. I always do, just not necessarily in the most timely manner. Oops.

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Profile

Bio

I am a lover of many things, but my prized possessions include my records, tea and books (not necessarily in that order!) I embrace local food and good cooking as much as I can, and place great value on time with family and enjoying the bounty of nature. While I live in a city at the moment, my heart lies in the country and I am to be married there this May under my grandmother’s apple trees.

I am drawn toward good Chinese blacks, enjoy some herbals and the odd roasted oolong. Greens and whites can make me nauseous, but I will have flavoured ones on occasion. While I don’t yet enjoy puerh, I desperately want to. Chamomile and coconut are the devil though, I wish they didn’t exist. Mint has been a particular favourite of mine since childhood, and I enjoy both flavoured and pure teas pretty equally. If it’s well crafted and delicious, I’m there!

As for ratings, I try to only log teas once or twice because I drink a lot of the same ones repeatedly. My rating is based on my perception of the tea at first tasting and is adjusted if anything notable occurs in subsequent cups. For some reason, I don’t really like to rate things below 60 even if I don’t like them, but I’m TRYING to use more of the scale, rather than just the top half.

86 – 100: WOW. I need this tea on hand at home, work and with every relative or friend I tend to visit.
76 – 85: This is a solid tea. I enjoy it, and would recommend it to others.
61 – 75: Just okay. I can drink it, but I don’t necessarily want to. Will try again if I have to, but life is too short to waste on average tea.
41 – 60: Bleh. Might finish it, but it’s not to my taste OR just doesn’t impress me at all.
0 – 40: No thank you, please. Take it away and don’t make me finish the cup.

Location

Canada

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