Morgana

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__Morgana__ drank Earl Grey Special by TeaFrog

Getting close to the end of my TeaFrog samples. I think I have three more. This is one of them.

The dry mix is very pretty, the lemongrass is very green against the backdrop of the Ceylon and there are little flecks of blue where the cornflowers show through. There’s a light neutral color as well that looks like the lemon peel. I’m not really seeing jasmine, though it could be that some of the flecks that look like lemon peel are actually jasmine petals. It doesn’t have a strong scent of bergamot (or otherwise) in the packet.

The tea has a lemony aroma with a bergamot undercurrent. It has a lemony taste as well. A bright taste. The bergamot is pretty subdued, secondary to the lemon. I am not getting much in the way of jasmine.

It’s hard to say whether it’s tastes like an Earl Grey so much as a lemon black tea with bergamot? It does seem to me the lemon is the stronger taste of the two. It’s actually very nice; it’s different. I don’t think I’d buy it to fill an Earl Grey need. If I order some, it will simply be because I like it.

2010-05-25 16:18:32 -0400

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Rabs 2010-05-25 23:29:37 -0400

Ooooo — I’ve got this one coming as one of my samples from the Select. Now my curiosity has ratcheted up a few notches :)

Rabs 2010-06-02 12:50:05 -0400

Okay, so just had my first cup and then I reread your note after posting mine. I wonder if our slightly different experiences is due to water temp. I’ve discovered that 205 is perfect for many flavored black teas — especially EGs. My favorite Rosy Early Grey has a harsh citrus-almost-lime bite to it when I tried it at boiling the first time. But once I lowered it to 205 it was super-yummy.

__Morgana__ 2010-06-02 12:53:45 -0400

Hmmm. Interesting. I really only had enough sample for one shot in the Breville so I won’t be finding out whether that’s the issue unless I decide to order more. But I like the theory!

Rabs 2010-06-02 13:25:47 -0400

D’oh! And mmmm…Breville…::drools:: ;)

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Bio

I thought I should probably update this bio as it’s been a couple of years since I “started getting into” tea. It’s now more accurate to say that I was obsessed with tea for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it, and I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order.

Personal biases: I much prefer to drink tea without additives such as milk and sugar. If a tea needs additives to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’m going to rate it high. The exception is chai, which I make on the stove top using a recipe I found here on Steepster. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs into the harder stuff, but once I learned how to make a decent cup of tea they became far less appealing to me. That said, I’m not entirely a purist, and I enjoy a good flavored tea, particularly flavored blacks.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is; will keep this stocked until the cows come home

90-94 First rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Excellent; likely to become a favorite, will likely buy more

70-79 Very good; would enjoy again, might buy again if in the mood for this particular one or a better, similar version not available

60-69 Good; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but probably wouldn’t buy again unless craving this particular flavor

50-59 Okay or run of the mill

40-49 So-so

30-39 Iffy

20-29 Would definitely pass

10-19 Ick

0-9 Never again