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__Morgana__ drank Earl Grey Lavender Organic by American Tea Room

2036 tasting notes

This tea makes you go “yum.”

There is something about yunnan that makes Earl Grey Lavender work really well. I think this is the secret to Samovar’s Earl Lavender success, too.

In the sample packet there’s a pretty strong smell of lavender and that’s about it. But in the cup, that yummy sweet malty yunnan aroma comes out, like syrup or molasses. The lavender mellows a bit, too. There’s a slightly citrus note, but it’s not the main event.

The flavor seems to be stronger on the lavender than the bergamot, but it still gives the impression of an Earl Grey and it is delicious. I don’t think it quite matches the Samovar, but it makes me curious enough about the differences to try a back to back tasting at some point. There are a lot of similarities between the two. I think the Samovar wins for overall smoothness, depth of flavor and complexity, but this has a lot going on, too. The floral aspect is wonderfully aromatic, and the black tea base lends it a bit of seriousness. I can’t believe I’m saying this but I wish the bergamot was just a tad stronger.

Still. Om nom nom nom nom….

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. 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. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

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

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes