This was in my LiberTEAS Sampler Box. I can almost say, with a totally straight face, that this is a very satisfying Earl Grey (bwahaha, I typed “satisfrying” and had to go fix it after I stopped giggling), and I’m almost sure I know what that means in this context. Let’s see…
Dry leaf fragrance blindfold test: Hmm… Very obviously black tea, but not very obviously Earl Grey. There’s something in here, I’m just not sure what. Maybe because I’ve never smelled “oil of bergamot” on its own, so I couldn’t identify it if I tried. Basically I just look for kind of a lemony scent, and I didn’t really find that here. I smelled hay, though. Yes, hay. Don’t look at me like that, I don’t know either.
Steeped tea blindfold test: Okay, now I can definitely identify it as an Earl Grey. With hay.
Flavour: Yep, Earl Grey, but not of the in-your-face ilk. Smooth, pleasant. And, er, it doesn’t taste like hay, as far as I can tell, but I’m no Huck Finn. Bonus: no bitterness or astringency.
Will I stock it after my sample’s done? No. I only need to stock one Earl Grey, and so far my favourite is Golden Moon’s Tippy Earl Grey. Do I like it enough to finish my sample? Absolutely, it’s really quite lovely, it’s just not “the one.” Y’know? Also, the caffeine’s pretty strong in this one. In case you can’t tell, I’m a little loopy from it.
Tea amount: 1 tsp/~4.75g
Water amount: 6oz/~175mL
Additives: None
Oh! I discovered something just now. My two infusers are in the sink and I didn’t feel like washing them since I’d just done a load of dishes, so I used one of those paper bag things that you get free with some tea orders. And what I discovered is that I have no clue what to do with them. I just took one, put in my teaspoon of tea, and wrapped it up and presented it to my teacup like a little gift. It worked out okay, I guess—I mean, none of the tea escaped its confines to go for a quick paddle, but the bag did leave behind a kind of papery taste on which I’m not altogether keen.
