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Dinosara

265 Followers / 217 Following

Dinosara drank Earl Grey by Nina's Paris

Sipdown, 243. Thanks to Nina’s Paris for this sample to try!

I decided to request an Earl Grey as a sample to see how it compares to some of my other faves. I am no longer actively looking for the perfect Earl Grey, because I have found it (Lupicia), but I will always welcome new versions to try. I was unsure of how long to steep this one, because the Versailles Rose was good at 3 minutes but the Marie-Antoinette really needed only 2 minutes. I decided that possibly a tad weak was better than bitter, so I went with 2 this time.

This is a tasty Earl. Two minutes worked just fine. That nice, malty-smooth base that I found in the Versailles Rose makes an appearance again, paired with a nicely balanced citrusy bergamot. Not perfumy, nor bitter like citrus pith. I definitely enjoyed drinking my cup, but it didn’t quite stand out to me as particularly distinctive. Which is fine, because it’s still a very tasty tea and a good example of a well-done Earl.

2013-02-27 13:09:32 -0500

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2 min 0 sec

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looseTman 2013-03-25 19:25:28 -0400

Hi Dinosara, In your quest to find your favorite EG tea, what was the best organic EG you tasted & how did it compare to Lupicia. Thanks!

Dinosara 2013-03-25 20:27:24 -0400

I haven’t had too many organic Earl Greys but of the ones I have had my favorite is probably two leaves and a bud… It’s nicely balanced, with a good amount of bergamot that is citrusy and pleasant, and a smooth black tea base. The biggest difference between that one and the Lupicia is the base; the Lupicia is a Keemun and the two leaves and a bud is a Ceylon. I tend to prefer Chinese blacks in general so I prefer the Lupicia but the two leaves and a bud is still a really great tea!

looseTman 2013-03-25 21:41:46 -0400

I share your preference for Keemun vs. most Ceylon teas. Have you tried any of the following EG: American tea Room, Arbor Teas, DavidsTea, Nectar Fine Teas, Rishi, The Tao of Tea, Teas Etc., Zen Tea? Thanks

Dinosara 2013-03-25 21:55:28 -0400

Of those I have only tried the cream version of DavidsTea’s and the Rishi… I found the DavidsTeas version to be kind of astringent and bitter with the bergamot, and I found the Rishi to be decent but it has a Yunnan base so it is a little different.

looseTman 2013-03-25 22:07:57 -0400

If interested, I’ve now reviewed 13 EG teas – http://steepster.com/discuss/4693-favorite-earl-grey-and-eg-cream-loose-teas?post_id=87667#forum_post_87667

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I am tea obsessed, with the stash to match. I tend to really enjoy green oolongs, Chinese blacks, and flavored teas with high quality bases, especially florals, bergamot-based teas, and chocolate teas.

I’m a grad student and in my free time I am a birder, baker, and music/movie/tv addict.

I have an Adagio Teas UtiliTEA kettle and a Tea Forté Kati cup for brewing. I also have a Chinese Ru Kiln tea set for gongfu brewing.

Here are my rating categories, FYI:
100-90: These teas are mind-blowingly good to me.
89-80: I really really like these teas and will keep most of them in the permanent collection, but they’re not quite as spectacular as the top category
79-70: Tasty teas that I enjoy, but definitely won’t rebuy when I run out.
69-65: Teas that I would probably drink again, but wouldn’t seek out. They don’t quite do it for me in one aspect or another; often just not quite my style
64-60: Teas that I don’t really enjoy all that much and wouldn’t drink another cup of.
59-50: Bleh. I usually choose not to finish the cup because life’s too short to drink tea I dislike.
49 and below: Mega yuck. This tea is just disgusting to me.