This tea comes to me thanks to SimplyJenW! I always welcome a chance to try a new Earl Grey, and I’m curious about this one since it includes lavender. I’ve had hits and misses with lavender Earl Greys, so I’m interested to see where this one falls out. It’s an aroma combination that I love, but it can go so wrong in the flavors!
The dry tea on this one certainly smells nice: a good blend of lavender and bergamot that is neither overwhelming nor too faint. This one brewed to a really dark mahogany color, and the aroma seems to be a decent mix of the lavender, bergamot and the black tea base, which has come forward a lot. The flavors here are pretty decent. The lavender is a touch strong, I think, but it doesn’t come across as soapy or too herbaceous. The cup is a tad bitter as well as overall stronger than I would like, so I’m thinking a lower steep temp and possibly a shorter time as well might help. Otherwise it’s a fairly decent cup, though I wish the bergamot was more forward to balance the lavender a little better. The black tea base is pretty smooth and pleasant.
