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Brewed per Arbor Teas’ recommendation: “one generous tsp.” / 8 oz. / 212*F / 3 to 5-min. without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Dry leaf: Uniform short length, chocolate brown
Fragrance: Reminded me of fine pipe tobacco
Liquor: Clear & coppery

3 min. Initial taste: The tea was smooth and medium-bodied w/o any bitterness or astringency.

4-Min.: Full-bodied w/o any bitterness. However, a light level of astringency was noted.

1.5 tsp. / 8oz. / 195F / 3 min.* The clear, lively, coppery liquor is now medium dark. This Nilgiri is brisk without any hint of bitterness or astringency.

Impression: The flavor is very smooth, simple, and enjoyable. Your teacup will be empty before you realize it. Well done!

Thanks to Aubrey at Arbor Teas for providing this generous size free sample.

I brewed this tea following Arbor Teas’ recommendation: “one generous tsp.” / 8 oz. / 212*F for 3 to 5-min. without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Dry leaf: well twisted, uniform sized, blackish brown
Fragrance: Subtle hints of pipe tobacco
Liquor: Clear & mahogany colored

3 min. Initial taste: The tea was smooth and medium-bodied w/o any bitterness or astringency.

4-Min.: The longer infusion did allow the flavor to more fully develop. Now this tea was smooth, somewhat malty, and full-bodied w/o any bitterness. However, after a few sips a moderate-to-strong level of astringency developed and persisted on the front center of my tongue. I understand astringency can be associated with high-altitude teas. This “…organic Ceylon tea hails from Sri Lanka’s eastern Uva District, grown between 5,000 and 6,000 feet above sea level.” I would definitely not suggest a longer infusion.

Next, I tried 1.5 tsp. / 8oz. / 195 F / 3 min.: Wow, now we’re talking! The clear, lively, coppery liquor is now medium dark. The flavor is now very smooth with a malty richness and with a subtle caramel sweetness. There is no hint of bitterness and only a very mild drying effect on the finish. As my cup cools, I’m delighted by the sweet caramel finish.

The increased amount of leaf produced a richer sip and a delicate caramel sweetness. The decreased temperature and reduced time significantly reduced the level of astringency.

Impression: This is one Sri Lankan black tea you don’t want to miss!

Thanks to Aubrey at Arbor Teas for providing this generous size free sample.

The first time I reviewed this tea I brewed it for just 3-min. to minimize the potential for any astringency and was very favorably impressed.

Today, I decided to brew this tea following Arbor Teas’ recommendation: “one generous tsp.” / 8 oz. / 212*F for the maximum of 5-min.

The longer infusion did allow the aroma and flavor to more fully develop. The clear, lively, coppery liquor yields a sweet floral/fruity aroma. The initial taste is very smooth and has a delicate caramel sweetness. There was no hint of bitterness. However, there is a medium amount of astringency in the middle of my tongue.

Next, I tried 1.5 tsp. / 8oz. / 195*F / 4 min. Wow, now we’re talking! The clear, lively, coppery liquor is now medium dark. The aroma is more fruity than floral. The flavor is now very smooth and rich with a definite caramel sweetness. There is no hint of bitterness and only a very mild drying effect on the finish. As my cup cools, the first part of the sip is fruity and is followed by a sweet caramel finish.

The increased amount of leaf produced a stronger aroma, a much richer sip and a solid caramel sweetness. The decreased temperature and reduced time significantly reduced the level of astringency. This is one Indian black tea you don’t want to miss!

Thanks to Aubrey at Arbor Teas for providing this generous size free sample.

Sample package label: “5202, Breakfast Earl Grey”

Per, http://www.lupiciausa.com/product_p/13355202.htm:
“Earl Grey made with broken leaves brews up a robust taste. Perfect to enjoy with milk.”

“Water Measurement: One 5.0 fl.oz (150ml)-cup
Water Temprature: Boiling water
Brewing Time: 2 – 2.5 min.”

Per Victoria at Lupicia Customer Service:
- The base of their Breakfast EG is a single Ceylon tea, not a blend.
- Their bagged tea is “the exact same as their loose tea.”

Technique:
5-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 27 ppm, heated to 212*F, 2.5 min.

1 tea sachet, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Fragrance: This tea has a stronger fresh lemon Earl Grey fragrance than their 5201 Earl Grey. There wasn’t any hint of artificial additives.

Dry leaf – Dark brown leaves

Liquor – Clear & dark coppery

Impression: This is a smooth, well-balanced Earl Grey with a fresh mild pleasing lemon aroma. Finally, another EG with more body! There was no hint of bitterness or astringency. As the cup cooled, there was no hint of tartness. This Earl Grey resteeps well at 5-min.

My wife enjoyed this Lupicia EG more than their 5201 EG. She especially liked the stronger Bergamot fragrance. This EG tea has come the closest to her liking. However, she noted that there was a vegetal aroma / flavor not expected in a classic EG. I asked Vitoria what might contribute the vegetal hint to this tea. She wasn’t sure and said “Perhaps it’s because it is a broken tea?”

At this point, it has been 10 Earl Greys & counting! We would welcome any suggestions for a stronger Bergamot, fuller-bodied, invigorating breakfast version of the classic EG.

Thanks to Lupicia for providing this free sample.

Sample package label: “5201, Earl Grey”

Per: http://www.lupiciausa.com/product_p/13355201.htm:
“Water Measurement: One 5.0 fl.oz (150ml)-cup
Water Temprature: Boiling water
Brewing Time: 2.5-3min.”

Technique:
5-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 27 ppm, heated to 212*F, 3 min.

1 tea sachet, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Introduction: Most Earl Grey teas are light- to medium-bodied. While my wife loves the aroma and flavor of a well-balanced EG, she typically does not find them to be strong enough. To compensate, she will increase the amount of tea leaves and/or the brewing time. However, you can only increase those two parameters so much.

Fragrance: This tea has a fresh lemon Earl Grey fragrance combined with the scent of the Keemun base without any hint of artificial additives.

Dry leaf – Dark brown leaves

Liquor – Clear & coppery

Impression: This is a smooth, well-balanced Earl Grey with a fresh mild pleasing lemon aroma combined with a mild classic Keemun aroma. Since I very much enjoy Keemun, I found this EG to also be very enjoyable. Finally, an EG with more body! There was no hint of bitterness or astringency. As the cup cooled, there was a hint of tartness. This Earl Grey resteeps well at 5-6 min.

My wife enjoys Keemun and also enjoyed this tea but didn’t find it to be “The EG” she’s been seeking. To her, it wasn’t special or unique enough. After all the excellent Steepster reviews and recommendations for this EG, I had high hopes this would be “The one”. At this point, it has been 9 Earl Greys & counting! (I’m not including EG cream teas.) Since this tea has a full-bodied Keemun base, I guess she didn’t find the EG aroma and flavor to be sufficient. She is looking for an EG that will make you “sit up and take notice.” A full-bodied EG on Steroids!

Thanks to Lupicia for providing this free sample.

Sample package label:
“Earl Grey Creme
Black tea, bergamot orange oil, cream flavor”

Per http://www.dellaterrateas.com/earl-grey-creme/:
“Product Description
If you love Earl Grey you will adore our Earl Grey Creme. It has the classic Earl Grey flavoring matched with a delicious creme.”

“Ingredients: Black tea, bergamot orange oil, cream flavor”

“Allergens: contains dairy. For more allergy info visit our FAQ”

“Suggested brewing tips:
Serving Size: 1 level tsp. /6 to 8oz serving
Water Temp: 210°
Steep Time: 2-3 minutes”

Technique:
6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 28 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 210*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer.

1 level Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Dry leaf: Dark brown with blue cornflower petals and some straw-colored petals

Fragrance: This tea has an Earl Grey and cream-like fragrance plus an additional unidentified fragrance. It smells similar to anise.

Liquor: Somewhat clear amber-brown hue

3-min Infusion: The mild aroma follows the fragrance. The initial taste follows the unidentified fragrance & aroma. Mid sip one tastes the base tea. The end of the sip reveals the not very creamy crème flavoring. The bergamot orange oil is overshadowed and hard to recognize. There was also an unpleasant aftertaste left in my mouth that persisted quite a while. Neither my wife or I finished our cups of this tea.

Impression: The fragrance, aroma, and flavor make me wonder if some artificial flavorings were included. Perhaps this sample came from a sub-optimal batch of this tea? If I were to rate this EGC on the merits of this one sample, I would say that there are other better tasting Earl Grey Cream teas available. However, the question that remains, is this sample truly representative of Della Terra’s Earl Grey Crème?

Suggestion: A quick review of http://steepster.com/teas/della-terra-teas/29162-earl-grey-creme shows a wide range of Tasting Notes scores from 90 to 60 points even among very experienced Steepster reviewers. These results suggest both near-optimal and sub-optimal batches. Thus, I’d suggest a thorough review of the quality control processes for both ingredient selection and the blending process.

Thanks to David Worgul of Della Terra Tea for providing this free sample.

Sample package label: “Organic Makaibari Darjeeling”

Per: http://www.dellaterrateas.com/organic-makaibari-darjeeling/
“Ingredients: Organic Makaibari Darjeeling Black Tea”

“Suggested brewing tips
Serving Size: 1 level tsp./6oz serving
Water Temp: 210°F
Steep Time: 1 – 3 minutes”

Technique:
6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 27 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 210*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer.

1 level Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Dry leaf: well twisted, uniform sized, blackish brown – typical for an autumn flush

Fragrance: Reminds me of pipe tobacco

Liquor: Clear & coppery

3-min Infusion: Fresh crisp vegetal aroma, a lively full-bodied refreshing flavor without bitterness. There was a slight sense of astringency on the front center of my tongue.

1st Re-steep: 6-min Infusion Wow, just as enjoyable as the first infusion and now without any astringency.

2nd Re-steep: 12-min Infusion Nearly as enjoyable as the initial infusion! This very fine Darjeeling can go the distance!

Impression: Highly recommended! A truly excellent full-bodied black tea that’s suitable for morning or afternoon.

Thanks to David Worgul of Della Terra Tea for providing this free sample.

Sample package label: “Classic Earl Grey, Temp 195*F; Time 2min”

Per http://www.butikiteas.com/Black.html: “Recommended Amount: 2 teaspoons of tea for 8oz of water”

Technique:
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 195*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer.

2 Tevanna teaspoons, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Introduction: Most Earl Grey teas are light- to medium-bodied. While my wife loves the aroma and flavor of a well-balanced EG, she typically does not find them to be strong enough. To compensate, she will increase the amount of tea leaves and/or the brewing time. However, you can only increase those two parameters so much.

Fragrance: This black tea has a fresh classic Earl Grey fragrance without any hint of artificial additives – the genuine article!

Dry leaf – Dark brown leaves

Infused Leaf – red / brown hue

Impression: This is an elegant smooth, well-balanced Classic Earl Grey with a fresh subtle pleasing lemon aroma The harmonious blended tea base of Chinese, Indian, and Sri Lankan teas was well chosen. There was no hint of tartness, bitterness or astringency.

My wife enjoyed this tea but didn’t find it to be “The EG” she’s been seeking. She prefers a ROBUST version of Stacy’s very well balanced Classic EG. A full-bodied stimulating breakfast tea base with an equally strong EG aroma and flavor. An EG that will make you “Sit Up and Take Notice.” An EG on STEROIDS!

Butiki EG NEWS: Per Stacy, “We are working on a premium version that will replace this version but that won’t be ready for a month or two.” Given Stacy’s track record in providing high quality hand-blended teas, we can’t wait!

Thanks to Stacy for providing this free sample.

Sample package label: “Persian Choice Royal Earl Grey”

Per: http://www.alvinsofsf.com/persian-choice-royal-earl-grey-tea.html
“12oz Box; First Place Winner in the North American Tea Championship. Pungent, Robust, Smooth finish, Very complex body”

Details (See above)

Thanks to Hovik Azadkhanian at Alvin’s of San Francisco for the recommended brewing instructions: 1 tsp. / 205*F / 8oz.
“Steep Time is around 2 minutes. Again, this part is totally up to you. Many people steep for less time and then re-steep a second time.”

Given my wife’s love of Earl Grey tea and the First Place Earl Grey award in the 2011 North American Tea Championship, we were very interested to taste this tea.

Technique:
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 205*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer.

1 Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

This tea has a fresh Bergamot fragrance perhaps with a hint of licorice.

Dry leaf – blackish brown long leaves

Infused Leaf – Bright coppery hue

First cup:
2-min: Smooth, pleasing, balanced, med.-bodied I then steeped it an additional min.
3-min: Smooth, medium- to full-bodied with a fresh mild lemon aroma and a lemon flavor at the finish. No hint of bitterness, astringency, or tartness.
4-min: Now nearly full-bodied

Second cup: 1.5 tsp.. / 205*F / 8oz.
2-min: Smooth, full-bodied with a fresh mild lemon aroma and mild lemon tartness. No hint of bitterness or astringency.

Third cup: 1.5 tsp.. / 205*F / 8oz.
3-min.: Smooth, full-bodied with a fresh mild lemon aroma and mild lemon tartness. No hint of bitterness or astringency.

Impression: This EG is a smooth medium- to full-bodied tea with a fresh mild lemon aroma and without any bitterness or astringency. My cup was empty before I knew it. My wife enjoyed this tea but didn’t find it to be “The EG” she’s been seeking. She prefers a strong black tea base with an equally strong Bergamot aroma and flavor.

Thanks to Hovik Azadkhanian for providing this generous size free sample.

Sample package label: “Ceylon Black”

Per: http://www.alvinsofsf.com/tea/black-tea/ceylon-black.html:
“Black Orange Pekoe, Ultra high grade, Extra long leaf size, Fresh floral bouquet with sweet citrus and cucumber notes and a dry finish.

Details
Our Ceylon teas come from the very best sources in Sri Lanka. Grown in the Highlands of Ceylon, this amazing black tea is the finest on the planet. Picked from the Camellia Sinensis plant this high grade Orange Pekoe leaf yields a fresh floral bouquet with sweet citrus tones. Hints of fresh picked grapefruit and cucumber with a dry grainy finish. This is our absolute favorite un-blended black tea leaf. CERTIFIED ORGANIC, FAIR TRADE, KOSHER tea leaves."

Thanks to Hovik Azadkhanian at Alvin’s of San Francisco for the recommended brewing instructions: 1 tsp. / 205*F / 8oz.
“Steep Time is around 2 minutes. Again, this part is totally up to you. Many people steep for less time and then re-steep a second time.”

Technique:
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 205*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer. Brewed in a closed vessel – teacup w/lid:
1 Tevanna teaspoon, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

This tea has a strong pleasant fragrance that reminds me of licorice.
Dry leaf – blackish brown
Infused Leaf – Bright coppery hue

First cup:
2-min: Smooth, med.-bodied I then steeped it an additional min.
3-min: Smooth, bright & full-bodied with notes of cucumber, a light floral aroma, and a dry finish. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency.

4-min re-steep:
Smooth & a little lighter than the first infusion, but very enjoyable.

Impression: This Ceylon is a smooth full-bodied tea with hints of cucumber and without any bitterness or astringency. My cup was empty before I knew it. Very well done!

This tea changed my perceptions Ceylon tea. Previously, I’ve tasted a few Earl Grey teas that had a Ceylon base and were too astringent to be enjoyable. I guess the makers of these EG teas may have used a lower-grade Ceylon to reduce their cost and hoped the Oil of Bergamot would somehow hide it.

Thanks to Hovik Azadkhanian for providing this generous size free sample.