Earl Black

52teas 12 Days of Christmas Sampler 2012 – Day 4

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A. I went to my fiancé’s parent’s house for Christmas, and I don’t like to travel with my teas. So I’ll be completing the rest of this sampler pretty late. But better late than never!! I haven’t looked at 52teas’ site or Steepster for over a week. Therefore, the rest of these teas are going to be a surprise to me! :)

Oooh, I haven’t had this one before! The dry leaf aroma is juicy black currant. I don’t actually smell any bergamot, which is surprising. Bergamot usually lets itself be KNOWN! This just smells like sugary candy. Yum!

The brewed tea aroma is black currant and white tea. There’s still no bergamot to be found. Even in the taste! All I can smell and taste is juicy black currant and white tea. To me, that’s enough. I LOVE this tea!! But I’m just left feeling confused…where’s the berg???

The white tea base is naturally sweet but not too much so. Even though it smells sugary, it doesn’t taste sugary. Rather, it’s a sweet and sour tea. Really unique and very delicious. But I have to lower it a few points because there’s just no bergamot to be found anywhere, and this is supposed to be an Earl Grey white. And I’m left wondering what the Black Currant Bai Mu Dan tastes like…

Wow, I can’t believe 52teas has had a blend out this long without it being reviewed! I’ve been debating on buying this one for a while, it sounded intriguing but I was hesitant given the fact that you only get an ounce for $8.99, but I finally decided to go for it.

The white tea base is very nice and a little sweet, and the flavoring manages not to overpower the tea base. All the flavors are balanced quite well. I don’t really taste either bergamot or blackcurrant as separate flavors, they kind of morph together to form a whole new experience. It’s all very subtle and it works well, good stuff.

On the fourth day of Christmas, 52teas gave to me Earl Black.

(Backlogging. 4 days ago. Monday afternoon.)

Upon cutting open the packet, I immediately identified the smell as Black Current Bai Mu Dan and thought we had gotten that before I pulled out the label. Taste-wise, the first and third steeps tasted pretty much identical to what I remember the Black Current Bai Mu Dan tasting like. The second steep I thought I could taste some citrus from the bergamot. The fourth steep was close to too watery to be drinkable and I prolly wouldn’t do again.

I’m rating this 74 same as the Black Current Bai Mu Dan.

2nd steep: 2 mins, 150 F
3rd steep: 3 mins, 160 F
4th steep: 4 mins, 160 F

I haven’t ordered from 52teas in a while, but when Red Leaf Tea offered a coupon for people who ordered from 52teas, I decided to take a perusal of their stocks to see if anything interested me. I do actually remember this one being released but I didn’t look closely and I assumed it was an Earl Grey black tea. I haven’t had the best successes with 52teas black teas in the past, so I didn’t give it a second glance until the other day when I noticed it was actually a black currant-bergamot white tea. Well then! I love bergamot, I love black currant, and a white tea seemed a decent base. I was excited.

The dry tea, however, smells disconcertingly like grape medicine. Hmm. The tea didn’t come with steeping parameters, and I don’t have a “default” for white teas because I don’t make them all that often, so I guesstimated some parameters after looking around a bit. The steeped tea also, unfortunately, smells like grape medicine. The taste is… weird. I have to say I don’t get bergamot or black currant out of this. It is oddly sweet (like really sweet!). Ok maybe some black currant candy flavors, but they are more grapey than curranty to me (and I don’t like grape flavoring). Meh. I can’t get the grape medicine out of my nose. And that sweetness, like there’s some kind of sweet additive, is not helping. It’s not undrinkable, but I am not likely to want another cup.

Oh well, onto the swap list it goes.

fourth day of Christmas~~

I do not like how this one smells, which is kind of weird because I love black currant. I guess it’s the bergamot combined with it, because my initial thought was like day 3: citrus.

I agree with Dinosara, it’s definitely more like candy than a black currant flavor. It doesn’t remind me very much of black currant, like the black currant bai mu dan from 52 teas (and I believe I have one from ZenTea). It’s just not very enjoyable for me.

I’ve let it cool down now and it’s a bit better, but the floral notes of the white tea kind of make it a bit too much for me. I suppose this works better in the summer but I can’t say I’m really a fan. At least I got to try it, I was tempted many times before about maybe getting a pouch.

12 Days of Tea #4! And the first one I had yet to previously sample!

This was one of the teas that I had been wavering on so much about purchasing. However… I’m glad I didn’t. All I got from this was a black currant flavoured white tea. And given that I dislike Black Currant Bai Mu Dan…. I was not impressed. Couldn’t taste bergamot, but the black currant flavour that comes off quite fakey to me would have ruined it anyways. My roommate thought about the same (I noticed it was one she didn’t end up re-steeping).

Okay, the next tea! Again, I was sceptical as soon as I saw the label.

I almost always am when I see ‘Earl Grey’ and it’s not a black base. Earl Grey is a black tea. The end. Any other base with bergamot is simply bergamot flavoured. But then that’s just personal taste, really. And honestly, it’s also splitting hairs. Yes, I’m fully capable of seeing this myself.

Now, in the past I’ve tended to have a rather rocky relationship with Earl Grey or really most anything bergamot flavoured. Often it turns into a grey, dusty, kind of floral and somewhat attic-y sort of flavour for me, although there have been a few exceptions here. The smoky Earl Grey from Kusmi being a famous example. Gosh, that one is Teh Nom!

I also, these days, have a somewhat rocky relationship with white tea. I had a period where Bai Mu Dan was what I kept on hand as Celebration Tea. These days I get mostly a funny sort of squash-y, cucumber-y flavour profile from it which I don’t really care much for in my tea.

So what we’ve actually got here so far is a tea base I don’t much care for flavoured with a fruit I’m not a fan of.

Great.

Well. Minus times minus equals plus, right?

Then there is the black currant. I’ve been fairly fond of black currant flavoured tea for as long as I can remember. That flavouring has never really let me down. On top of that there was a black currant flavoured white tea from 52teas that was extremely pleasant. So looking at it this way I’ve got something which I know to be a hit with some bergamot in it.

Actually in spite of my misgivings about bergamot in general, the idea of the bergamot and black currant combination struck me as rather appealing. I would have just felt more confident about it if it had been on a black base, I think.

Now that I’ve gone around and been ambivalent about this whole thing for a bit, I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I think it sounds pleasant.

The aroma is fairly close to how I remember that black currant flavoured Bai Mu Dan smelling only with a modicum of citrus added to the mix. Well that’s good enough.

The flavour was really much the same way, only it gave me a number of funny associations. First I thought it had a somewhat floral sort of note to it, but that went away pretty quickly. Then I thought it gave me a funny sort of plastic-y association, but that note did not go away. It stayed and after a few sips I was able to pin point where it was coming from.

It’s chewing gum. Not any particular flavour or kind of chewing gum, but that sort of feeling that you get in the mouth when chewing gum. I think it has to do with how the aftertaste is highly fruity and very long, as though it’s somehow sticky and has attached itself to my tastebuds. It’s like I’ve just been eating a lot of black currant and bergamot flavoured sweets. Winegums, maybe. Something that makes the mouth sticky.

And that brings me back to the base again, because now having tasted it, I still think I would have preferred a black base. This white one seems too delicate for this massive amount of fruit, and a black base might have been able to hold it up a bit better.

Thank you raritea for this sample!

So truth be told I don’t think I’ve ever had “normal” earl grey. I may have had one other variant of earl grey but from what I recall there was a hell of a lot of bergamot in it. This tea though? I actually quite enjoy the balance between the black currant and the bergamot. I Think I’d prefer drinking this one over franks black currant bai mu Dan. :) I had this first thing in the morning though I generally prefer straight black tea because I have a ton of running around to do. My parents have decided to come up over Christmas so I need to pick up a few things for them. Not to mention just general shopping before everyone panics because the stores are closing for a whole day!

Good start to the morning :) thanks again raritea!

Day Four

Before steeping it smells like pomegranate and black current juice. After steeping it luckily mellows down a bit and I’m able to pick up more of that vegetal, buttery white tea. Instead of following the packet instructions, I steeped “a small spoonful”, in my Perfect Mug, in low temperature water for about 4 minutes.

I can pick up citrus qualities from my cup, although it’s nowhere near as extreme as my Silk Road Earl White- a tea with a real overload of citrus and bergamot. Earl Black is more like a tame, almost flat, juice that may have seen a squeeze of citrus; just enough to give it a sour note.

It has a similar body to Big Apple from David’s Tea. Buttery mellowness, a little bit of fruit pizzazz, and some other notes that indicate that all the ingredients at one time or another came from a plant. The texture is oily. Astringency is almost nonexistent. Somewhat pasty, flaky, doughy when it cools down.

Comforting buttery qualities make me really like this but it isn’t a Super Adventure 9000+ Tea. The oil may seem ill-fitting with the fruity flavours at times, too.

I’ve never had a blackcurrant tea so I am personally highly amused and won over by this, although bergamot and strong flavoured it is not. The tea was also pretty lackluster on second steep.

This white tea is blended with a light currant taste. It’s nice, but I think I like a bit more strength to the flavor of my teas, particularly in the Fall and the Winter. I’m having sinus problems, so it’s possible that I’m not getting the full experience of this tea.

I suspect I might enjoy this more as a summertime blend. It’s good, but doesn’t blow me away.

I will start off by saying that Oil of Bergamot is so hit or miss for me. Most Earl Grey’s I’m not a fan of (without milk/sugar). So, why did I order this tea? Good question. I was intrigued … and it was on sale. And as us Steepsters know, it’s hard to resist a good sale ;)

I couldn’t find any steeping parameters, so I just went with what the other 52teas White Teas use – 1-2 min, sorta boiling water.

This tea smells awesome. Smells fruity and very unique. Hard to put my finger on it, really. But it’s delicious.

As for the taste? It’s not bad. I can definitely taste the bergamot in there, but it’s masked but the fruitiness of the black currant. The flavors actually work well together. The white tea base also works nicely because it’s not overpowering.

As the tea cools off it’s actually very pleasant. Definitely drinkable without any addition for me, although I bet a little milk would make the taste pop too.

So, am I glad I tried this? Sure. Would I order again. Eh, probably not.

Sipdown! Another one from the 12 Days of Tea pack that I am just now trying. White teas aren’t really my favorite, so while this one looked nice, I wasn’t super excited to try it. The dry leaves were really big and pretty, but I didn’t see any dried black currants in my pack. The tea liquor is a really clear pale yellow color, it almost looks like water. The flavor is really fruity and perfumey. I can’t taste the bergamot, and the black currant seems different that other black currant flavors that I’ve had, and it ends on a slightly artificial note. Not terrible by any means, but probably one that I wouldn’t purchase again.

-Dry blend has large tea leaves and twigs.
-Dry leaves smell lightly of fruit. Tea liquor aroma smells of overly sweet black currants.
-Tea liquor is clear and almost colorless.
-Soft fruit perfumey flavor with an artificial sweet finish.
-Best with sweetener.
-Fair tea. Light and fruity.

Spoiler alert!

On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me a mug full of… Earl Black tea.

I admit that I did cheat with this one and opened it an hour before it officially turned 17th Dec. I’ve had a busy day at work and rushed straight off afterwards for a family meal so this is the only chance I have had to try it.

As I tore open the bag with naughty delight I encountered a very fruity blend of blackcurrant, bergamot and something sweet like apple. An interesting combination, I love Earl Grey as does my husband and this mix blew our mind. Very imaginative!

Once brewed this becomes pale yellow/green in colour with a gentle blackcurrant breeze. This tea is a little different to something I would usually try, though I am a fan of bergamot I am particular about blackcurrant. The white tea is a little floral and very light which is aided with a soft blackcurrant flavour that was very fresh and also light. The bergamot is the most subtle but it is noticeable at times which stops it from being just a hot blackcurrant tea.

The whole cup is a delicate mixture of fruit and flowers that leaves a wonderful fresh and sweet taste in my mouth. It’s also helping to reduce my stomach ache from the large meal I managed to stuff myself with (vegetarian toad in the hole with mashed potato and guiness gravy). Super wintery. :) Thanks Frank.

Twelve Days of X-mas tea #4. Yes this is a day late and I missed #3 as well – work has left me too busy to do much tea drinking. This is the first of three days off though, so I intend to take full advantage and catch up on my tea-drinking. ;)

The dry teas smells like nothing so much as grape Kool-aid which must be from the black current flavouring. Thankfully, the tea doesn’t taste like Kool-aid, though the most dominant flavour is the fruity black currents. The bergamot is surprisingly subtle, but it gives the tea an interesting citrus tanginess.

I contemplated ordering this a while back, but the white base threw me off. Very happy to have the chance to try this though! I am in love with black currant flavoured things. Well, black currant candies in particular. Especially wine gums! And those little pastilles. I also recently had a black currant soda that was an absolutely perfect blend of sweet, tart and juicy.

Bergamot is also a favourite of mine, and sounded like it would compliment the currant nicely. But I’m always a little iffy about white teas. I’ve had them go bitter on me more than a few times, and when I’m drinking a flavoured tea I don’t want it to be fussy.

After a 2:30 min steep though, this wasn’t bitter at all. Yay! Tastes like sweet currants and almost like concord grape juice. Sweet and winey with a bit of that pucker-inducing tartness. I wasn’t expecting to taste grape, but it’s nice! I’m not picking up on much bergamot though, sadly.

This packs a nice punch of flavour, but I actually enjoy the base coming through, which is fairly unexpected. Glad I have a bit more left to play around with.

After reading the description of this tea, I thought for sure I would hate it. I couldn’t fathom how earl grey would blend with fruit. Beautiful blend of flavors. Now I have to decide if I should buy more. Tough decision.

This stuff is, as the kids say, amazeballs. Really one of my favourite blends by Frank.

I’m super excited to say I’m slowly converting co-workers to the world of “snobby tea” (that’s what they all call it). Currently a trainmaster is browsing 52 Teas and asking me for recommendations. And last week another trainmaster put in his first Red Leaf matcha order. Verdant Tea is always a hot topic when people ask me about tea. I’ve got about a dozen people hooked on Davids Tea in the last year, too.

Man i’m on a roll!

Steep Information:
Amount: 4-5 tsp
Water: 750ml at 185°F
Tool: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker BTM800XL
Steep Time: 2 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: currant, lemon, floral, sweet
Steeped Tea Smell: floral, vegetal, sweet currant, hint lemon
Flavor: vegetal, floral
Body: Light
Aftertaste: lemon
Liquor: translucent light yellow-green

Smells delightful, pretty standard white.

Post-Steep Additives:
White sugar
more current flavor comes out

Resteep:
750ml at 185°F for 3 minutes
Light, floral, delicious

Rating: 2/4 leaves

Blog: http://amazonv.teatra.de/2013/02/06/52teas-loose-leaf-white-tea-earl-black/

maybe i’m just not in a white tea ‘place’ these days. i should probably put all of mine in the back of a drawer until i’m ready to enjoy their subtlety.
i’m a beginner, and i’m sure my appreciation of tea still has a lot of growing to do.

i steeped this one for a little tad under 2 minutes. and it’s lovely. but i’m not in love with it either.
eh.

I used 1.5 tablespoons of dry leaf for 375 ml of water.

The dry leaf smells like strong cherry medicine. I did pick up on Black Currant notes similar to what I was getting in the Black Currant Bai Mu Dan by 52teas.
I’m not detecting any bergamot aroma from either the dry leaf or the brewed tea. The brewed tea has a sugary berry aroma.

There is a sourness present. The white tea swampy flavour is very prevalent and there is a roasted-vegetal bite to the immediate and lingering aftertaste. The berry taste is quite faint. The sugary berry taste is present in the aftertaste. I’m not picking up any definite notes of bergamot.

The black currant flavour becomes more prominent as the tea cools.