Organic Earl Grey Black Tea

I need tea before I am operational this morning. Until I have more caffeine running through my blood stream, I cannot guarantee to make sense.

Sample from Arbor Teas that The Final Sipdown has encouraged me to bust open finally. This tea is now officially part of the epic EG hunt for the husband. Okay, maybe it isn’t epic but it sure feels that way since I have so many EG samples in my pantry. SO. MANY.

The smell of the dry leaves is very nice – potently EG in a way that manages to be strong but not OMG-at-the-bergamot-it-burns strong (I’m looking at you, Upton’s Extra Bergamot). There’s even a nice menthol-type whoosh at the end of the sniff which strikes me as fun (and much better than the more perfume-y after-smells that can pop up in EG).

Without additives. This is really nicely done. The tea feels heavy and smooth and clear but there’s no bitterness that sometimes pops up with additive-less flavored teas. The bergamot isn’t as strong in smell or in taste as it is in the dry leaves but it seems to mesh with the tea flavor and smell instead of sitting on top of it. There’s no chemical aftertaste, no tacky-mouth feeling from the flavoring. The bergamot flavor is nicely balanced – there’s a hint of sweetness to the flavoring but not so much that I would say this is sweet (though sometimes the aftertaste is a bit fruity-sweet which is pleasant). The overall taste is noticeably (but not overpowering) bergamot throughout the sip – from initial smell to aftertaste – and a tea tastes that, while not overly nuanced, gives a full, unmuddied flavor and a smooth but somewhat thick mouthfeel.

Honestly? Best EG I’ve had in the EG Hunt. There’s one Upton EG that might compete with it (their premium or supreme or something) but I had that one with additives and this one without so that makes me think the Arbor Tea’s one will win if there is a head-to-head. I do have super-fond memories of A&D’s EG – I recall it being a juicy type of EG and I really enjoyed that. But the husband didn’t and ultimately this hunt is to find his perfect EG that I also really enjoy. This tea officially makes me list of contenders two.

This is a delicious Earl Grey!

I just got finished writing a full-length review for this tea, it will publish on 1/18/11 at noon Eastern Time here: http://sororiteasisters.com

This has an amazing aroma, and a delicious flavor. The black tea is brisk and bold – strong enough to stand up to the strong bergamot flavor without overwhelming it. The bergamot is crisp and clean and does not taste perfume-y.

Yummy! This is exactly what I needed after spending the afternoon at the convention.

The aroma is intense and I assumed it would be over-the-top in taste…by that I mean ‘hard to handle’ but it certainly was NOT hard to handle. This was very easy to handle…it’s also the most forgiving Earl Grey I have come across…I over infused and it was very generous not to get bitter which I am very grateful for! This is a medium strength black tea as well as a medium to medium-strong Earl Grey…which is fine by me because it tastes very good! I was pleasantly surprised and Arbor Teas EG and I have quickly become friends!

This is now the… sixth? Earl Grey in my cupboard. It’s a sickness.

This is a good, solid Earl Grey. The bergamot isn’t too strong, and doesn’t have that sort of perfumey or soapy taste to it, which some of the… lesser blends can have. I think it’s balanced well with the tea… it’s bold, but not overpowering. Yum-o.

Good flavor, light but dynamic flavors, not heavy or muddy. It did not overly stand out in any one area, just really good overall. I would definitely like to get this again since this was only a sample.

Sample package label:
“Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, and natural oil of Bergamot.”
Fair Trade certified – USDA Organic
“Suggested serving size – one level teaspoon”
“Suggested Steeping Guide: 212*F, Steep 3 – 5 minutes”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 15 ppm, boiled

1 level Tevanna teaspoon:

Introduction: I understand Arbor Teas Earl Grey organic base comes from the “Assam and Dooars areas of India. Most EG teas come from Shi Lanka formerly known as Ceylon. Having a different base tea, was a significant reason for wanting to sample this tea. Our current EG has a Ceylon base and I can’t get past the astringency. Other primary reasons: My wife loves EG and prefers organic teas.

This tea has that classic lemon Earl Grey fragrance – quite fantastic!

Amber hue

5-min Infusion: A mild lemon aroma, medium-bodied EG without astringency – Excellent! The taste of lemon does not linger too long on the tongue.

Impression: An excellent classic Earl Grey tea.

Additional thoughts: I would like to encourage Arbor Teas to develop a well-balanced organic Vanilla Earl Grey or EG Cream. Why you ask?

Per Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange):
“Citrus bergamia is a small tree which blossoms during the winter. The juice tastes less sour than lemon, but more bitter than grapefruit. The distinctive aroma of bergamot is most commonly known for its use in Earl Grey tea.⁸”

The tartness of citrus bergamia is a common characteristic of most Earl Grey tea. Adding a creamy vanilla should smooth out the natural tartness of the oil of Bergamot. Other tea companies have tried this approach. Many of them are not organic and at least one uses artificial flavoring. Only a few have discovered a pleasing balance of among all the ingredients.

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

I’m finally going through a black tea phase, so I cracked this one open! I like it a lot – went great with breakfast. The bergamot is lovely, and not too overpowering. This one is probably my second favorite Arbor Teas black tea so far – my favorite being the Irish Breakfast.

A very nice surprise, I’m also an Earl Grey freak & this one hits the top 3 of my list. As TeaEqualsBliss wrote, it’s a strong black tea but you’ll be ok if you accidentally oversteep. Either a straight cup, or with honey & milk (I might get crucified for this) it’s a perfect tea to wake up in the morning or a sweet treat in the afternoon. The bergamot amount it’s perfect & tastes natural.

I got a wonderful whiff of bergamot the moment I opened the box. The tangy smell was only enhanced when I opened the pouch itself. Thankfully, the bergamot flavor is mellow and balanced once steeped. The tea itself is smooth and aromatic. A tiny bit of sugar really enhances the flavor for me. I can even get a couple of steepings out of it, so the value really streches.