Organic Earl Grey

I’ve just spent 3 hours at my local tattooists to finish off a half tattoo sleeve and once I got home the pain started to hit me. It feels like very bad sun burn but it’s all over my arm and it’s gotten to the point where I am having to preoccupy myself. What better way to do that other than to write a tea review?

My second Earl Gray sample from Canton Tea Club and I am looking forward to my teapot full of this. Upon opening the packet I noticed this smells stronger than their classic version, the orange is much more potent but still remains sweet and somewhat waxy. It smells like someone has been peeling an orange, it’s so fresh and juicy. :) Also the colour is a little lighter in comparison and with the occasional silverish yellow leaf and blue cornflower it looks quite attractive.

Steeping 10g sample spread over 3 teabags in my teapot and taken without milk. Lets get started.

The dark brown tea soup smells just as strong as it’s raw form but also richer. The Darjeeling is really standing out in comparison to the classic. It’s strong and rich with only a touch of waxy orange and a green/floral taste. I would say this is double the strength of the classic but even so it’s still smooth and flows nicely.

The flavours take you on a journey. It starts off thick and rich and you start to think it’s too strong but then it cools down to a waxy orange affair and ends with a light floral/perfume after taste.

Definitely my favourite out of the two blends but it’s not my favourite ever Earl Grey. I do admire this blends strength and I think that’s why I prefer it overall.

This should have been my perfect tea. A first flush darjeeling with a twist of Earl Grey. But somehow it just doesn’t quite work, and it was a bit of a disappointment. Maybe I was building it up high in my anticipation, to a level where it could not match.
The bergamot has a very suspicious role in this tea. It sits there, dominating in its uncompromising way, as if it’s trying to hide something. Of course, in a first flush darjeeling, there is nothing to hide, but the bergamot is too strong for it, and the special-ness of the darjeeling is not allowed the space to impress the taste buds.
It’s not horrible, but I’d rather just have a Darjeeling and an Earl Grey separately and not on top of each other.

I tried this tea at a friend house and I have to say it was much to strong for me. I like my Earl Grey to be fragrant but subtle and not to leave my mouth to dry but unfortunately this one did and I was overwhelmed with strong floral notes that I found it difficult to taste the tea itself.
Could it have been how my friend prepared the tea? Maybe so if i was to brew again I would use less – she brewed it for me in a standard “tea for one” using approx 4grams of tea.