Earl Green

SimplyJenW was kind enough to send me a sample of this tea when she sent the Talbott’s box. I like green Earl Greys but I don’t end up drinking them often… not for any particular reason, though. I’m almost out of the stock of green Earl Grey that I do have, however, so I guess I’m kind of on the market for a replacement. Glad to try this one!

When I opened up the pouch and stuck my nose in it to smell the tea, I was surprised. Plenty of bright bergamot aroma, yes, but also some really nutty tones as well that I’m sure are coming from the green tea. I also get the peppery notes that ashmanra mentioned, which are kind of combining with the nuttiness. It’s a pretty similar aroma from the steeped tea, but more peppery. I’m not really sure that peppery is the right word for it, really, but I can’t think of anything better. Bright, citrusy bergamot, nutty, buttery, peppery almost cookie-ish green tea.

This tea is definitely a winner. It’s clearly a high quality green base, and the flavor combos are awesome. Very similar to the aromas I described above. I agree that the bergamot is both citrusy and a touch floral, and pretty strong. The green tea isn’t grassy or vegetal at all, but nutty and cookie-ish, and the whole thing together seems lightly spicy in some way, along with being a hint sweet. This is unlike any other green Earl Grey that I’ve ever had (actually not true… it’s kind of similar to Verdant’s Lavender Earl Green without the lavender), because they are all typically generically “green tea” (grassy, green teaish) with bergamot, which is tasty but not extraordinary. This tea is pretty extraordinary. I keep taking sips and constantly being amazed by the flavor once it fully rounds out in my mouth. Definitely going on my must-have list. Thanks so much for the sample, Jen!

Tea of the afternoon……
And courtesy of KS! (Thank you! I have been waiting to try this for a time when I no longer had a cold! It has taken a little longer than I would have liked to be on the mend, but I am mostly back to normal!)

This is really good. My first green Earl Grey. I really think the bergamot goes better with a green tea base than it does a black. And the bergamot in this one is the bright kind….so rather strong, but it works! This is great hot, but I think it would be very good iced in the summer. So refreshing. And so missing summer right about now…. I think I need some of this! Thanks again for the sample!

This is a gift from K S. Thank you!

The aroma of the dry leaf was a nice bergamot and….pepper! What? Then I steeped it and sniffed. Bergamot and….pepper? Hmmm, that is what i thought about Imperial Earl Grey from Harney, so it must be a characteristic of some bergamot.

This is a nice green, not super smooth and mellow like a DragonWell, but not biting like some greens. This has good body and lots of character. It carries weight. I can see why KS says he sometimes drinks only this for days at a time. There is a sort of spicy/peppery quality to it, like in a really good chai, but different…lighter. I am having a hard time describing it, as you can see! The bergamot is not too strong and not perfumey, just a nice citrus/floral/spice note.

Lots of greens I sip with food so the pairing makes them more palatable to me. A few I really look forward to, and drink them with abandon. I can tell you I am guzzling this mug of tea!

Thank you, KS and Mrs. KS for the tea and the card!

Emperor’s pride leaf & whole bud green tea from China with bergamot and orange peel. The dry leaf smells of bergamot and tea. The leaf varies from tannish to dark brown. There are bits of orange peel in the blend. According to the website this is good for multiple steeps. I used 1tsp of leaf – approx 2g and I use sweetener. My mug holds about 10 ounces.

First steep – 3minutes. The leaves did not appear to have completely opened but this is a full leaf tea. The clarity of the brew is amazingly crystal clear with only a mild amber color. I thought maybe I had not used enough tea or needed to steep longer. Tasting says otherwise. The bergamot is more flowery than citrus and very strong. I couldn’t separate the orange from the bergamot in this or any of the subsequent steeps. I want to be careful with the wording of this review as this is obviously a quality tea. For my tastes the bergamot is overdone. As a reference point, I like my bergamot a little less bright than say Twinings. This tea is more along the lines of Republic of Tea Earl Greyer in taste. I can’t pick out the tea in the brew on the first steep.

Second steep – 4 minutes. The leaves have opened all the way. The brew is still crystal clear and very light in color. Bergamot still strong.
Third steep – 4 minutes. Starting to taste tea. Bergamot is less intense. This is the best cup so far. A little sediment in the bottom of the cup.
Forth steep – 4 minutes. Surprised how much the flavor is still present.
Fifth steep – 5 minutes. Very light color. Still flavorful.

Empire tea says 1 tsp will make six cups. I am fully convinced this will go another steep but my bladder is not up to the task.

Conclusion: 100g of tea will make 250 cups of quality tea if you want to take it that far. That’s like 4 cents a cup. Now since I think the first two cups are too overly flavored I plan to cut this with another earl green I have that lacks enough flavoring and settle for two cups (maybe 3) more in line with my tastes.