The other day I had a cup of China Rose Black from ESP Emporium that I’ve had in my collection for forever, it seems, and it was definitely underwhelming. Not nearly as good as I had remembered, and I was wondering if it was a result of changing palates or old tea (since it just didn’t seem as rosey as it once did).
So I thought this morning I would have a cup of this, which I haven’t had in forever, just to see how this has held up. I got this at the same time as I got the rose black, and it’s been in the same kind of containers during it’s life (ESP’s non-airtight folded bags for a while, then some small tins toward the end).
This one has held up better it seems, though it does seem a bit… old. The flavors just aren’t as strong, but this cup isn’t overly weak or anything. I guess I am finally getting to the point where some of my older teas are fading, which is sad. I’ve been doing better about working through my stash and not buying new teas, but I still have a huge amount right now. Guess I better get drinking!
This morning I needed something safe and comforting and not too busy or complex. Something that would wake me up but not upset an iffy stomach. This worked pretty well. I’m still tired but in better shape than before. This is a nice EGC with a good balance between the bergamot and the cream, and it never gets bitter.
I think my taste buds are still a little blown out from that last tea, so this one doesn’t taste quite as good as usual.
…after a couple of Cadbury Mini Eggs…
Better. I can count on chocolate to smooth over any bad tastes. Now here’s my creamy Earl Grey, although I might have over-steeped or over-leafed a little because it’s a hint more bitter/astringent than normal. Still pretty good, though.
Inspired by my successful cold-steeped Earl Grey Cream a few weeks ago, I decided to try cold steeping this one. Delicious! I really like a cold steeped Earl Grey Cream. The bergamot is bright and fruity, and the vanilla is very creamy, and they play so well together. Bergamot seems to come out strongly in cold steeping, as does vanilla, and in combinations with other flavors sometimes they can overwhelm everything else, but paired together they work very well. I’ll definitely be returning to this one often.
Right now, this is my go-to Earl Grey Cream tea. I haven’t had very many, and I plan to try more, but I enjoy this one a lot and so it pretty much becomes the one to beat. The bright, citrusy bergamot (without being bitter!), complimented by the creamy vanilla, are very well done.
