Russian Earl Grey

I really am kind of compulsive about trying all the new teas I haven’t tried yet before going back to the rest of my cupboard. I’ll occasionally return for something specific (see: yesterday’s jasmine tea), but not too frequently. Thanks to Jillian for sending me another Earl Grey to try! I love a nice traditional EG, but I also tend to really enjoy EGs with extras like lemongrass and other citrus in them.

Brewed up, this one smells citrusy and lemongrassy. These notes give the flavor an extremely bright edge; you can rarely hide lemongrass in a blend, and that’s the case here. Fortunately I like lemongrass! But if you don’t this isn’t the tea for you. The bergamot in this is still a featured flavor, but everything else added means that it’s very citrusy and fruity. There’s a faint hint of astringency and bitterness, but not enough to bother me for this cup. All in all, a nice “alternative” Earl Grey and one I might consider keeping around for those times when I really want a lemony, citrusy Earl Grey.

This is an interesting take on the traditional earl grey tea. The orange and lemon flavours give the tea a tangy zip without the added pungency of bergamot. It goes surprisingly well with milk – though the result is a bit lighter than the traditional cuppa of earl grey in my opinion. It’s a nice tea to drink on a gorgeous, sunny morning like this one. ^_

The Russian Earl Grey that I’m noting here is not specifically the Granville Island offering, but the one I’m drinking isn’t here on this site yet. One day, ohhh one day!

This tea is really really refreshing. The lemon & lime fills your nasal passage like vaporub so I could imagine it being a perfect morning tea when you’ve got the common cold.

Also, the citrus qualities in the tea act as a pallet cleanser like a lemon sorbet between dinner courses, so I find it to be most enjoyable in the evening after dinner, so you don’t go to sleep with that steak flavor still in your teeth.

Postives being said, it would be better to have other teas to choose from in the day because that lemon lime lemon lemon lemon lime lime lime lemon tea can get pretty easy to grow tired of.