Winter White Earl Grey

Second tea of the morning……

I have plans for this one if I like it. I only bought 2 ounces of loose from the Millerton Shop to be sure I would like it. I am a little confused why a tin of 2 oz on the website is $13, because 2 oz of loose at the shop is just over $5. I saved enough on this tea alone to more than pay for my shipping from the shop. It only comes in a pound in loose tea on the website other than a sample, so I will probably only be buying this one from the shop.

First trial of this was using about the same volume of tea that I would when prepping a black….this is not really typical for whites. They usually recommend 2 tsp per cup rather than 1 due to the fluffiness of the tea. I used much cooler water than for a black tea, steeped for 2 minutes, and sweetened. I can tell I probably won’t need to sweeten this one. It is light and sweet all on its own which is a bonus! I love it when I find a tea I like that does not need my Splenda crutch. I think for my next cup, I am going to try a little more leaf, and leave out the sweetener. I also really want to try this one iced. I have a thing for iced Earl Greys….. I am also imagining this one with a little jasmine added…

Lovely.

I am sitting here wrapped in a throw, listening to Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson’s Winter Song [awesome track if you haven’t heard it, you should give it a listen – http://is.gd/4Z7n2 ], and haven’t felt this rested and comfortable in a while. This is going to be the perfect precursor to the amount of work I need to get done tonight.

I put the temperature a bit lower than I typically brew an earl grey because this contains white tea and I was greeted with a pleasant cup.

The bergamot skims lightly across the flavoring of this tea. Not at all high-handed, but strong enough to be sating. The effect is a nice, citrus taste with a freshness to it; somewhat like the way the air gets a cleaner feeling here when the temperatures get chilly. In the scent, I also get hints of a woody, earthy scent, which I found surprising. It’s not all that present in the taste, but I thought I might have caught wind of it in the baser notes at times. Very subtle.

I’m reminded of the sensation I get after the first snow of the year, before everything gets all mucked up by the passing cars and inhabitants of the world. When you wake up and the light coming through the shades has that diffused brightness that says there’s something beautiful waiting on the other side. You hastily pull up the covering to be greeted by something wonderful. Snow always makes me feel like I’m a kid again, though I have grown to hate driving in it as an adult. Everything seems just a little bit more magical when it snows, and being able to rekindle that feeling in a cup of tea is pretty magical in and of itself.

The flavor was definitely better for me in the warm to hot range. It lost a bit as it cooled. For a first try, I am enjoying this enough to seriously consider buying a tin. Bergamot is something that I do like, but not enough to drink every day. That being said, this has been a very good cup.

This is a lighter, brighter take on the traditional Earl Grey. The white tea is mild but very clean. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the taste of the tea came through. The bergamot doesn’t blend with the tea as much as it floats above it, and above the begamot there is a high floral note that is almost jasmine like. The different layers work well to make a delicate and delicious cup of tea.

The leaves are a mixture of green, brown and white leaves with some stems in. The aroma is lighter and sweeter than most earl grey teas and reminds me of vanilla with some light floral tones.

When brewed the leaves produce an orange-red liquor which effuses an aroma primarily of bergamot. There’s a hint of a light spiciness as well.

On the palate I note smooth vanilla notes, though I don’t think there’s any actually in the tea. I alsorecapture the floral notes from the dry aroma. Of course, the bergamot is present throughout but not at all overbearing.

There’s only a slight astringency to this brew. Less than most any earl grey I’ve ever had. It’s quite refreshing and relaxing.

This tea was one I got a sample pack of a while ago from Harney. I’m not sure how I brewed it before, since there aren’t many instructions with the sample pack, but this time I brewed it based on how some others had on steepster, and I think I’m enjoying it more than I remember! It’s been a while, so I my memory’s fading a bit. Anyway.

The white tea on this definitely comes through in the aroma and the taste. The bergamot is noticeable but not too powerful or astringent, just giving the tea crisp citrus notes over the somewhat vegetal, faintly nutty flavor of the white tea. I’m finding that I enjoy green/white EGs a lot, especially when I want an EG but also a light, refreshing cup of tea.

My morning is going much better now. :)

Since I woke up so early I decided what else to do than make some fluffy chocolate chip pancakes. This was my morning cuppa.
And I have to say it’s much nicer than I expected it would be! My first white earl grey. I usually always have to add a lot of milk or cream to traditional black earl greys to love them, but you can’t do that with white tea, so I was wondering if I’d like the taste without any additions.
Surprisingly yes! Very much so! So interesting to taste earl grey flavors in a white tea. Much less harsh, but still a good punch of bergamot in the face.
I added a bit of honey and that tasted lovely, and then I did something unthinkable and added a spoon of coconut milk… yes. Milk. To white tea.
And it actually just added a creamy note, and the flavors still held up quite nicely. Cool! Makes me want to find a White Earl Grey De La Creme!

Steeped for 3 min in less-than-boiling water.

This is a light, gentle, and slightly sweet white tea with the bitter citrus taste of bergamot. Bergamot flavouring is about the only time I can stand bitterness in my tea. In this one it’s enough to give the tea some bite, but it isn’t the punch in the face you can get with some earl greys.

My father picked up a tin of this for me when he stumbled upon their store in Soho. Not knowing much about tea, or having much to go on (time or info-wise), he got me this and the Darjeeling. I was much more excited, originally, to try the Darjeeling, but it ended up being this one that stole my heart. My history and opinion of Earl Greys is somewhat complicated, but this one definitely won me over. The aroma is a strong bergamot punch in the face, at first, but then dissolves into the subtle layers of the white tea florals.
The color is light, and the flavor crisp and mild simultaneously. It’s very delicious, and perfect for the many evenings I spent snuggled-up and sipping its warm contents while a blizzard and howling winds raged outside.

A lovely, twisted Earl Grey—Light citrus notes; smooth nutty flavor with an almost peppery finish. I was concerned that the bergamot would overshadow the subtle flavor of the white tea, but this was a very pleasant surprise.

The brewing instructions were very vague and I had to play around a bit with brewing time to get something I liked. This tea, as per its decription, is really lovely. The bergamot is very light, perfect for when you want an earl grey with less oomph

I am a glutton for punishment, I guess. I’ve tried a few white teas before and unless they’re laden with blueberry or peach flavors, I generally don’t like them, but this one had such tempting reviews, so I went for it.

It tastes like weeds.

I really wanted to like this. I had a cup of White Earl Grey at Teavana that I loved and since I try not to buy from them, I gave Harney’s version a shot. I don’t dislike it. It’s just…there is this odd medicinal taste to it. I can’t put my finger on it but I get a strong flavor that reminds me of a hospital and I can’t figure it out.

Not as good as Earl Grey Supreme, but it comes close. I do very much enjoy this one. It smells wonderful, it tastes wonderful. I could drink it all day. Sometimes I do!

This is my husbands favorite tea, so I thought I’f try it. Not bad, though I am not usually an Earl Grey fan. Pleasant citrus flavor, nice light tea. Plus, I LOVE the tin it comes in.

Steeping three to eight minutes is a very vague instruction. I suppose I need to cultivate my white tea brewing skills. I suppose we ALL need to cultivate our white tea brewing skills. Life is funny some times.

This is my go-to White Earl Grey. I just learned white tea really isn’t lower in caffiene. But it is lower in tannins, which interfere with non-heme (vegetarian) iron absorption. Tannins may also be implicated in migraines. In any case, its a delightful tea.

I typically stick to flavored blacks, but this is a divine white tea take on earl grey! I’m on my second tin of sachets and know it will always be a regular menu item in my tea cupboard :)

I didn’t think this tea tasted like much – hot water with a faint herbal tinge. But I’m not a huge white tea fan (I keep trying!) I don’t think it was much of an Earl, but it might appeal to those who don’t want to be punched by the bergmot (I do, so this is not for me!)

I love earl grey. I joke with my friend that it is my lifeblood. This particular Earl Grey is wonderful. I really enjoy the lighter flavoring. it makes for a new twist on an old favorite. This tea is perfect for sitting beside the fire, all snuggled up during the winter. It’s very aptly named.

This is one of my favorite Earl Greys … the tea is subtle, but the bergamot manages not to take over.