Viennese Earl Grey

So I thought Harney and Sons Earl Grey Supreme was on point, but this stuff rocked my world!!!

I received a shipment from H&S this week and this tea was included as part of my shipment. After being such a fan of the Earl Grey Supreme, I didn’t think it could get much better…boy was i wrong…the Viennese Earl Grey is simply FANTASTIC!

This tea is smooth, smooth, smooth! I must give credit where credit is due and the Darjeeling is definitely a major factor here, smoothing this tea out nicely. The bergmont is just right…pretty powerful when smelling it out of the tin, but just right in the tea. In my opinion the bergmont in a good Earl Grey should just be enough to wake the senses up a bit allowing you to enjoy the base and this tea hits the mark in that regard.

Overall, a nice smooth Earl Grey with a rich flavorful base, finished with th perfect touch of bergmont.

Being new to loose leaf teas, yet obsessively trying new varieties all the time, I stayed clear of any Earl Greys because of my experience with cheap tea bags in the past.
I love darjeeling blacks and I’m slowly appreciating any quality Earl Greys.
This is a great choice. Nicely smooth and light with the Bergamot flavor makes this a perfect choice for me.
I’m looking forward to trying the other choices that Harney offers, because this left a nice impression

Where has this tea been all my life?!! Why did I not try this blend sooner? That I deprived myself if this wonderful blend for so long just devastates me!

All hyperbole aside, this blend is amazing! It’s light and citrusy with an almost fizzy twist. I usually drink it with a touch of sweetener and half & half but I’ve enjoyed it plain too. It’s fairly mild with little astringency, just a lovely uplifting blend.

I’m a big Earl Grey fan and will give most any variations a try. I think this blend with it’s lovely bergamot flavor has shot to the top of my list!

Very nice black tea – love Earl Greys and this one is made with Darjeeling tea – simply delicious. But maybe I shouldn’t say that since the tea is not so simple, but definitely delicious.

Viennese Earl Grey is the smoothest EG I’ve ever had. The bergamot is perfect – Not overpowering or perfumy at all. The Darjeeling base is wonderfully fruity. Indeed, it compliments the citrusy bergamot fabulously, adding a bit of sweetness. This medium body tea stood up well to a bit of milk and honey – Not that it needed any! I was just feeling a little decadent this Saturday evening.
Based on a blend by Demmers Teehaus in Vienna, Austria, this Teutonic take on the British classic is definitely my new go to EG. Heavenly with my chocolate chip cannoli for desert!

Earl Grey was the first tea that wowed me. Until then, and for another couple years after, I drank tea only occasionally, and thought of it as something warm to drink that was hopefully pleasant tasting as well. I wasn’t a coffee drinker, so tea was sometimes just the default.

I remember my mom’s boxes of Constant Comment, stored conveniently above the microwave for easy access after zapping the water in her mug. Or at least that was the plan: discovering her mug in the microwave hours later or the next morning was a not infrequent occurrence. It was a hectic life.

In more recent years she became downright extravagant: cabinet stocked with a selection of flavored tea impulse buys from TJ Maxx, plus some Turkish mystery tea my sister brought over. She’d even fire up the stove to heat water in the kettle. At least when I’d take her up on her offer of tea. It still breaks my heart that if I declined, she’d skip it too. (Next time I visit, I’m bringing her a little electric kettle and some great teas to share.)

So, Earl Grey. Having tried a somewhat regular Earl Grey (Harney’s Earl Grey Supreme) and the two common variations (a lavender and a cream), I was still curious to try more. Hence this sample of Viennese Earl Grey (a Darjeeling base) and Winter White Earl Grey (Chinese Mutan White with bergamot).

These two teas surprised me in the same two ways: by being surprisingly successful in their blends and by teaching me that I am currently not much of a fan of bergamot. Softened with some milk or cream, sure. But I just don’t see adding milk to white tea or Darjeeling. And there is plenty to appreciate just as they are. I must applaud Harney’s blenders, since the many, many Harney flavored teas I’ve tried have all — yes, I think I can say all — have struck me as rather well done.

Smooth is not a characteristic I would generally apply to Earl Greys when taken straight. But smooth this is, even though the bergamot is prominent, and very well balanced so that the Darjeeling reveals itself also. I did reduce the steep time to 3 min, rather than Harney’s recommended 4-5, and then reduced it further to 2 min, but that is just my preference, to soften the bergamot and since I tend to like my black teas on the lighter side.

This was a sample from my Steepster Secret Santa. I’m not a big earl grey person, but I don’t hate it. I’ve liked earl greys where there’s another flavor added in, like H&S Paris, which, to me is a fruity vanilla earl grey.

I surprisingly really liked this one. Steeped for 3 minutes, it had a nice citrus flavor….a bit more complex than just bergamot. The black base wasn’t anything special, but it was smooth. The bergamot was not too pronounced, more mild. It reminded me of the Twinnings Lady Grey that I used to like. Pretty good as a breakfast tea, actually.

I’ve gone through 4 tsp of this tea today. Absolutely cannot sit still. Send help for my coworkers.

it was an excellent cup of tea with breakfast. rich smooth and satisfying. i picked 2oz because ifjuly recommended it. i miss her notes…Its just a phase, she will come back

Another sample I grabbed in my last order. It was okay – a light feeling earl grey. I’ve had lighter tasting earl greys before but the taste of those were still substantial. The taste of this tea wasn’t strong enough for me.