Earl Grey French Blue

It’s probably the Best Earl Grey I ever had.

It’s an easy tea (after my adventure with Wedding Impérial, I appreciate)
Bergamot is very present but does not “overtake” the floral note offered by blue cornflowers.
The fruity citrus note is delivered with a majestic and harmonious touch.

The tea base itself is very mellow, light but tasty.

This is an euphemism to say I loved this tea.

The funniest is that it wasn’t the one I wanted to purchase : I asked at Mariage’s desk : I want the French Blue Earl Grey, the one with lavender… the Earl Grey Provence was the one I wanted but I can thank the salesman for not reestablishing the correct name of the Tea I first wanted.

oh my, Scheherazade my sister is an earl grey fanatic. so i gleefully brewed this up to surprise her.
got out the nice tea cup set.
even got out the little spoons.
i like this tea for it’s balance of boldness and subtlety.
delicious.
my sister once accused me of never buying earl greys. i said ‘of course not, that’s what you’re for!’.
but i would buy this one, i really would.

now back to my fic in which iron man proposes to captain america. dingaling wedding bells dingaling.

Another lovely tea from France, thanks to Ysaurella!

This is a delightful earl grey, not too heavy on the Bergamot. This cup was proceeded by a cup of Sinharaja, which is a stronger tea, so at first the tea base seemed thin. BUT about third of the way through the cup, something balanced out in my tastebuds & it really began to be a very nice experience, & especially wonderful after each sip, as the bergamot in this tea is not so cloying, & left a pleasant aftertaste in my mouth & throat that lingered, so that I could really relax & sip slowly.

When I saw a photo of the tea, I had to get it. Ins’t it Beautiful?! This tea is really nice, it feels like a soft bang in the morning, sweet but firm. I like it! I don’t know how to describe it well yet, as I am new to drinking tea, but I can say this: I like this tea, but not as much as Marco Polo.

Just tried this one today… it’s a whole mouth sort of tea. Meaning there is flavor that excites the entire mouth… very filling. It’s a black tea which has that delicate tang of a fine perfume which I can only guess is the bergamot. It is floral with citrus charm and I swear there is hint of pepper hiding in the back somewhere. I should imagine this would pair charmingly with lemon and a blackberry honey. As of right now, I have spoiled my self with the addition of milk, organic acacia honey, a warm shall and Jane Austen’s Emma. Cheers!

Received a sample of this in a swap with Ysaurella. A very smooth tea. Not a bit of bitterness. Bergamot is present but very light. When cooled, this has a much more pronounced sweetness to it, almost fruity. I’d say this is a medium body tea. Mellow and calming. Very nice, indeed.

Mariage Freres features a number of different Earl Grey blends, and I find this one to be their best. The bergamot is present without being overwhelming, the black tea base is rich and flavorful, and the blue blossoms, though they may not add any discernible flavor, do make it a beautiful tea to “watch”. Great with milk and sugar too.

The only tea I received from MF that I’d be willing to give a second chance. While I ususally don’t like bergamot at all, I was not as much offed here.

Backlogging this one! Surprised I haven’t done this one yet but then I don’t drink it all that often; being the first tea I bought on my pilgrimage (yes, my cultural, romantic, artistic, linguistic, idealistic pilgrimage) to Paris, and to Mariage Frères beneath the Louvre, I tend to guard it preciously and use it only for special occasions.

Hooowever my manager asked that I complete the last exercise of my tea training workbook today, which involved comparing two teas of different grades, so I compared this one to Whittard of Chelsea’s Afternoon Earl Grey, also with cornflowers. But French Blue will always come out on top, for me!!

Something always tells me not to brew this one for too long but it’s never come out badly for it; the floral scent is consistently amazing without being terribly pungent all through the steeping and, with the leaves carefully measured, never brews to any darker than the richest amber. (I do feel like I’m writing a love letter to this tea.) It’s dry on the tongue but so, so good for it- the bergamot and the china black tea and the cornflowers all come out separately, strongly, and so deliciously, none of this merging of flavours that tends to make the ingredients indistinct from one another. Being able to taste all the different harmonious elements here really works to its advantage.

I’ve had this one with milk before but unless you’re not a fan of the dryness, I’d recommend it black, to be treated as you’d treat a First Flush Darjeeling. This one is such a great classic!

-Discount this tasting note. I discovered that this tea was not Earl Grey French Blue but that it is a very delicious tea and I should try it some time. The tea I was drinking was named correctly as Bel Ami.

This was really lovely, with lots of that bergamot fragrance I love and require. Going to have to savor this batch for sure, ‘cause for me once it’s gone it’s gone, alas.

Definitely the best Earl Grey I’ve in my life, and leaves behind a warm glowy feeling every time.

This is my go-to black tea. I find it to be delicate in flavor, but rich enough to be very satisfying. It is particularly light on tannin, which makes it very easy to drink cup after cup!

Discovered this by accident because there was a shop in my town owned by a local Francophile, she used this blend for the ice tea. When they closed up the business, I bought it in bulk from her cafe inventory and had no idea of the brand because it was in a plain bag. Forward ahead 18 months on a visit to Dean & DeLuca in Napa and I found myself in the tea section, where I spot Mariage Freres Cornflower Blue Earl Grey. Could it be the same brand as the unlabelled but amazing French brand I had for ice tea? It was and ever since then I’ve been buying it mail order from Market Hall Foods. The beautiful blue flowers are an added nice aesthetic touch, but it’s honestly the best Earl Grey I’ve ever tried. In fact I love it so much, I’m afraid to spend my precious dollars on any other types of Mariage Freres tea for fear it won’t be as good.

This is a glamorous earl grey with its pretty blue flowers. I love to lift the lid of the tin and take a big sniff – it has an exhilerating, yet delicate scent and makes a refreshing and uplifting drink – good first thing in the morning or mid afternoon with cake or other light foods. I have mine with semi-skimmed milk, no sugar or sweetener. Thirst-quenching and fragrant. Delightful.