Earl Grey

I should have known better than to drink the Samovar sample. It’s a serious problem in that they seem to do black tea exactly the way I like it, so they set the bar so high I want to stop trying other stuff and just go immediately to their online store, do not pass go.

I loved the Samovar Earl Lavender, and this is pretty much the Earl Lavender (as I remember it, it’s been a while though) without the lavender. It has the same brown sugary taste to the base as the Earl Lavender, and the same citrus presence without oiliness or too much perfume. The citrus is definitely there, but it isn’t overpowering.

I don’t recall noticing with the Earl Lavender that the bergamot had a lemony note to it. I usually get an orangey note from bergamot. But I get a sort of lemon/orange from this that is really nice.

Now that I’ve had a lot of loose leaf Earl Greys, I feel confident in saying this one is very special indeed. It’s a little nouveau in flavor owing to the tea base, with depth that more traditional versions don’t have however good they may be. I may need another category of Earl Grey in my harem, just for this. I can see it coexisting with a more traditional two dimensional Earl Grey for the times that’s what I’m wanting.

I’m boosting the rating of the Earl Lavender, too.

This is a very good Earl Grey, although I don’t know if I’d agree with Samovar in saying that this is the best Earl Grey in the world. I like that this one lacks that floral aspect. This one has a very lemon-y taste to it, much more so than a typical Earl Grey. It is very citrus-y and not so flowery.

This is the best Earl Grey I’ve ever tasted.

Okay, let’s back up for a second. How did I acquire this EG? takgoti sent me a ridiculously huge tea swap box. And I mean, ridiculously huge. The box is wider than me. And bigger than my head. There were 29 teas in there. 29! CRAZY. All beautifully wrapped and numbered and perfect. It’s enough to make you swoon. I nearly did. In fact, I teared up a little bit at the generosity, but that’s besides the point.

So, takgoti is always pimping Samovar. It’s like she’s their poster girl, or something! I say this with all the affection in the world, but if you don’t know that Samovar is takgoti’s absolute favorite tea company, you haven’t been on Steepster long enough.

After being dazed and confused for the wonderfulness for a day or so, I decided to dive right in and start with what she labeled #1: Earl Grey. Now, I have a very stormy relationship with the Earl. We’ve had… issues in the past, needless to say. But takgoti said that this is her favorite, so I went right along with it!

The leaves are definitely a lot longer and thicker than what I’ve seen of EGs. Normally the tea tends to be an afterthought of the bergamot, and in most EGs, the bergamot is so overpowering it’s ridiculous. Let me tell you though, the smell of Samovar’s blend is mouth-watering. Even more delicious-smelling than EGB by Adagio. In fact, a lot more interesting, because I can just smell the black tea underneath it. Flowery citrus mixed with… hints of cocoa? That’s what I’m getting.

Anyway, I steeped this up (and was surprised at the low water temperature and short steep time, but I wasn’t about to deviate), and the resulting cup was a pretty dark, coppery color. The wet leaves actually smell more like tea than bergamot! Super-surprised on that front. And the cup itself? A pleasant mix of the two.

On first sip, I sighed and gave the tea a mental thumbs-up. Then I gave it a literal thumbs-up when I took a picture of myself drinking it and sent it to takgoti. For once, I can actually taste BLACK TEA. And it’s delicious and yummy black tea, with all sorts of subtleties and hints of something more. The base here is really very good. I’m getting some cocoa, and some tart notes.

The bergamot here is phenomenal. It’s the perfect pitch of citrus and floral, refreshing but not overpowering. FINALLY. I don’t feel like I’m drinking perfume straight from a bottle! It tastes fresh and satisfying. I’m not gagging after each and every sip!

I still don’t think I’m an EG convert. I don’t think I could ever drink EG once a day, or even maybe once a week. I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’m never going to absolutely love it. It’ll always be middle-of-the-road for me, and that’s okay.

But I’d never, ever refuse a cup of Samovar’s blend. It’s delicious. Is it the strongest EG? No. If you’re into stronger stuff, try Adagio’s Earl Grey Bravo. Which frankly, the taste of makes me want to vomit a little. But if you like subtle Earl Grey that actually tastes like tea and has an authentic, refreshing and delicious bergamot note, then buy Samovar’s creation.

Seriously, I cannot thank takgoti enough for showing me that yes, Earl Grey CAN taste good. It just has to be super-awesome EG from a great company. Let’s hope that the rest of Samovar’s catalog is just as impressive as this, and I LOVE TAKGOTI SHE IS AMAZING.

That is all.

I read E Alexander Gerster’s review here, and I either got the same shipment or this tea is just bad to start with.

The leaves looked just like Samovar’s Breakfast Blend, but there was a weird yellow tinge to the packet. I didn’t think much of it and assumed it was from the bergamot oil.

I opened the packet and took a deep whiff. Phew!! What is this? It smelled heavily of lemon-scented, toxic cleaning chemicals. Not what I was expecting from Samovar, and I had been warned by the reviews here that it’s heavier on the lemon than most Earl Greys.

Now let me explain the setting when I first tried this tea. I just received a permanent job offer and have to attend a New Employee Orientation. It’s 5am, and I am not a morning person. The only reason I’m ever up this early is if I never went to sleep in the first place.

So, it’s 5am and I am in dire need of caffeine! I decided on a classic Earl Grey & steeped this for 3 minutes. I was already wary from the aroma of the dry tea leaves, but I took a tentative sip. Blech! It was extremely bitter and nasty and had no redeeming qualities. I added a little bit of Stevia and it only made the toxic lemon bitterness more pronounced. I added some milk and literally had to force myself to finish the cup. After all, I needed the caffeine.

So now it’s two days later, and I’m brewing the second half of the sample. I made myself follow the same steeping parameters. It yielded a gross, bitter cup of toxic lemon. I promptly poured it out and went on to the second infusion, hoping it would be better.

Well, it is a little bit better. I only steeped it for 2 minutes this time and immediately added milk, no sweetener. The toxic lemon effect is less pronounced but still present. It’s much easier to drink this cup without gagging.

But really Samovar, what happened? This isn’t Earl Grey; it’s Hurl Grey.

I received a black tea sampler from Samovar, and this Earl Grey sample was first up. I have had several very good teas from Samovar, and love Earl Grey, so I had high expectations since so many reviewers had listed this as one of their favorites. Unfortunately, I have to wonder what happened to my sample? It was bitter, nasty and tasted like perfume. No taste from the tea at all… and just a smell of alcohol and rotten oranges. As several of my other boxes of tea came covered in dust, I wonder if this sat so long in the warehouse that it went bad… Such a disappointment. :(

I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Earl Grey – it was the first non-PBTB (plain black tea bag) I ever tried, many moons ago, and I instantly fell for it. Since I started expanding my horizons far and wide on the tea map though, I haven’t often come back to this old favorite.

This one is definitely welcoming me back into the Earl Grey fold with open arms. Instead of finding something you remember from long ago be smaller and less impressive when seen again in the present, this one is actually just as vivid, if not more so. The bergamot sings, and the black tea hums. A powerful and memorable duet.

This Earl reminds me of why I started drinking tea. It’s a bergamot party which if you’re not crazy about it might taste over empowering. But it just blends in with the boldness of the black tea so nicely. It’s taking me some teacups to adjust the right brewing time, started with 5 minutes, then 8 & guess I’m staying with 4 minutes. I usually drink EG’s to wake up, with a dash of milk & honey, but experimented with raw sugar crystals & is a nice treat. On my top 3 EG’s now.

One of my favorite Earl Grey teas, and judging from how much is left. It is time for me to order it again.

I’m a bit of a snob now when it comes to Earl Grey – it’s my first choice for my morning cup and I absolutely love it with some soy milk (just a little splash, any more and you’ll completely get rid of the taste of the tea) and brown sugar, steaming hot!

My friend first got this for me for Christmas, a small 1 oz tin and I devoured that quickly. After, my boss surprised me a few weeks ago with a larger tin of Earl Grey which I’ve been drinking religiously.

The flavor is quite light and fragrant yet not too floral. I can normally get 2/3 cups using the same batch of tea leaves.

The best Earl Grey I’ve ever had. Although I’ve only ever had bagged stuff, the difference is mind blowing. The subtlety of the bergamont is perfect. And you can actually taste the blend of black teas in it. Phenomenal, no additives needed.

Not sure if I can add anything useful to what has already been said about this tea, but as someone who never really had too much experience with Earl Grey before giving this one a try, I can say that I like it.

It has a very citrus oriented taste, with the actual black tea flavour mixing in together with the citrus almost as an after taste. As noted by takgoti, this tea is very drinkable without adding anything to it, although some might prefer to dull the sharp, complex (now I’m sounding like Jesse) taste if it’s too strong for them.

I drink this as an alternative tea to pu-erh sometimes to give my week a little bit of variety.

Not bad, but a little overbearing for me. I can’t tell if it’s the bergamot or the black tea that’s a bit harsh. It’s a little more like a Merlot than a Pinot.
I like to work into the flavors.

Less obvious and harsh than many other Earl Grey teas I’ve had. It’s quite floral and light for being a black tea, and never attains any bitterness or unpleasant taste if left to steep too long.

Possibly a bit weak-tasting, but I prefer my teas extra-strong.

I don’t use additives in my tea, but Earl Grey is only tea that makes me want to on occasion. I can drink Samovar’s without anything extra no problem, though. [Seriously, Samovar. Can you do no wrong?] You get a little bit of that acidity, which takes a little getting used to if you don’t drink Earl Grey on the regular [which I don’t]. There’s also a taste of lemon that I get very clearly, which is apparently from the bergamot they incorporate into the tea. I don’t know if this tea is going to make me an Earl Grey convert – I usually prefer my greens, whites, and herbals – but I can safely say that to date this is best Earl Grey I’ve had.

A touch of white agave instead of sugar and a dash of milk. that’s the sweet spot

The best Earl Grey I have ever had. The aroma alone makes some people melt.

I bought the organic loose leaf Earl Grey from Samovar – the best smelling and strong tasting Earl Grey I’ve had. Samovar will also give you a discount on your tea if you return with the same container to buy more.

Its my tea for the day. I enjoy this tea without adding cream or sugar. Perfect for a cloudy morning in the Pacific Northwest!