Earl Grey Special

Getting close to the end of my TeaFrog samples. I think I have three more. This is one of them.

The dry mix is very pretty, the lemongrass is very green against the backdrop of the Ceylon and there are little flecks of blue where the cornflowers show through. There’s a light neutral color as well that looks like the lemon peel. I’m not really seeing jasmine, though it could be that some of the flecks that look like lemon peel are actually jasmine petals. It doesn’t have a strong scent of bergamot (or otherwise) in the packet.

The tea has a lemony aroma with a bergamot undercurrent. It has a lemony taste as well. A bright taste. The bergamot is pretty subdued, secondary to the lemon. I am not getting much in the way of jasmine.

It’s hard to say whether it’s tastes like an Earl Grey so much as a lemon black tea with bergamot? It does seem to me the lemon is the stronger taste of the two. It’s actually very nice; it’s different. I don’t think I’d buy it to fill an Earl Grey need. If I order some, it will simply be because I like it.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT!
My TeaFrog order came in today! The package looked like it had been through several wars and was torn in several places (the samples were OK, though don’t worry!) so I have come up with a theory for its lateness that involves a SINGLE POSTMAN transported to a WAR-TORN CANADA IN AN ALTERNATE UNIVERSE determined to return to his reality and DELIVER HIS PACKAGE AT ALL COSTS (Warner Bros: call me).

Obviously I made a beeline straight for the Earl Grey Special because…Earl Grey! Special! AND put back on the “in stock” list JUST FOR ME ( ♥ TeaFrog). The smell is certainly quite distinctive, I’m not sure I would have been able to peg it as an Earl Grey if I didn’t know that that’s what it was. There’s a general lemony, fruitiness about it, but there’s still a bit of the Earl peaking through saying ‘yes, yes I’m here, wot wot.’

This is definitely not your ordinary Earl Grey. I wouldn’t say that the lemon is dominating, but I think that the interaction of the various citrus with the jasmine has created something extremely interesting – definitely something that I could see drinking regularly. I doubt it will replace just straight Earl Grey for me, but it will be great as an Earl Grey alternative (a la Lady Grey, etc.).

Oddly, as the tea cools I get more of a taste of um hm, lemon hard candy? I’m thinking of a specific Polish candy but I don’t think that will help anyone. Lemon drops maybe? I’m not sure that I’ve ever had a lemon drop but it looks right! The moral of this story is: drink this tea while it is hot. It is a fine moral.

I have to say as a final note that I really quite like the base tea here. It is present, but not overwhelming. Very nice.

My TeaFrog samples and JOEmo arrived yesterday and today I finally am trying them out! I’ll be using the JOEmo on my commute (still a few hours away) so I’ll write a mini-review of that in the near future. This tea was the one I was most excited to try.

Nothing too remarkable about the dry leaf smell beyond knowing that this was an Earl Grey. Same with the cup — it’s an Earl Grey. I’m the first to admit that I’m not the most familiar with EGs, but I’ve had the good, the bad, and the ugly. This one’s definitely in the good category. It’s smooth, it’s not a fake bergamot-Pledge hybrid, and there’s a little something extra with the jasmine. If I’d been handed a cup of this without any information on it, then I’d think it was a really good EG. But knowing that there’s jasmine, I can sense its presence like a Tea Psychic. It’s more in the smell than anything else, and even then it’s a whisper. But it’s really pleasant. The second steep is equally nice.

If I hadn’t discovered my cup of frou-frou, then this would have been a contender. As it is I can easily dub this my cup of frou. I feel like an oaf drinking it in a huge honkin’ mug — it seems to want to be in a small china cup and demands that I lift my pinky whilst drinking it. I’m really curious to see what other more experienced EG drinkers have to say about this one. NE

This is one of the samples that I ordered way back when it was on Steepster Select.

The bergamot here is pleasant, and is nicely complemented by the lemon peel and lemongrass. It really adds emphasis on the citrus flavor of the bergamot. The jasmine flowers do not contribute an immense amount of flavor to the cup, but there is a subtle whisper of jasmine to the taste.

Astringent but not bitter, somewhat dry though. The combination of the bergamot and lemon-y qualities makes for a different flavor than I’m accustomed to when it comes to Earl Grey. That’s not a bad thing… it just is different.

Hm. The lemon is very very prominent here. It’s still an Earl Grey, as EG has a pretty citrusy flavor anyway, but I can taste the lemongrass in particular and it’s a little weird to me. I think I’ll like it better blended with a little vanilla tea for a creamier flavor. G liked it as is, but he’s a big lemon fan.

It’s interesting, but I’ve had EG variations I liked better. To clarify: I’m disappointed that I tasted more lemongrass than anything else. I was hoping/expecting it to be somewhat floral, but I really didn’t notice the jasmine or cornflower.

2nd steep was drinkable but weak, better for drinking plain (1st steep was too harsh for me to drink plain).

1.1g, 3.5oz, 2nd steep 6 minutes

Got this as one of the free samples with my TeaFrog travel mug and was excited to try it! I can’t quite pinpoint the notes (I’m not always so good at distinguishing those), but I think I see orange peel in the blend along with lots of flower bits. The taste is quite unique—I don’t think I can compare it to anything else I’ve had. I wish I could be more specific, but I think I’ll have to try it again.

Overall, I quite like it and I’m glad it’s different than any other earl grey blend I’ve had. I am not totally sure I’d order it after I finish the sample, but maybe by the next time I brew it I’ll be able to decide. Definitely worth a try!

What’s this, another Earl Grey? I feel like I have so many kinds now, I really am going to sit down and compare them side by side when I decide I need to order more than just samples. Anyway, I got this one with my bunch of samples from TeaFrog, and I was intrigued by all the extras; I love Earl Grey, but I’m not an EG purist by any means, and I enjoy blends that throw other things into the mix. This one brewed up a medium reddish orange, with an aroma primarily of the black tea base with some underlying citrus, and a bright lemony note over all as it cools. For all the additional ingredients, this one tastes like a fairly standard Earl Grey to me. There’s a maltiness to the Ceylon base, and a not-overpowering bergamot flavor with a very slight astringency. I actually don’t get a distinct lemony note, but I think it’s mostly contributing to the overall citrusy flavor. I’m not getting any distinct jasmine flavors. A pretty solid Earl Grey over all.

This is a pretty decent earl grey but not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting a lot more jasmine and a lot less lemon. It was ok, but I don’t think I will stock up on this one.
The smell is amazing though.

A really excellent version of Earl Grey with a hint of sweetness. One of the most soothing black teas I’ve ever had.

Prepared in Adagio IngenuiTEA teapot.

If TeaFrog’s Cream Earl Grey is Earl Grey lite, then Earl Grey Special is Earl Grey plus. Strong and lemony, with a slight bergamot flavour – I think the lemongrass overpowers the bergamot, but with bergamot being citrusy, it’s hard to tell. At any rate, this is a very tasty blend!