Darjeeling Earl Grey

I have a lot of work to do today and when I get stuck in there are only a few things that I crave.
1 – Crisps (chips)
2 – Something good to watch (in this case I’m watching numb3rs)
3 – Earl Grey tea.

I’m working from home to gather and make 35 jewellery orders which will take me around 5 hours to finish since I pack them myself as well. I do get enjoyment from making jewellery and the fact that people love what I make gives me a huge smile :D but 35 orders is enough for me to stress.

No idea why I go for Earl Grey when I’m stressed but I do and I recently bought this brand after not having it for quite a while. Steeped for 4 minutes with fresh boiling water, one sugar (which is natural stevia extract zero calories) and a good splash of soy milk.

My creation is a beautifully sweet and fragrant drink that is perfect for gulping down to create an instant boost. Yummyness.

Now to get back to work, not to mention watching numb3rs. I have a thing for genius’s and geeks :D

I got a bag of this in a trade with QueenOfTarts! I was intrigued by it, as I’ve noticed that flavored darjeelings seem to be on the rare side. Which is probably a good thing, because it makes me think of a beautiful song being autotuned to hell.

But this is different. I am all about Earl Grey, so the autotuning is welcome. I can immediately tell that this isn’t like the usual Ceylon greys I’m used to. The darjeeling’s muscatel flavor is hidden in the background, in the aftertaste. It blends with the bergamot in an interesting way that reminds me of lemony white wine, if that sort of thing existed. As usual, however, the zesty bergamot is the strongest flavor. It isn’t followed with the bitterness that I’m used to, but it’s still a satisfying cup.

Yesterday morning I stopped at a coffee shop to possibly get some tea, and I noticed that said coffee shop was serving teapigs tea, which definitely surprised me as I am in Warsaw now. I’ve never had teapigs but I’ve heard it is good, so it was a pleasant surprise.
Side note: I love how Earl Grey is universal, at least in Europe. Whether you’re ordering a tea, or a thé, or a tee, or herbata (in Polish), it’s always “Earl Grey”, no one translates it. :)

Anyway, I saw that they were doing the Darjeeling Earl Grey, and though I don’t think I’m the biggest fan of Darjeelings at this point, I ordered it anyway. My steeping environment was less than ideal; I was running around a huge underground circle trying to find the right staircase up to get the tram I wanted. I thought about stopping the tea at 3 minutes, but tried a taste and decided it could go longer, thinking just another minute or two, but by the time I found another trash can for the sachet it had steeped for 6 minutes.

Still, no bitterness! And the tea surprised me further that I definitely enjoyed it. I seem to like Earl Greys best with a Ceylon base, but this Darjeeling was pretty good! The bergamot was definitely present in the flavor but not very strong (I’d maybe have it a little stronger, as long as it didn’t venture into the bitter-bergamot territory). The Darjeeling base was light, bright, almost grassy, and I’m pretty sure it was the Darjeeling (possibly interacting with the bergamot) that gave it a light note on the end of the sip that I eventually identified as distinctly lemony.

Overall a solid EG that I would drink again (and probably will while I’m in Warsaw), but I don’t think I’ll be switching to Darjeeling EGs all the same.

Okay, so I am “archiving” at work. This basically means putting stuff in boxes, and is possibly the most boring job known to man. I’ve just made myself a cup of this in a vain attempt to try and make it more bearable.For some reason, this is one of the more pleantiful teas among my stash. I have it both loose and bagged — today’s version is loose.

On opening the packet, I’m greeted with the strong smell of bergamot, and a floral undertone from the cornflowers. It instantly transports me, in mind, to a sunnier place. Just one reason why this was such a good choice of tea for a rainy day while tasked with a mind-numbing job.

Anyhow, I brewed this for three minutes in boiling water. The leaves are so pretty at this stage — darker brown, red-brown, and pale green, with the blue of the cornflowers scattered amongst. The scent is a much more delicate version of the packet — lightly floral and citrussy, with the classic notes of darjeeling just detectable. I don’t think I’ve ever come across another earl grey made with a darjeeling base, actually — which is probabky why, when I first tried this tea a couple of years back, I really didn’t like it. Those days are gone, thankfully, and this is now one of my favourite earl grey varieties.

I usually drink this with milk, but I have none, so today it’s as it comes. I’d brew it a little stronger usually, too, but I’m not one for a really overpowering bergamot flavour, so I’ve been careful. The liquor is a medium red-brown. To taste, this is just as you’d expect. Light, refreshing, delicately floral, with a sweetness from the darjeeling that just comes out in the aftertaste. It’s not at all drying on the palate, as I’ve found some darjeelings, just beautifully smooth and fragrant. It belongs in a sunnier place, and I can’t help but be cheered by its optimistic vibe. I really love to drink this iced in the summer, but it’s also great as a warming, mood-lifting drink in the winter. Maybe sunnier climes aren’t that far away, after all.

This smells like a chewier Darjeeling and bergamot. When I taste it – it doesn’t really taste chewy at all. It tastes like a stereotypical Darjeeling…I suppose. The Bergamot isn’t over powering at all. There is a slight bitter Darjeeling aftertaste that seems to linger that wasn’t there while sipping.

I’m adding this to my “OK” Pile. There isn’t anything wrong with it…it just didn’t WOW me!!!!

I brought this tea with me to class today and paired it with a muffin that a fellow student shared. The muffin was delicious and actually worked well with the tea. I’m not crazy about Earl Grey, but this was a relatively solid cup. I liked how I could taste the base of the tea which seemed smooth and bitter at the same time. I have a feeling I would like this tea more if I enjoyed drinking Earl Grey more often.

Oversteeped this the first time around today so tried again. Because it’s whole leaf in these bags, I’m more inclined to steep 2 or 3 times, which I wouldn’t tend to do with teabags (not just yet). I preferred the second steep if I’m honest, delicate flavours which seem to come through more then. Tried it on a first steep yesterday with some milk but the second steep is better. This feels like Darjeeling with Earl Grey rather than the other way around. Couple of dashes of Splenda added to this. Keen on trying it with a slide of lemon. It won’t replace my Earl Grey but it’s a nice change.

It’s good! and It lasts a long time. my cousins from England brought it when they came to visit. It’ll steep two cups which is nice.

I’ve just placed an order with TeaPigs and don’t you know.. My Grandma brought this for me when she visited yesterday! Now I have 2 packs of most of the stuff she brought with her.

Anyway, this is a pretty good tea, in my opinion. The darjeeling is a nice base and it has some of those typical bright notes which linger in the mouth. The bergamot isn’t overpowering. Overall a refreshing tea.

i love earl grey but i’m not keen on this one … sorry tea pigs. i find it bitter and it smells herbal rather than citrusy. maybe it’s the darjeeling? i don’t know. personally i like chinese teas so this one isn’t for me.