Earl Greyer

I love black tea. It’s what really propelled me into my love for tea. That being said, I’ve strayed from my roots a bit. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had some black tea, and it’s definitely been awhile since I’ve had some Earl Grey. But this is really delicious tea! I tend to stray away from tea sachets, but my roommate had offered me one, and I’m not going to turn down free tea. Good choice, really.

I would recommend this to a fan of Earl Grey. It’s good stuff.

This is a sample sent to me from Lariel, as part of our book club tea trade. Thanks Lariel!

Years ago The Republic of Tea was one of the only tea companies I knew about. I used to drink this plain over ice all summer, along with their Ginger Peach (which still makes my head wiggle with delight as an iced tea).

Then for awhile I didn’t really care much for the Earl of Grey. For some reason bergamot just didn’t appeal to me. Lately I’ve been sampling a lot of earl grey. I started enjoying them again when I tried the one from the Tea Spot. It tastes like a lemon bar.

So, this one is nice too! The Black base is substantial enough, & there’s enough bergamot that you know it’s there, but not so much as to be over powering. I like mine with stevia.

I’m not sure I am listing this under the correct spot. I had the round bagged version. I was not impressed. There is not enough dust in the bag (1.6g). The tea is bitter at 2 1/2 minute steep. The bergamot is too light for my tastes. I think it tastes like it was stored in a plastic milk jug. A lot of people like this, I’m just not one of them.

Side note: My wife told me she had a cup of the Tazo chamomile she bought before I brought home some better quality stuff. She had become so accustomed to the good stuff that she was amazed at how flat the Tazo tasted. Progress!

First things first, I bought the loose leaf version of this tea. The shop I stopped in today had both for the same price and well that much was a no brainer. Long story short…I’ve been looking for an Earl Grey I liked for a long time now. So a few weeks ago the latest Republic of Teas catalogue turned up with a sample of this tea and I gave it a go and I found I really liked it. So I finally bit the bullet and bought some. I think I like that the bergamot flavor is really light (for me) and it makes for a very light and smooth cup of tea. So glad I grabbed some. :)

There’s this certain Diner- restaurant I visit that happens to be connected to a grocery store (for any MN folks- the Minnesota Grill at Byerly’s). Sure, it’s a blue-haired crowd, and it’s always empty, but the food is cheap and really genuinely good.

I’ve gone about six or seven times in the past two seasons, but every time we’ve gone, I’ve arrived cold and in the mood for tea. They’ll bring out a big box full of bagged Republic of Tea teas, and this is always the one I choose.

Steep time is usually about a minute and a half. I am extremely sensitive to bitterness (ie: some salad fixings are too bitter for me to get down, so yes, it’s kind of extremely lame), so I’m always really conservative with this one.
But given my short steep times, it does very well! Earl Greys will always remind me of our trip to Maine, and this one is no different. This is especially true because the bergamot scenting leans more heavily on the blueberry side of things rather than the citrus side of things. I think I generally prefer it this way. Bergamots that have extreme citrus notes are a little bright for me, and combined with the lower quality bases used, just swing me hard into bitterness. The sweet blueberry nature of this makes is a go-to tea when I’m out and about at a restaurant (I never remember to bring my own tea, plus I don’t want to be rude, and I also want to support any place that’s even offering tea).

As for the black tea base of this one, it’s not too bad. Then again, I also never ever let it steep long at all, but given that it’s dust in a bag, I have to applaud Republic of Tea for putting together a blend that’s balanced and so darn cheap. Wherever their dustings/fannings come from, good for them. Of course, I’d prefer loose, but you can’t always have that. So pretty good job guys.

The weaknesses in the tea come out when the mug cools or when you’ve been sipping for a good long time (over a meal, perhaps). As you get to the bottom of the cup, there’s a bit of sticky dryness the prickles in the back of the throat. It’s not intense, but it can build, so this is one I’d probably prefer to drink quickly as a beverage to quench my thirst and warm me up rather than curl up with while reading, etc, over a long period. Also, as it sits, the bergamot scenting edges towards a lemony-pine-sol sort of thing. Not bad enough to stop drinking, but definitely enough to get me to just pay the check and leave our booth- not going to sit and savor.

So, in a pinch, this is a great one to have on hand. Perfectly drinkable blueberry-bergamot flavor, especially if steeped for a short time and consumed quickly. I’m always glad to see it available as an option, because hey! It’s an option! For tea! At a restaurant in America! Woah!!
No, I wouldn’t stock this at home or probably recommend it for my office because you can do better, but that’s not always what tea is for. It’s a good baseline I’m pleased to see being established. Anything lower quality than this has just no excuse. Yes- I’m looking at you, Bigelow Earl Grey tea. Last time I had you on a shoot, I steeped you for a minute, and you were still unkind to me. But it was either that or coffee, and you I just can’t do that.

I had a bit of this around from a few weeks ago (I’d bought it to make iced tea for a day in the park) and I need to come up for a bit of air from my endless days of yixing bliss, so I decided to polish this off with a nice big cozy pot.

This is a tea I associate with cold, New England days, so I can’t say as I ever crave it here in Houston. But, the citrus oil is fantastic iced and produces a brew which doesn’t need sweetening to be thirst quenching on a hot day. Bright and crisp and that’s all you need.

Brewed hot, this produces a dark, brooding cup. Still with that strong citrus edge, but a bit astringent and cloudy, too.

A good change of pace from cup after cup of yunnan golden and sweet shu pu-erh.

I see that the tasting notes for this selection include a mix of tea bag and loose leaf reviews. Let me specify that my tasting note is for the loose leaf version of Earl Greyer tea. I feel that is important to note because I’ve tried both the bagged and loose leaf versions of other Republic of Tea products, and I’ve found the taste to differ significantly.

I steeped ol’ Earl Greyer for five minutes at 212 degrees. This resulted in a brownish orange brew.

When I first opened the can and scooped the chopped leaves into my infuser basket, I thought I was in store for one of the strongest bergamot teas that I’ve encountered to date. The unsteeped citrus aroma was very potent and fragrant.

After brewing, I was surprised and disappointed to experience a less than colossal bergamot presence. The bergamot flavor is there and it’s smooth, but the citrus taste is overpowered by the black tea flavor.

The black tea taste is fine. There is also a little maltiness thrown in. There is no bitterness or astringent aftertaste. I guess I have just come to expect more from Earl Grey teas after some of the supercharged varieties that I’ve tried. (For example, if you desire a mighty Earl Grey tea with intense bergamot flavor that will stay with you throughout your day, I highly recommend Rishi Organic Earl Grey Black Tea: http://www.amazon.com/Rishi-Tea-Organic-Black-3-3-Ounce/dp/B001E5E20O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333545907&sr=8-1.)

If you like the citrus flavor to hang in the background of your Earl Grey tea, this selection will more than fit the bill. But, if you prefer bergamot on steroids, you (like me) may find yourself asking, “Is that all there is?”

Had a mug of this iced at work today. I’m taste testing all of our RoT teas iced at work to see what will be my daily tea, or maybe I’ll just mix it up. I didn’t like this upon first sip, it was too potently floral, rather than more of a juicy citrus bergamot, but it grew on me as I continued to sip at it. Quite a great iced tea, not sure I could make it through the floral notes in the tea hot, but iced, it holds out well.

I’m a fan of Earl Greys. This one was a fairly good one especially for a bagged tea. It was mild and is not as strong (not so much bergamot and citrus flavors), which is good when you want something milder. This was just what I needed this morning. Usually I love the stronger Greys but this one is good. It reminds me of Twining’s Lady Grey but not that much lemon/citrus. Good blend overall. Nice and light.

Ok. I haven’t tried this one yet, but my dog likes it. I dropped a few leaves on the floor when I opened the tin to smell it, and he ate them! He has never done this with other teas.

It smells pretty great. When I have one of my rare cravings for Earl Grey, this will be the one I go to.

Eh, it was alright, but I don’t think I would revisit this Earl again while there are better versions out in the market.

I do not drink very many flavored teas, but from time to time I will indulge, and also for a nice change of pace. I believe my first flavored tea was Earl Grey, and it is a tea I could drink almost daily, but I don’t….probably because it would strain my tea budget. I bought this at the World Market during Christmas 2004. and again Summer of 2005. Earl Grey is probably my favorite flavored tea, as I just love the scent and flavor of natural oil of Bergamot.

Earl Greyer is true to its’ description, very citrusy and fresh tasting. I didn’t taste much of the base tea, but then again, I didn’t expect to. The dry aroma and cup aroma is fantastic! As the extraordinary Bergamot washed over my tongue, I savored the flavor for a few moments before swallowing the tea! As a hot tea, I use one teabag to the specifications below per 8 oz cup, with a rating of 88. I used this mostly for iced tea in Spring/Summer, as it is extremely refreshing! Same specs as hot tea except I use two tea bags; rating 90.

I did not taste bitterness with the extended steep time, but more flavor.

At the time this was my new favorite Earl Grey, but as I neared the end of the tin I realized something. Iced, Earl Greyer may be my favorite; BUT, as a hot tea, I began to miss the taste of the TEA! I missed the balance of a good base tea, and the natural Bergamot flavoring. Even as the tea cooled somewhat, the black tea base was overpowered by the extra Bergamot. I just prefer a cup of hot Earl Grey to be more balanced.

Overall, it was still delicious and a worthy contender among the competition.

I recently had the pleasure of trying The Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer black tea, which lists its ingredients as simply “fine black tea and natural bergamot oil”. The bergamot oil was very noticeable and very tasty, as it always is. This brand of Earl Grey contains more bergamot oil than other varieties, according to The Republic of Tea. I’m a big, big fan of Earl Grey tea – Earl Grey is actually the first hot tea I can remember drinking – so any variation of this tea is always a treat for me. The Earl Greyer has a very strong taste, though not as spicy or peppery as some brands; it also has a delicious aroma.

I’m going to be completely honest and say that my favorite Earl Grey variety is still the Twinings brand, but I enjoyed the Republic’s Earl Grey tea a lot and I’m sure I’ll be ordering it again. :)

Even though I’m trying to shy away from bags nowadays, this is the best EG I’ve found so far. It’s not a “creme” or anything like that, just a straight, smell good taste good no frills tea. I usually use a littler sugar and just enough milk to make it turn clay colored. One of my daily drinks at works when I don’t feel like making looseleaf!

This is the Early Grey I grew up on. Like the Twinnings, it has a strong, reliable taste. Bold and full-bodied, with a great bergamot flavor pulling through. I like my Earl Greys strong, so I brew a bit long.

Thanks again to Lariel for another yummy sample…

I’m a big fan of Earl Grey and this one holds up to my expectations. For whatever reason, most Republic of Tea blends I try, I end up liking. This has a classic Earl Grey flavor and could easily be a staple for me, if I didn’t already have so many Earl Greys.

Balanced, I can taste the tea base pretty well. The bergamot isn’t overpowering like it can be in some teas.

I decided to try a cup of this tonight when I stopped at Panera and was very surprised by how sweet it was. Normally this may have been a good thing, but I wasn’t in the mood tonight.

When I placed an order for some bulk Blackberry Sage I decided ti try some sip-by-sip samplers of which this was one of them. It was my first experience to Earl Grey tea, and boy was I wowed! I love it so much I turned around and ordered a bulk bag a couple days after my first sip of it! I have only tried it hot and steep it 5 minutes (to make decaf I steep in a little bit of hot water for 60 seconds, dump and then steep for the 5 minutes). I usually drop 3 grams (i.e. 3 packets) of sweetener for a 14 or 15 oz mug since I like my tea on the sweet side. It has a wonderful but not overpowering citrus tang to it. So far this has become my favorite tea!

I wanted a good, strong, basic tea this morning with no frills. This is it.