Earl Grey

I like! This Earl Grey does not have as strong a bergamot flavor as some Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried, but, I think I like it for how smooth the flavors taste here. It is very nicely round, not at all sharp, not soapy or perfume-y either. Very pleasantly flavored, with just enough tangy citrus notes to keep it lively.

This would be the Earl Grey I’d serve to someone who thinks they do not like Earl Grey because the bergamot tastes too soapy to them … the bergamot here is mellow enough to not come off like that, but, not so mild that it is not noticed. A nicely balanced Earl Grey.

This was in my LiberTEAS Sampler Box. I can almost say, with a totally straight face, that this is a very satisfying Earl Grey (bwahaha, I typed “satisfrying” and had to go fix it after I stopped giggling), and I’m almost sure I know what that means in this context. Let’s see…

Dry leaf fragrance blindfold test: Hmm… Very obviously black tea, but not very obviously Earl Grey. There’s something in here, I’m just not sure what. Maybe because I’ve never smelled “oil of bergamot” on its own, so I couldn’t identify it if I tried. Basically I just look for kind of a lemony scent, and I didn’t really find that here. I smelled hay, though. Yes, hay. Don’t look at me like that, I don’t know either.

Steeped tea blindfold test: Okay, now I can definitely identify it as an Earl Grey. With hay.

Flavour: Yep, Earl Grey, but not of the in-your-face ilk. Smooth, pleasant. And, er, it doesn’t taste like hay, as far as I can tell, but I’m no Huck Finn. Bonus: no bitterness or astringency.

Will I stock it after my sample’s done? No. I only need to stock one Earl Grey, and so far my favourite is Golden Moon’s Tippy Earl Grey. Do I like it enough to finish my sample? Absolutely, it’s really quite lovely, it’s just not “the one.” Y’know? Also, the caffeine’s pretty strong in this one. In case you can’t tell, I’m a little loopy from it.

Tea amount: 1 tsp/~4.75g
Water amount: 6oz/~175mL
Additives: None

Oh! I discovered something just now. My two infusers are in the sink and I didn’t feel like washing them since I’d just done a load of dishes, so I used one of those paper bag things that you get free with some tea orders. And what I discovered is that I have no clue what to do with them. I just took one, put in my teaspoon of tea, and wrapped it up and presented it to my teacup like a little gift. It worked out okay, I guess—I mean, none of the tea escaped its confines to go for a quick paddle, but the bag did leave behind a kind of papery taste on which I’m not altogether keen.

Liberteas sent this to me! Thanks a bunch!

This is alright. It’s more perfumy than bergamotty. It’s a tad bitter/astringent but not bad to have on hand.

Sample package label:
“Our blend of hand picked organic black teas from only choice gardens in Sri Lanka. Precious oil of bergamot is then blended with full-bodied leaves to create an excellent citrus bouquet with a great finish. Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, organic oil of Bergamot. USDA Organic – Caffeine: Medium Steep 3 – 5 minutes – Fair Trade certified”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 24 ppm, boiled, left to stand so only steaming hot

1 heaping Tevanna teaspoon:

This tea has that classic Earl Grey fragrance.

Reddish hue

First 5-min Infusion:
Lemon aroma followed by a smooth, medium-bodied taste. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency. The taste of lemon lingers on the tongue.

2nd 5-min Infusion:
I was surprised that a mild lemon flavoring was still present – quite enjoyable.

Impression: An excellent example of classic Earl Grey tea.

Thanks to The Tea Merchant for providing this generous size free sample.