Earl Grey Decaf

Oh wow…this tea is pretty darn good, even though it’s from a teabag and decaf. I wasn’t even keeping track of how long I steeped it, but I think it steeped pretty long, in boiling water…yet not a bit of bitterness! I added in some milk and Splenda, and the tea is strong enough to handle it. It tastes creamy, orangey, sugary, and flowery. It’s late, and I apologize if this note is just blah. But the tea itself? Good enough that it’s making me feel better since my kitty, who peed all over her own winter coat fur bloomers, backed up into my leg 5 minutes ago and got pee on me. :(

(Side note….should I take her for a haircut? It’s the middle of winter, but my apartment is really warm…)

So for whatever reason I’m still feeling anxious/jittery/whatever. Time to address the obvious culprit: caffeine. Besides, I like this tea! I can’t have evolved into that big of a tea snob,could I?

Sadly, maybe a teeny bit. It smells great, and it tastes good, but for whatever reason I can’t drink it black like I can my loose leaf teas. But adding milk/cream isn’t that big of a deal!

My mother is very picky about her tea. She has to drink decaf teas because she can’t handle caffeine anymore, but she doesn’t like Earl Grey. The last few times she has went out to eat at a restaurant with dad, they have given her a decaf Earl Grey. The second and third time that they did this to her, she remembered that I dearly love the Earl and decided to give me the teabags. (I also have a sneaking suspicion that she is trying to de-caffinate me, but that is for another day)

I have been wanting Earl Grey to watch with my favorite sci-fi show Dr Who, so I decided to brew up a cup. For being a decaf tea, this was pretty darn good. It was rich and flavorful with the bergamot present but not overpowering. One of the best decaf teas that I have ever tasted.

I’ve been having at least one cup of this every night before I sleep, and it is incredibly relaxing. I can’t get over how mellow this tea is, no matter how long you steep it for. An excellent blend!

Twinnings tastes so weak to me!

I love Earl Grey and wanted to be able to drink it before bed without getting that hit of caffeine so I picked this up one day. It doesn’t have that strong bergamot flavor and it never seems to get as strong as the regular stuff but other than that, I’m pleased.

A little weak, even after steeping for quite some time. Bergamot flavor is less noticeable than in other Earl Greys.

I love this tea with a bit of soy milk. To keep the oil from becoming overpowering I usually steep it for about a minute or two, dipping the tea bag in and out. It makes for a tasty, yet refined, flavor. Soy milk is a lovely addition.

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 Teabag, 2.1g
Water:154° 8 ounce hot spigot water
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes, I started with 2 and kept adding
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: not much smell from the bag
Steeped Tea Smell: not much smell from the tea
Flavor: brown water, no flavor
Liquor: dark brown

This came as part of a gift and is of unknown age and history so I am refraining from rating this tea. I had very low expectations to begin with as I look down on decaffeinated teas (caffeine free is a different story) but I was expecting bitter not flavorless.

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/03/twinings-of-london-teabag-black-tea.html