Experimenting a bit with this Earl Grey today. I tried “awakening” the leaves with a quick 10 second boiling water rinse before infusing to see how that would affect the first infusion.
The first infusion is now a bit smoother than the previous first infusions of this tea, which is definitely a plus for me. Interestingly, the tea has a slightly smoky flavor to it this morning – something i didn’t pick up on previously. It is not a strong smoky essence, but definitely there… almost like I brewed it in coffee (which I would not do, especially since the only coffee we have in the house is my husband’s instant coffee). It’s an unusual taste, but I don’t dislike it…
The bergamot also tastes a bit lighter.
