Organic Earl Grey Black Tea

Tea type
Black Tea
Ingredients
Indian Black Tea, Natural Bergamot Oil
Flavors
Not available
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Loose Leaf
Caffeine
High
Certification
Fair Trade, Organic
Edit tea info Last updated by Teatotaler
Average preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 4 min, 0 sec

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15 Tasting Notes View all

  • “The Final Sipdown: Day 7 Decupboarding Total: 14 Per the husband’s request we are having this one again, which works out nicely since it can then be my second tea decupboarded today. However, if...” Read full tasting note
    89
  • “Enjoying a cup of this as I mentally prepare myself to go into the kitchen and start fixing dinner. A very enjoyable cup of Earl Grey. Here is my full-length review: ...” Read full tasting note
    95
  • “I’m working on sipping this one down. It’s a fairly close thing. Preparing tea samplers for Christmas did wonderful things for the numbers of tea in my cupboard… and allowed me to find new homes...” Read full tasting note
    75
  • “The aroma is intense and I assumed it would be over-the-top in taste…by that I mean ‘hard to handle’ but it certainly was NOT hard to handle. This was very easy to handle…it’s also the most...” Read full tasting note
    94

From Arbor Teas

This organic, Fair Trade Certified version of the classic Earl Grey does not disappoint. It has a correct balance of flavoring which results in a piquant and refreshing true Earl Grey taste. Made fashionable by the Prime Minister of England Earl Grey (1830-1834), Earl Grey is traditionally a blend of Chinese and Indian teas flavored with the oil from the citrus bergamot fruit.

The legends of Earl Grey are numerous. One such tale tells how a British diplomat on a mission to China saved the life of a Chinese citizen, and as a gift of gratitude was given the recipe for this flavored tea. Upon his return to Britain, this diplomat presented the tea to the Prime Minister of the day, Earl Grey. Another story claims that it was the Prime Minister himself who was awarded the recipe.

Sustainability is a cornerstone of Arbor Teas’ business philosophy. In addition to offering an exclusively organic selection of teas, they recently became the first tea company to offer their whole catalog in 100% backyard compostable packaging. They’ve also carbon-offset the entire supply chain of their products, from origin to the customer, making Arbor Teas the greenest option for Earth-conscious tea drinkers, and one of few tea companies recognized by Green America.

About Arbor Teas View company

We’re tea enthusiasts with a lot of passion. Passion for top quality tea, the environment, fair trade, and our community. We started Arbor Teas in Ann Arbor, Michigan, intent on creating a tea company as passionate as we are. Our passion is reflected in every aspect of Arbor Teas. You’ll certainly notice it in the exceptional collection of teas we offer - one of the largest catalogs of USDA certified organic teas around, nearly three-quarters of which are Fair Trade Certified®.

15 Tasting Notes

89
911 tasting notes

The Final Sipdown: Day 7
Decupboarding Total: 14

Per the husband’s request we are having this one again, which works out nicely since it can then be my second tea decupboarded today. However, if he likes it without additives as much as he liked it with additives, I’m thinking this one won’t stay gone from my pantry long as I will be buying a big tin of it.

Honestly, this one is such a nice relief from the Upton samples I’ve been trying to get through. This has a nice smooth and full tea taste with some light but pleasant astringency to the end of the sip. The scent and flavor is lightly but noticeably Earl Grey. And the EG bit is very nice – not perfume-ish, not frou-frou. If I can call a tea ‘manly’ without making it sound like it’s a nasty b.o. type thing, this EG is manly. Masculine, maybe? Strong. Not as in strong tasting but the strength that confident men seem have – noticeably masculine without being a muscle-bound bully. Perhaps because the astringency makes it nicely bracing even with the flavoring, making it not a girlie or soft tea.

Sigh. I need to just face facts. This is an Earl Grey that a man like Jean Luc Picard would drink. Which is pretty much exactly what we were looking for. So win!

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 0 sec
takgoti

It’s tea. It’s tea in tights! [TIGHT tights!] It roams around in forests, looking for fights.

Auggy

Wow, blast from the past there! And apparently not near as blocked from my brain as I thought since now that song KEEPS LOOPING IN MY HEAD! AGH!

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95
4843 tasting notes

Enjoying a cup of this as I mentally prepare myself to go into the kitchen and start fixing dinner. A very enjoyable cup of Earl Grey. Here is my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2011/01/18/organic-earl-grey-black-tea-from-arbor-teas/

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75
254 tasting notes

I’m working on sipping this one down. It’s a fairly close thing. Preparing tea samplers for Christmas did wonderful things for the numbers of tea in my cupboard… and allowed me to find new homes for some of the wonderful apple teas my husband hadn’t yet finished!

This is pretty much as I remember it – a little light, with a bright little burst of bergamot. It’s not going to be a hardship to finish, but I’m also not going to be ordering more.

Preparation
Boiling 3 min, 0 sec

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94
6768 tasting notes

The aroma is intense and I assumed it would be over-the-top in taste…by that I mean ‘hard to handle’ but it certainly was NOT hard to handle. This was very easy to handle…it’s also the most forgiving Earl Grey I have come across…I over infused and it was very generous not to get bitter which I am very grateful for! This is a medium strength black tea as well as a medium to medium-strong Earl Grey…which is fine by me because it tastes very good! I was pleasantly surprised and Arbor Teas EG and I have quickly become friends!

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85
176 tasting notes

This is now the… sixth? Earl Grey in my cupboard. It’s a sickness.

This is a good, solid Earl Grey. The bergamot isn’t too strong, and doesn’t have that sort of perfumey or soapy taste to it, which some of the… lesser blends can have. I think it’s balanced well with the tea… it’s bold, but not overpowering. Yum-o.

Preparation
Boiling 5 min, 0 sec
Michelle Butler Hallett

I collect Darjeelings in the same way.

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34
48 tasting notes

A very nice surprise, I’m also an Earl Grey freak & this one hits the top 3 of my list. As TeaEqualsBliss wrote, it’s a strong black tea but you’ll be ok if you accidentally oversteep. Either a straight cup, or with honey & milk (I might get crucified for this) it’s a perfect tea to wake up in the morning or a sweet treat in the afternoon. The bergamot amount it’s perfect & tastes natural.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 5 min, 30 sec

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88
100 tasting notes

Good flavor, light but dynamic flavors, not heavy or muddy. It did not overly stand out in any one area, just really good overall. I would definitely like to get this again since this was only a sample.

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139 tasting notes

Sample package label:
“Ingredients: Organic Black Tea, and natural oil of Bergamot.”
Fair Trade certified – USDA Organic
“Suggested serving size – one level teaspoon”
“Suggested Steeping Guide: 212*F, Steep 3 – 5 minutes”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 15 ppm, boiled

1 level Tevanna teaspoon:

Introduction: I understand Arbor Teas Earl Grey organic base comes from the “Assam and Dooars areas of India. Most EG teas come from Shi Lanka formerly known as Ceylon. Having a different base tea, was a significant reason for wanting to sample this tea. Our current EG has a Ceylon base and I can’t get past the astringency. Other primary reasons: My wife loves EG and prefers organic teas.

This tea has that classic lemon Earl Grey fragrance – quite fantastic!

Amber hue

5-min Infusion: A mild lemon aroma, medium-bodied EG without astringency – Excellent! The taste of lemon does not linger too long on the tongue.

Impression: An excellent classic Earl Grey tea.

Additional thoughts: I would like to encourage Arbor Teas to develop a well-balanced organic Vanilla Earl Grey or EG Cream. Why you ask?

Per Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bergamot_orange):
“Citrus bergamia is a small tree which blossoms during the winter. The juice tastes less sour than lemon, but more bitter than grapefruit. The distinctive aroma of bergamot is most commonly known for its use in Earl Grey tea.8”

The tartness of citrus bergamia is a common characteristic of most Earl Grey tea. Adding a creamy vanilla should smooth out the natural tartness of the oil of Bergamot. Other tea companies have tried this approach. Many of them are not organic and at least one uses artificial flavoring. Only a few have discovered a pleasing balance of among all the ingredients.

Thanks to Arbor Teas for providing this very generous size free sample.

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90
63 tasting notes

I got a wonderful whiff of bergamot the moment I opened the box. The tangy smell was only enhanced when I opened the pouch itself. Thankfully, the bergamot flavor is mellow and balanced once steeped. The tea itself is smooth and aromatic. A tiny bit of sugar really enhances the flavor for me. I can even get a couple of steepings out of it, so the value really streches.

Preparation
205 °F / 96 °C 3 min, 15 sec

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