Earl Grey Imperial

A nice classic Earl Grey. I find that I like the bergamont that Harney uses much more than others I’ve come across thus far. Medium strength, preferring this blend without milk. Solid black base, slightly malty.

I used this as the base for my London Fog tonight, and hubby – who is very picky about his tea and only likes about three different ones – liked it! I made a pot of this tea and added some Sucanat, vanilla, and milk. Yummy!

So, for a week, I couldn’t find my metal infuser and I was incredibly frustrated. I finally caved and bought myself a new one on Amazon, plus some Harney & Sons consolation that I had been wanting for a long time. The day after I ordered it, yes, I found my damn infuser. Of course.

Anyway, I’m still very happy to have this pretty blue tin in my cupboard. I popped it open and it smelled amazing. Strong! Peppery! Lemony! The bergamot isn’t as strong as their Earl Grey Supreme, but it’s still definitely the dominant flavor. This is a perfect standard for Earl Grey. Not too bitter, not too astringent, on a satisfying black and oolong blend. And also not so heavy on bergamot that your mouth goes numb.

Again, about the bergamot, Harney and Sons have set a bar for me. They use this Italian bergamot that just makes other blends taste cheap to me.

Relogging. Rabs knew which Earl Grey B&N SBUX Cafes use so I am transferring my tealog to the correct tea. This tealog occurred the afternoon before the previous tealog.

Alicia suggested I try making a London Fog with A&D’s Earl Grey a few days ago. Some googling revealed what this was and also that it was a popular drink at Starbucks. Yesterday I happened to be browsing the Barnes & Noble with my friend Abbi and decided to try one there when we decided we needed beverages to browse with.

I think this was the Harney & Sons tea pyramid tea bag that was used in it. I got it with 2% milk and it was quite hot but drinkable after I let it sit for an appropriate amount of time so it could steep. I left the tea bag in the entire time and I could tell the tea was strong and well-caffeinated. I could taste the earl grey (good strong black and good citrus) and the vanilla and it was creamy. A nice alternative to a coffee drink while at the B&N.

Woke up this morning an hour before the alarm went off due to an unwelcome phone call. Decided to turn the first morning in our new house into something better. So while my husband assembles the dog kennel in the rain, I am making waffles and steeping a cup of this tea. The tea bags smell lovely, almost like an Earl Grey cologne. I will be honost, I bought it because I want to plant my herb garden in tea tins, and the empty ones go for as much on ebay as the full ones do on Amazon, so I figured, hey, why not get some tea out of the deal as well.
The liquor smells like a black tea, and I can just get a hint of the bergamot in the background.
Added some milk and sugar. Quite a tasty cuppa. Not the best Earl Grey I have had, but nowhere near the worst. I don’t mind that I have 29 more pyramid teabags of this to drink in order to use the tin as a planter!

While sipping Harney & Sons Earl Grey Imperial side-by-side with Wissotzky Imperial Earl Grey, I find it hard even to tell them apart. However, after swallowing there is a slight difference. I still feel that the Harney & Sons is a bit tannic in the back of my throat (as I found in comparing this sachet side-by-side with Harney & Sons’ own Earl Grey Supreme). Now I’m going to have to do a steep-off between Wissotzky Imperial and Harney & Sons Supreme!

I do believe that both of these are solid Earl Grey offerings. And Harney & Sons wins the packaging competition hands down!

Here’s some speed reviewing of a quick cup of tea I had today. I received a few tea bags of this selection to try. Thank you, ashmanra! I had only a few minutes to gulp one down while at the office. Here are my results:

o The tea bags were impressive. They were strong like nylon, large, and pyramid shaped.
o I couldn’t smell bergamot in the unbrewed bag.
o I steeped the tea for about five minutes in boiling water.
o The color was golden brown in my paper cup.
o The flavor was medium-strength, pleasant, malty, slightly sweet, and without bitterness, but I could barely taste the bergamot.
o Did I like it? Yes, but I would like to try this blend in a real cup and in loose leaf to see if the bergamot is less shy.

And that ends this tasting note moment.

I got this in a 30 sachet tin at the Barnes & Noble last summer and oh I’m so happy they’re in sachets! It makes mornings like these so much easier.
I haven’t had Earl Grey in so long, so I’ve got a cup of that right now as I study.
Oh the studying does not end :/

A very nice cup of Earl Grey.

Tea gives off a gentle lemony/bergamont aroma, the black base is shining through. The taste has notes of lemon, a good black base, and possibly some peppery notes.

Notes from first tasting:
No milk or sugar, was a little bit too bitter so I will have to play around with steeping time and milk/sugar.

Notes from second tasting:
I added milk and half a teaspoon of sugar, delicious. The milk covers up the lovely aroma, but the bergamont is still there in the taste and there isn’t even a hint of bitterness. Superb.

The bergamont is not as strong as I was expecting, quite a delight. I find the bergamont used is a lot more palatable than most.