Organic Earl Grey

Okay, I can’t take it anymore. I don’t think the world will end if I write about tea occasionally in English (currently in a Japanese immersion program).
Anyway, I’ve found a cheap hack at one of the campus coffee shops- one bag of Mighty Leaf tea is really cheap. Ask for it with steamed milk of any type (I get soy) and it’s the same price. Mmmmm…. so this is a decent earl grey (most really do taste the same to me), and with soy milk it even seems to have a touch of sweetness that I may or may not be imagining. I’m in the library with a travel cup, so I’m lazily letting the tea bag sit, and it hasn’t ruined the flavor at all. If anything it’s richer. I love that I can get an organic tea latte for $1 ;)

Sipdown! (130) I’m impressed: this sachet has very large leaves in it! It also smells very good, and light for an EG. Pure fruity bergamot with a very light tea smell underneath.

I actually ended up making this at the same time as the Lipton but drinking it after since it was hotter. This is actually a very good EG in my opinion. It’s juicier than most and not too bitter. In fact it’s barely bitter at all, which can sometimes be a problem for me. I’d definitely use these bags if I saw them in a hotel/restaurant and I might even grab some myself for use when traveling!

I had this tea over the weekend at the hotel where I stayed. I was somewhat disappointed in the tea. The tasted of bergamot was very settle, which is good. That’s where the positives stop. The black tea itself was really weak, as in lacked depth of flavor. I would say I could drink this again, except for the chemical flavor the pouch gave off. Maybe it’s just me, but the tea tasted like the bag gave off plastic flavor. I don’t think I’ll drink this again.

Had this with breakfast this morning. Earl Grey is not my favorite tea. I don’t like the feeling that I am drinking black tea while wearing really floral perfume. Its not bad. I would just prefer straight breakfast tea.

A pretty standard earl grey, it makes for a good morning tea when my taste buds aren’t feel terribly sharp. Other than that nothing really stands out.

Second Steep

Even more subtle smell. Same not particularly strong or bitter taste. Formerly astringent bergamot aftertaste is much smoother.

Second steep is much better than the first – bumped the rating.

Steep Information:
Amount: 1 teabag
Additives: none
Water: hot spigot water, 1 mug full
Steep Time: a little over 4 minutes
Served: Hot

Tasting Notes:
Dry Leaf Smell: bergamot
Steeped Tea Smell: black tea, hint of citrus
Flavor: bitter, astringent, black tea, hint of bergamot
Body: Full
Aftertaste: astringent, a bit bitter
Liquor: almost opaque deep dark reddish brown

Not a remarkable tea, but a nice afternoon caffeine wake up call while at work. I should have done a bit less time, and perhaps a packet of sugar.

Post-Steep Additives: none

images: http://amazonv.blogspot.com/2010/04/mighty-leaf-teabag-black-tea-organic_06.html

I’m currently traveling, and away from my tea cabinet at home. This is always a trying time. Hotels often provide tea bags, but rarely ones worth drinking.

But, at the keynote last night we pocketed a few Mighty Leaf tea bags which we were happily gulping down while listening to a paper on why it is important for anthropologists to take the topic of religion seriously in Japan.

Tea bag tea, no matter how premium, is still tea bag tea. I don’t care what anyone else says, it just isn’t as good as loose tea. Heck, even loose tea, once placed into a tea bag, doesn’t steep as well.

But if I have to drink bagged tea, and right now I do, I’m glad we have Mighty Leaf.

You could say I’m a fan of Earl Grey – ever since I heard Jean Luc Picard order it on the Enterprise I longed to try a cup! I’m also rather a purist – I want the bergmot to be strong, and I must be able to taste the black tea in the background. I bought this tea at the supermarket in a sampler pack of Mighty Leaf teas. I wasn’t expecting much, truly, just a cup of the Earl for my afternoon.

I love the little sachets Mighty Leaf uses, though I do with the serged thread holding on the tag didn’t always drip down the side of my cup! I used one sachet for 12 oz of water. I worried it might be weak, but it was not.

There is a nice blast of bergmot, but it isn’t so overwhelming as to taste bitter. There is definitely an underlying sweetness, which I must attribute to the essence of Jasmine on the ingredients list. I am really liking that extra flavor, to my surprise – although I love jasmine I would never think to put it in an Earl Grey! I think this might have to go on my short list of good Earl Greys – it might even be better than my current favorite bagged version (Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer.)

I am guessing for myself that black teas need a little cream, I just need to learn how much cream is enough because I did not want to overpower the flavours of the tea with too much cream.

And today was almost too much..