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“This sample was given to me for review, and came with six of their other Earl Grey blends. I’ve made my way through over half of them now, and this is by far the best Earl Grey in the lineup. The...” Read full tasting note
“Lately, I have been turning my attention more and more to classic blends. I sometimes feel that they are taken for granted among tea drinkers, and as such, do not always receive the attention and...” Read full tasting note
One of Mr. Vail’s 15 original tea blends.
For the “extreme” Earl Grey lover, we’ve added more Bergamot oil to our famous Earl Grey tea to make Earl Grey Extra. This blend was originally formulated by Mr. Vail for his many Eastern European customers.
Earl Grey teas, traditionally, were blends comprised of varying black teas with Bergamot oil added to them. Today, any tea (green, white, herbal) that is sprayed with Bergamot oil is known as Earl Grey (such as our Emerald Green Earl Grey, and Rooibos Earl Grey). Most tea merchants carry an Earl Grey black tea blend, but they are all very different due to the variations in black teas used for the blend and the quality of the bergamot oil. Here at Simpson & Vail we use high quality bergamot oil.
Bergamot oil comes from the rind of the bergamot orange, which grows on the citrus tree Citrus bergamia. The oil expressed from the rind is used, in addition to making Earl Grey tea blends, quite frequently in the cosmetic industry. Bergamot oil can be found in soaps, lotions, oils and perfumes and has been said to help alleviate depression as well as used as a digestive aid and used to help skin irregularities (such as psoriasis).
Earl Grey tea is a favorite with bakers in many culinary recipes. It goes especially well with cakes, cookies, confections and any recipe with chocolate!
Ingredients: Black teas and natural bergamot oil.
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This sample was given to me for review, and came with six of their other Earl Grey blends. I’ve made my way through over half of them now, and this is by far the best Earl Grey in the lineup. The general Earl Grey was a bit of a mild cup, but this one packs a lot more punch!
Most of its assertiveness is due to a much larger dose of bergamot – it smells amazing and translates very well into the cup. There is a slight astringency, but adding a dash of milk is all you need to balance it out.
You can read my full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/07/earl-grey-extra-by-simpson-vail.html
Lately, I have been turning my attention more and more to classic blends. I sometimes feel that they are taken for granted among tea drinkers, and as such, do not always receive the attention and appreciation they deserve. After all, there is a reason so many of these blends have been around for so long: people like them. I especially think Earl Grey is more than a bit underrated, especially on websites like Steepster. Granted, I know that the aroma and flavor of bergamot is a turn off to some, and I know its presence often lends a slick or soapy texture to the tea, but come on people, the Earl is a classic!
This variation of Earl Grey from Simpson & Vail is more or less just an amped up version of their house Earl Grey blend. I mean this one is amped up in the sense that more bergamot oil is present in this blend than in the other blend. In the cup, the liquor is a brilliant, rich golden orange. The aroma of bergamot initially dominates the nose, but is soon balanced by subtle scents of toast and malt. In the mouth, the tea provides a heavy dose of bergamot that is mellowed at mid-palate by notes of toast, honey, and malt. The finish is again heavy on the bergamot, imparting an almost grapefruit or lemon rind flavor and texture in the mouth before the toast and malt notes swell late on the fade.
All in all, I really like this Earl Grey, but then again, I also like Simpson & Vail’s standard Earl Grey, and well, Earl Grey in general. I understand that a significant number of people may or may not share my taste for this and similar blends. That does not bother me in the slightest. For those of you who may enjoy Earl Greys, or who may otherwise just enjoy tart, fruity blends, I think this one may hit the spot.
Flavors: Bergamot, Honey, Lemon, Malt, Toast
