Lady Grey

A light flavored Earl Grey with more citrus than the regular Earl Grey. I also got a touch of smoke with this batch. Smooth, High Quality tea. I got this batch in tea bags, although it is availble in loose leaf. I don’t detect a difference in quality between the bags and the loose leaf, although I have a preference for loose leaf..

[edit]: smoke wasn’t from the tea as it turns out. There is no smoke component to LEG.

Lady Grey is the one tea I will always be in the mood for. The bergamot in this one isn’t too strong, and is wonderfully complemented by the lemon and orange flavours. I’m seeing a few comparisons to the smell of fruit loops, but to me it’s more like… plucking a leaf from a lemon balm plant, rolling and crushing it between your fingers, and bringing it up to your lips to smell. That’s exactly what it’s like. Other than that, there isn’t a whole lot I can say that hasn’t been said before… it’s a lovely tea!

Rather enjoy this Grey, never been much of a fan of the Grey family, but this has a very distinct flavor.

Drinking with some Silk soy milk, trying to decide if I like the citrus in it or not

The smell of this tea reminds me of the lemony aspects of patchouli or of lemon mixed with a drop of juniper essential oil. The tea underneath is sweet but its flavour is mostly hidden by the fruity flavour above. It tastes of lemon and orange dried fruit with a touch of rind over a spicy bergamot. The tea base is lightly astringent with a touch of bitterness. there is a faint touch of something soft and floral. The tea is quite light in body. pleasant in the afternoon but not a must have for me.

Backlogging…
After brewing it seems like this tastes somewhat different then what I remembered a few years ago (that was loose leaf then). I was getting an overwhelming amount of citrus…kinda like lemon. I like the smell better then the taste. The lemon taste kinda seems artificial too me…like a cleaning type of lemon smell:( I’ll have to try it again in the future. Maybe I’m just picky with tea now that I’m trying everything? I would definitely recommend loose leaf style then bagged because it tasted so much better…although it has been a couple years…maybe they’ve changed something? shrugs

Given it a second chance: Water off the boil, steeped for 4:15, touch of splenda and dash of milk… better. But I’m not in love..yet. I think this tea’s true companion is a slice of orange or lemon, as Twinings suggest. It may make a better iced tea and I’ll definitely try it again come the summer time in this fashion. It it a light Earl Grey and its lightness is probably why I’m not overly keen. I find the bitterness more pronounced than with The Earl Grey and the citrus subtles (but then, I have taken it with milk). I think my palate prefers stronger teas. Glad I didn’t write it off. But as I say, I’m not in love.
Will try it loose too, to see if that changes anything…

Nice tea with cornflowers and other citrusy spices. Very pleasant. Even my wife, who does not like most teas or other hot beverages, likes this one (with a bit of sugar and milk). It doesn’t have the astringent taste the Earl Grey has, and it is pleasant and mild. Although frankly, I prefer the English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast teas sold by Twinings. My local store has this along with English, Irish, and Earl Grey all available in the metal tins, which is nice. I’ve also had this in the variety pack. Frankly, I prefer it loose, because it just looks nicer and you can see the blue flowers in the mix. Seems to need to steep just a little longer than the breakfast teas do, in order to have the strength be comparable.

To say this tea isn’t amazing is…..I can’t think of it. I love this tea, for so many reasons!

Reason number one: It is, indeed, a black tea, but it isn’t strong, and it has a very light orange flavor that is still strong enough to be tasted.

Reason number two: It takes to sugar well. I’ve been able to put lots of sugar in without overpowering it. That being said, it doesn’t need too much either. You’ll always find that happy medium.

Reason number three: It has a very light orange tint in color, and you can smell the orange. I always judge teas first by eyes and nose. :-)

Lastly: IT IS JUST SO GOOD AT ANY TIME!! It’s just so yummy!

Note: I have steeped it anywhere between 3 to even 5 or 6 minutes. It depends on your tastes. I usually settle for a lower steeping time as it seems to do best.

Lady Grey is my default breakfast tea. I almost always take my tea black, but especially can’t stand milk or sugar in the mornings. This pleasant, comforting tea is sweet, but strong enough to wake me up and make me feel better from the first waft of the aroma to the last sip. It has a gently refreshing edge to it that the Earl Greys don’t have, and though I am a fan of Earls, they’re not something I want on a daily basis.

Most notes mention strong citrus, but I can smell the citrus more than I can taste it. The orange peel comes out more in the dry scent, while the aftertaste is lemony. I do wonder if the muted citrus has to do with my loose-leaf tin, since it was a rescue from the back of someone else’s cabinet and by now is several years expired. It still tastes fine, though, if not quite as vivacious as reputed.

Total brews per tsp: 3 total at m3-6-12. Additions: none.