So, I cleaned out a couple of my tea cabinets over the weekend and I made a pile of samples that I had either purchased or received free with various orders over the last 5-6 months. Yeah, I worked on finally cleaning out the hoard. Right now, I’m trying to work through 3-4 samples a day. I worked through two this morning prior to going to work. This was the second of the two and the one I liked best.
To prepare this tea, I steeped approximately 1 teaspoon of tea leaves in 8 ounces of 212 F water for 5 minutes. I did not attempt additional infusions. Again, I normally do not do so with flavored, small leaf, and/or non-Chinese black teas unless specifically recommended by the vendor or I just get curious and want to experiment a bit.
The infused liquor showed a dark amber in the cup. The nose was heavy on the bergamot, though I could also pick up traces of caramel, toast, and malt. In the mouth, the tea veered between delicate notes of cream, malt, honey, toast, caramel, and cocoa and heavy, tart notes of bergamot. The finish really emphasized the bergamot flavor.
In the end, all I can say about this tea is that this one is specifically intended for fans of Earl Grey. If you don’t at least kind of appreciate the Earl, then I highly doubt you will like this tea. It isn’t particularly deep or complex or refined. It is brash and forceful, offering a bergamot presence that one will likely love or loathe. Personally, I love Earl Grey. Harney & Sons tend to do this type of tea justice, and I feel that this is probably one of their best and most consistent takes on the style. I especially appreciate how this tea allows the bergamot to come through loud and clear. If you, like me, are an extreme Earl Grey lover, check this one out when you get the chance.Flavors: Bergamot, Caramel, Cocoa, Cream, Honey, Malt, Tart, Toast
