This is for the February sipdown prompt, “Drink a grapefruit tea.” I’m not a huge fan of grapefruit in general, but over the years have found myself opening up to grapefruit flavoring in teas. I even have one, “Happiness” from Lupicia… but that was from my 2021 birthday order last year and still in sealed foil, and my own sipdown goals aren’t about opening up “new” tea I’m trying to preserve as long as possible, but rather focused on the oldest teas in my stash. I do tend to find the citrusy taste of bergamot sometimes tastes like grapefruit to me (other times it tastes more like a combination of lemon/lime, depending on the bergamot used). Going through my old tea notes, I found the bergamot used by Twinings, Stash, and T2 to have that “grapefruit” note to me, but the only one out of all of those still left in my stash is Twinings Earl Grey Lavender (which is one of the only Twinings EG’s not available in my area, and I had to pay way too much for a box of bagged tea to buy that variety from an online shop. Bah!)
It’s very pleasant. The bergamot is a nice strength for me… it’s bold but not BOLD! (I see from an old review that past-me thought the bergamot was a bit too strong, so obviously my tolerance has steadily increased over the years… it’s hard for me to believe there was once a time I couldn’t stand it at all!) The bergamot itself does taste a bit grapefruity at the beginning of the sip, but leans into a more lemony finish. The lavender is present but quite mellow in this blend… I can make out its distinct florality, and it blends nicely with the lemony qualities of the bergamot. I’d actually be happier with even stronger lavender (because I’m a lavender fiend), but I think this subtle touch is just right for the majority of tea drinkers. The base is malty and smooth, with a lingering citrus aftertaste that is slightly drying but not enough to feel problematic.
Could do a lot worse than this for a simple grocery store lavender Earl Grey. Raising the rating slightly.
Flavors: Bergamot, Citrus, Floral, Grapefruit, Lavender, Lemon, Malt, Smooth
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I prefer my EGs with extra ingredients to take my mind off the bergamot. This sounds like it would qualify!
In the early years of my tea journey, I didn’t like bergamot at all. The tea that became the “stepping stone” for me to start acclimating myself to it was T2’s “French Earl Grey” which has added peach flavoring and rose petals. That combo tasted like lychee to me… lychee with a bit of a sharp citrus. I stuck with blends for a while until I finally started to drink EG plain and straight-up. I still don’t like the “double bergamot” or “extra strong” varieties, though, unless I’m using them in a London Fog or smoothie.
I prefer my EGs with extra ingredients to take my mind off the bergamot. This sounds like it would qualify!
In the early years of my tea journey, I didn’t like bergamot at all. The tea that became the “stepping stone” for me to start acclimating myself to it was T2’s “French Earl Grey” which has added peach flavoring and rose petals. That combo tasted like lychee to me… lychee with a bit of a sharp citrus. I stuck with blends for a while until I finally started to drink EG plain and straight-up. I still don’t like the “double bergamot” or “extra strong” varieties, though, unless I’m using them in a London Fog or smoothie.