Just Epic Earl Grey

I found this Earl Grey to be a little different than other earl greys I’ve had. This one is heavy on the bergamont, probably the most bergamonty earl I’ve drank.
The bergamont here also has more of an orange edge to it that I haven’t had in an earl grey before. All this made with oil – this tea has no frills such as blue cornflowers or citrus pieces.
Really nice Earl Grey if you love lots of bergamont!

Full review on my blog, The Oolong Owl http://oolongowl.com/just-organic-tea-oolong-owl-tea-review/

Sipdown (208/211)!

Slowly making my way back under 200 – but as soon as I get something in the mail, my dreams of accomplishing that any time soon will be squelched.

Thank you Just Organic tea for the samples! An EG sounded like a good way to start my morning today, so I picked out this one. Dry, it smells very strongly of Bergamot. I was also very happy to see that there’s no lavender in this blend. That’s an ingredient I don’t tend to be on good terms with.

Because I drastically oversteeped the first JOT sample I tried, I was very careful and diligent with my steeping of this one, and made sure to pull out the basket at precisely four minutes. Since I was sent samples specifically for reviewing, I feel very obligated to do a really good job. Steeped up, is smells like it could be a tad astringent, and has a very strong bergamot smell too.

Taste wise, I’m a very happy person. There actually isn’t any astringency which is awesome. The liquor has a thick, weighty mouthfeel to it and the black base is present (not completely masked by the bergamot) and tastes a little earthy and malty. The bergamot itself is somewhere balanced between weak and strong; for me, I’m finding it’s at a very nice middle ground. It’s also very rich and fresh tasting – and leaves an incredibly pleasant aftertaste in the mouth.

I am super impressed by this EG, and actually really sad this is a sipdown. I have lots of TARDIS and Cream of Earl Grey left, but once I’m out of both I would very seriously consider stocking this one above the other two.

Also, in other news I might have another roommate soon. My friend who was over yesterday is in a very awkward and inconvenient living situation right now (she’s in a one bedroom apartment living with her ex – and they’re actually sharing a bed right now because the place is too small for them not to). So Tre and I are very much considering the possibility of her coming and living with us.

It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch because there was originally going to be three people living here initially – and seeing as I sleep in the living room anyway, all I’d have to do is move my stuff from my bedroom and officially make the living room “my room” for her to have a place to stay. It’d help a lot with rent – and it’s not like she’s a ‘new’ friend. She’s from Tre’s graduating class, but was a very good friend to us both all throughout highschool.

So, I guess we’ll see what happens…

before the sip!

i have just received a bunch of samples from the very generous Just Organic Tea (thank you so much!) and the package is positively aromatic! wow!

since the sample included 5 different teas & organic sugar, i’m getting an array of sweet spices & fruits. it’s really quite a perfumista’s dream.

i’m almost tempted to mix all of them up into one steeping vessel for an ‘everything but the kitchen sink!’ sangria-like tea extravaganza. i think perhaps i’m going overboard here….but what a lovely smell.

anyway…the Earl Grey. bergamot indeed! the exhale is wonderful! i haven’t sat face-to-face with bergamot on very many occasions, whether in tea or in perfume, but this one here is quite nice. and i’m not even an Earl Grey drinker. perhaps this can change that!

the tea itself (a nice dark black base that smells brisk & robust) should stand up very nicely to the citrus-y bergamot oil with which it is infused. the inhale is a lively, eye-opening, somewhat bitter lemony-lime….but i do love citrus fruits on their own…especially in water or a nice pometini! i could almost swear there is some orange in the exhale and even a sweetness. (but that may have to do with the fact that this was included with an Orange Spice black tea sample and a Pumpkin Spice Chai…hence the thought of mixing everything together for an unforgettable kaleidoscopic experience involving all five taste sensations: sweet, sour, salty, bitter & umami… lol)..

definitely a perfumey tea….but i think any Earl Grey enthusiast will love this one. it smells pleasant even to my nose.

PS- no lavender in this Earl. just bergamot & a black tea base.

Sipdown! This smells nicely fruity and lighter than most EGs—in my case this is good, because some bases get way too strong for me. I prefer more bergamot and less black tea kick.

The taste is pretty standard for an EG. Not particularly offensive but I don’t love it. It is a little bitter for my taste but it’s not nearly as bad as some EGs I’ve tried. So far all of this company’s teas are solid, but this isn’t one I’d buy.

Captain’s Log, stardate 1417.5. Our destination is the past, the search is on for the origin and understanding of an archaic drink that warms the body and clears the mind. The first stop is Prime Minister Earl Grey’s office to look for evidence, legend says he is responsible in a roundabout way for this beverage, and since it wears his name it seems the best place to start. The Earl is out and all that was found was a mostly empty tea tin smelling faintly of citrus. Clearly I should take this back and have the Science Division analyse it, scientifically.

Taking the leaves to the Science Officer proved fruitless since he was out, so I asked the doctor to describe the aroma in detail (I took a shot of alien pheromones to the face and my nose is not as sharp) and here is his report. ’I am a Doctor not a Botanist, but I know the smell of citrus anywhere, it is potent and bright, smelling like a mixture of bergamot and lemon with a touch of sweetness. I can detect a hint of malt under the intensity of the citrus. Perhaps I should keep some of this to wake up the Captain next time he gets knocked unconscious.

Brewing the tea in the manner described in historical notes, I notice the aroma is more of a citrus melange, blending notes of orange, bergamot, and lemon. The aroma is mostly citrus and bright with a mild brisk black tea aroma at the end. The steeped liquid is lemony and bright, more balanced than the leaves. You can smell the malty and slightly sweet black tea along with balanced citrus tones. End report’

There is only one Captain who can accurately describe this prestigious tea, back into the time machine for a brief jaunt to the future to receive his report. ‘The taste is lemony and brisk, there is a bit of astrigency at first that fades to a boldness and then sweetness. This tea knows how to boldly go. I am pleased with this tea’s journey from astringent to sweet, though the citrus taste is much more lemon like than bergamot.’

For blog and photos: http://ramblingbutterflythoughts.blogspot.com/2014/02/just-organic-tea-earl-grey-tea-review.html

This was a nice refreshing taste on earl grey. It destine have as strong of a bergamot flavor as may be expected with something called “epic”, but it was flavorful nonetheless. The leaves gave a nice rich and citrus scent but I’ve noticed after the first 2 runs of leaves, it tends to lighten in color and disperse flavor quickly. A nice tea for some earl grey flavor, but nothing for those die-hard “Earl Grey-ers”. Not what i would call epic.

Backlog from a few days ago.

This is a really bergamot-heavy EG. It’s not the most bergamotty one I’ve ever had, but it’s up there. Glad I only got a small sample of this – I have enough left to make a quick sipdown.

Backlog:

The bergamot is a bit softer than I would like it to be for an Earl Grey. I do like this Earl Grey, though, but for me, an “Epic” Earl Grey would be one with a stronger bergamot note. This would be the ideal Earl Grey for those who like their bergamot to come on soft and smooth.

The bergamot does develop as I continue to sip, though and I enjoyed that. The black tea is robust and pleasant and doesn’t attempt to hide behind the citrus notes. Tangy, a little sweet, and enjoyable to sip.

Here’s my full-length review: http://sororiteasisters.com/2014/05/30/just-epic-earl-grey-from-just-organic-tea/

This was a middle of the road Earl Grey for me. The bergamot is there, but it’s not as strong as some other people have mentioned. The base tea is also fairly weak which isn’t something I look for in an Earl Grey. It was definitely decent and easy enough to drink, but unfortunately it’s also rather forgettable.

September Sipdowns: 4

Thank you again for the samples, Just Organic Teas! I wanted to try the Earl Grey but maybe I didn’t try it soon enough sitting with the others samples, because there doesn’t seem to be that much bergamot with this one. This is the base that tastes like pumpkin to me, I’m not sure which base that is. Maybe it’s the oothu… I haven’t tried it yet. But it definitely isn’t the assam that tastes like tomato to me. The base is always good, but again, not enough bergamot for me! When I want my bergamot, I want my BERGAMOT. The second steep was the same as the first. Not the EG I’d choose to buy. But maybe it’s just the thin baggie it was in made the bergamot disappear over the last few weeks?
Steep #1 // 10 min after boiling // 3 min
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min