This is not a traditional Earl Grey, but it is quite good.
The color is a deep dark amber, and smells of bergamot and good tobacco leaves.
The flavor is deep and rich. It starts strong with notes of chocolate, smoke, and tobacco. There’s no flowery taste, which I like. It’s a pretty darn good tea. Is it the best Earl Grey in the world, as boasted by the company? I wouldn’t go that far, but it is good.
General: A crafty geek girl who has a love for tea, cats, writing, books, as well as learning a multitude of post-apocalyptic skills…just in case.
Tea: I’ve been drinking tea all my life. My grandfather was half-Chinese, but I was always too lazy to brew anything other than Western style. In the past 5 years I’ve been changing that; trying to develop my tea-tasting chops and still a lot to learn! I prefer oolongs, blacks, and greens (in that order), and I’m trying to expand my knowledge of tea from all over the world (and not just China & Japan). I do tend to stay away from herbal tisanes or overly flavored teas as I find them much too sweet and overpowering.
My ratings explained.
90-100: Exceptional tea. The tea I want with me on that desert island. It is the tea I’ll take time to relish and enjoy.
80-89: Very Good Tea. It fits my flavor profile and I enjoy drinking it.
70-79: Good. I like it, but might not be one I reach for on a regular basis..
60-69: Solid. Better than average, and something I’ll grab when I need to “run-out-the-door” and can’t take time to really appreciate the tea I’m drinking.
50-59: Decent/Average. Not my preferred flavor profile or something I won’t purposefully go out to buy. It might lack that “Something” in its aroma/flavor/mouthfeel/finish.
40-49: Below average. I don’t really care for this tea and likely won’t have it again.
39 and lower: Gross. Didn’t finish it or refused to drink anymore.
San Francisco Bay Area
