Well, time for yet another Earl Grey!
This time, it’s the English Tea Store’s “Earl Grey Cream”. It’s important to note that this is the loose leaf, non-organic blend. Apparently there are three different types of Earl Grey Cream that ETS sells, and this is the one I have.
Examination of the loose leave I see plenty of those lovely blue strands I love so much. You can smell the bergamot, but that’s about it.
I brewed this western (of course) for the first steep of 2:30. I can’t give exact measurements because currently, my tea-spoon is missing, so I’ve been trying to eyeball it. (I tend not to use the scale for smaller leaf teas, it gets everywhere, including INSIDE the scale!) Also, one of these days I’m going to invest in a water thermometer and temp test my Keurig, but that day isn’t today. So, for a ballpark estimate, say 2:30/205F/2tsp/16oz.
Taste unaltered is nice enough. You get a lovely bit of zesty citrus, accompanied by the usual floral note, but it seems balanced. Surprisingly, I can’t taste any cream flavor specifically. I’m searching for it, but the only difference between this and my usual earl greys is that the bergamot isn’t as bitey. Let’s add a Splenda.
Ok, so adding a Splenda, and I can almost taste the cream. It’s very subtle. Mostly, the creaminess just serves to temper most of the bite from the bergamot. It makes for a lovely mellow cup. It isn’t the most mellow I’ve had yet, and certainly not the creamiest, but it’s really decent. Actually, considering some of the ones I’ve tried lately, I’d even call it a touch above decent. It’s good, but not great. Somewhere in the range of a B-Minus. It’s easily a passing grade, but it’s only a tick or two above average. It’s somewhat disappointing considering how awesome the Lavender Earl Grey was. That one was a home run for me, while this one is more like a double. But, I am determined to try as many of these Earl Grey teas as I can get my hands on, so this is just another one for the list.
Bottom line: It’s good, but not great. It’s a solid Earl Grey, but somewhat lacking for an Earl Grey Cream. If you’re looking for that quintessential EGC, look elsewhere. This one is only slightly above average; no Holy Grail here. Sorry.
Flavors: Bergamot, Floral