78

After trying the triple bergamot version two mornings ago and the double bergamot version yesterday, I decided to try the plain old single version today.

But first, I lined up the sample packets and sniffed the dry mix from triple to single. They weren’t kidding. The triple is extremely strong smelling on the citrus/perfume, the single is very gently scented and the double is in between, just as it should be.

In fact, after steeping, the aroma of the bergamot is quite gentle. The tea base comes through more than in the other two versions, and it is sweet and malty. I wonder whether the base is different for this one or it is just the interaction of the stronger bergamot with the same base, but this one tastes much more like it has some Yunnan in the base. The liquor color is beautiful—a sort of a reddish brandy.

The gentler bergamot and sweeter base combine to make this, not surprisingly, my favorite of the three. The metallic note I detected in the others is only barely present here, and the bite is almost nonexistent making this a smoother flavor to my tastebuds.

It’s a very nice tea, and it’s certainly something I would drink again, but I have to make some hard choices about pantry space and there are others that hit my sweet spot better.

Preparation
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec
keychange

I find the names of these teas interesting. doesn’t earl grey blend mean it already has bergamot? Or do they mean earl grey tea with even more bergamot? and then triple strong would really be four times stronger? I wonder if they jus thave an earl grey blend sans bergamot…

__Morgana__

You would think so, but I think they just use “with bergamot” to distinguish it from “with bergamot x 2” and “with bergamot x 3.” I’m pretty sure I bought samples of all the Earl Greys they had at the time.

keychange

Haha you’re probably right.

Kirkoneill1988

i love earl grey from HYLEYS. what is bergamot

__Morgana__

Bergamot is the citrus that provides the distinctive aroma and flavor of Earl Grey.

Kirkoneill1988

oh! ok :D ive never tried the brand u tried of earl grey. only hyleys

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Comments

keychange

I find the names of these teas interesting. doesn’t earl grey blend mean it already has bergamot? Or do they mean earl grey tea with even more bergamot? and then triple strong would really be four times stronger? I wonder if they jus thave an earl grey blend sans bergamot…

__Morgana__

You would think so, but I think they just use “with bergamot” to distinguish it from “with bergamot x 2” and “with bergamot x 3.” I’m pretty sure I bought samples of all the Earl Greys they had at the time.

keychange

Haha you’re probably right.

Kirkoneill1988

i love earl grey from HYLEYS. what is bergamot

__Morgana__

Bergamot is the citrus that provides the distinctive aroma and flavor of Earl Grey.

Kirkoneill1988

oh! ok :D ive never tried the brand u tried of earl grey. only hyleys

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Bio

I got obsessed with tea in 2010 for a while, then other things intruded, then I cycled back to it. I seem to be continuing that in for a while, out for a while cycle. I have a short attention span, but no shortage of tea.

I’m a mom, writer, gamer, lawyer, reader, runner, traveler, and enjoyer of life, literature, art, music, thought and kindness, in no particular order. I write fantasy and science fiction under the name J. J. Roth.

Personal biases: I drink tea without additives. If a tea needs milk or sugar to improve its flavor, its unlikely I’ll rate it high. The exception is chai, which I drink with milk/sugar or substitute. Rooibos and honeybush were my gateway drugs, but as my tastes developed they became less appealing — I still enjoy nicely done blends. I do not mix well with tulsi or yerba mate, and savory teas are more often a miss than a hit with me. I used to hate hibiscus, but I’ve turned that corner. Licorice, not so much.

Since I find others’ rating legends helpful, I added my own. But I don’t really find myself hating most things I try.

I try to rate teas in relation to others of the same type, for example, Earl Greys against other Earl Greys. But if a tea rates very high with me, it’s a stand out against all other teas I’ve tried.

95-100 A once in a lifetime experience; the best there is

90-94 Excellent; first rate; top notch; really terrific; will definitely buy more

80-89 Very good; will likely buy more

70-79 Good; would enjoy again, might buy again

60-69 Okay; wouldn’t pass up if offered, but likely won’t buy again

Below 60 Meh, so-so, iffy, or ick. The lower the number, the closer to ick.

I don’t swap. It’s nothing personal, it’s just that I have way more tea than any one person needs and am not lacking for new things to try. Also, I have way too much going on already in daily life and the additional commitment to get packages to people adds to my already high stress level. (Maybe it shouldn’t, but it does.)

That said, I enjoy reading folks’ notes, talking about what I drink, and getting to “know” people virtually here on Steepster so I can get ideas of other things I might want to try if I can ever again justify buying more tea. I also like keeping track of what I drink and what I thought about it.

My current process for tea note generation is described in my note on this tea: https://steepster.com/teas/mariage-freres/6990-the-des-impressionnistes

Location

Bay Area, California

Website

http://www.jjroth.net

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