drank Earl Grey by Nina's Paris
3225 tasting notes

This is a sample provided by “Nina’s Tea” for review.

I had encouraged a friend of mine to order some samples from Nina’s back when the first offer went out. She did, and she ended placing an order of her own, and this is what she wanted most. She and her daughter love Earl Grey and they couldn’t wait to try Nina’s version. And the when I was at her house last week I forgot to ask if we could try it! Argh! So I was happy to see it in my Nina’s samples that Laurent chose for me.

I steeped this not knowing anything about it but that it was Earl Grey, so….tea plus bergamot. I liked the aroma right away. This isn’t the kind of EG that assaults my nostrils and makes my nose burn. The bergamot is very present but it is a nice moderate level that doesn’t kick you in the face.

I was most happy about the tea base, though. The color deepened quickly on steeping, and the tea smelled smooth – not too strong, not astringent, but not disappearing under the bergamot, either. And it tastes great. When I looked up the tea I saw that the base is Keemun, a favorite of mine. No wonder I like it! This is not a strong, smokey Keemun whose roasty and chocolate notes scrape your tongue. (I like that in a plain or chocolate Keemun, by the way.) This Keemun carries the bergamot but then you are left with an aftertaste of just tea, and then little whiffs of light bergamot come back.

I have given away a lot of Earl Grey tea that I just couldn’t stomach because of poor base tea or bitter flavoring. This is one that I would be glad to keep on hand just in case Captain Picard ever drops in….

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I am a music teacher, tutor, and former homeschool mom (25 years!) who started drinking loose leaf tea about fourteen years ago! My daughters and I have tea every day, and we are frequently joined by my students or friends for “tea time.” Now my hubby joins us, too. His tastes have evolved from Tetley with milk and sugar to mostly unadorned greens and oolongs.

We have learned so much history, geography, and culture in this journey.

My avatar is a mole in a teacup! Long story…

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