I think this may be one of those teas where I just got an unusual sampling from the batch, or my tastebuds are going haywire today. Usually my tasting notes fall into line with some/most others, but not this time.

My first smell of the dry tea was an abundance of bergamot. It was so strong, it was almost overwhelmingly floral/medicinal. This will probably lessen over time, as the volatile compounds leave the opened bag. But it was so strong this time, it was almost enough to put me off the tea.

After steeping, a lot of the smell remained, but it was not as overwhelming. I did not pick up any cream, coconut, or anything else much other than the bergamot. It may have been there, but just not able to sneak past the overwhelming bergamot.

Please note that as of this tasting, I have not tried many Earl Grey cremes. I would expect that after tasting some others, my palate would be somewhat better defined, and perhaps better able to pick up on the more subtle notes. The black tea base did seem pretty nice.

Update, after second steeping: This has at least turned out to be a very good Earl Grey, especially if I let it air out a little before steeping :) I still do not pick up on any “Cream” aspects in the second brew, which I was hoping would happen when some of the bergamot gone. But it is still a nice tea.

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Still consider myself a novice tea drinker. Started with Teavana teas about 10 years ago (back when they only had a few stores, still prioritized a knowledgeable staff & better quality tea over high-pressured sales). Definitely looking forward to moving onward & upward from there! So happy to have found a web site with good information!

I prefer strong teas, with a lot of flavor/body, over the more delicate ones. I usually drink tea sweetened.

Since I consider taste (likes/dislikes) to be extremely subjective, I do not usually score teas. And below are a few words about my preferences, so if anyone happens to be reading a tasting note, they can see how my likes/dislikes may align with theirs:
-Prefer black over green teas.
-Prefer flavored teas over unflavored.
-Prefer fruit flavors over floral.
-I can appreciate a spicy flavor profile
-But I not like pepper in tea, so do not like most chais.
-I do like the mildness of white teas, but not so much the “vegetal” taste. I do not like my tea to taste like I just mowed the lawn.

I am very interested in the scientific, historical, and business sides of the world of tea as well. If anyone has any sources of information on these topics, I would be very grateful to be pointed in the right direction. I am a plant scientist by trade (including a very small amount of work involving tea).

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