Advent 20.
The sachet smells mostly like ruby red grapefruit with bergamot underneath.
Light and refreshing. Smooth, woody and gently mineral-astringent base tea (only Ceylon?) supports well the mildly peppery bergamot, which is evident first, and lime, which shows up more in the aftertaste as floral key lime pie filling. I noticed the bottom of the cup smells like brown sugar and lime.
Second steep has what seems to me like the typical DF flavored black tea mouthfeel: thick and glassy, soft, almost juicy. The bergamot is stronger and akin to grapefruit rind, while the lime seems to have disappeared. My tongue is tingling from the bergamot rind. I like the lighter base tea; heavier blacks often used in Earl Grey tend to upset my stomach.
Maybe a little boring but still well composed. If you like milder Earl Grey and love lime, I’d recommend this. I doubt this would take milk well. Though I don’t add sweeteners to tea, I could see some honey doing wonderful things for this brew.
Flavors: Astringent, Bergamot, Black Pepper, Citrusy, Grapefruit, Lime, Mineral, Smooth, Tangy, Thick, Wood
My appreciation zone for bergamot is about three centimeters wide. This sounds like it would hit it right down the middle!