I have not been drinking much Earl Grey lately, instead choosing to spend my time finishing up some of the oolongs and straight black teas that have piled up over the course of the last two years. When I received a sample pouch of this one, however, I just had to break stride and spend a morning with it. I associate Earl Grey blends with comfort, as they are the sorts of blends that I have been consuming as either breakfast or afternoon teas off and on for years. This one was very nice, the sort of blend I could and would turn to in just about any circumstance that called for an Earl Grey.
I prepared this tea in the Western fashion. I steeped 3 grams of loose leaf material in approximately 8 ounces of 203 F water for 5 minutes. No additional infusions were conducted.
Prior to infusion, the dry leaf material emitted a heady aroma of bergamot. After infusion, the bergamot scent was still there, but was restrained by emerging scents of honey, orange, wood, and malt. In the mouth, I found a heavy, yet rather pleasant bergamot presence on the entry that quickly mellowed to reveal notes of wood, malt, brown toast, honey, and orange. The finish was still rather citrusy, but it was also malty. At times, I could pick up a faint hint of honey lingering in the background.
Neither a deep nor complex blend by any means, this was still about as drinkable and pleasant as Earl Grey gets. The aromas and flavors on display were nice and worked well together and the body was neither super slick nor soapy. If you are not entirely sold on Earl Grey, this may not offend you terribly, though it may be a bit much at first. If you are an Earl Grey fan, however, this blend will probably delight you.
Flavors: Bergamot, Brown Toast, Honey, Malt, Orange, Wood
