2 Tasting Notes
I like Earl Grey, and I’ve been trying a lot of the Earl Grey varieties from Upton Tea Imports. I find a lot of them are too strongly flavored for my taste – I like a subtler flavoring where I can still taste the tea. I didn’t particularly like their Lavender and Blue Flower Earl Greys, and I will likely stay away from the Extra Bergamot. So far, of the ones I’ve sampled, I like this one the best. You can tell the Bergamot and Vanilla are there, but just barely. I noticed that some tasters prefer a strong flavored Earl Grey, but if you like subtle, this one’s for you. If you prefer a stronger vanilla, check out their Earl Grey Creme Vanilla.
Preparation
I recently switched from coffee to tea, and have been exploring the world of loose leaf tea, trying a lot of different kinds. I’ve ordered a lot of samples from Upton Tea, and made a trip to Chinatown to pick up a few teas at Wing Hop Fung, which is one of the larger tea retailers in Los Angeles.
This was my first Lapsang, so I don’t have much yet to compare it too. It was the only Lapsang I saw at Wing Hop Fung, I suspect they don’t sell a lot of it, as compared to the oolongs and green teas. It’s very smoky, but I like it. I’ve been adding a pinch of it to other black teas (assams and darjeeling) and I find I like the slight smokiness it adds when used this way.
