I was always disappointed with the handful of Fortnum & Mason teas I had tried in the past, but I really enjoy this tea. It was actually given to me as a birthday present by my parents who were unaware that it was a green tea. The scent of the bergamot is strong, but not overwhelming and the taste is sharp and slightly bitter as nature intended rather than the dull, flat taste in Twinings Earl Grey.
The individual leaves are long and beautifully green, and it brews a nice clear and emerald liquor. Personally, I enjoy the bitterness of the bergamot but two people who tried a mouthful of the tea found it completely unpalatable. In fairness, neither of them like Earl Grey tea particularly and I imagine anyone who is familiar with Twinings tea or similar would take a while to get a taste for this tea (myself included).
The only downside is the packaging. F&M use to make really nice printed tins but now they just used printed stickers with different coloured tins for different types of tea (black, fruit, green, etc.). Nevertheless, it’s a good solid tin that will stand up to a fair bit of rough treatment. I am reviewing the tea only and haven’t deducted any points because of packaging.
In brief, the best F&M tea I have tried.
