Classic Earl Grey

It is nice to be tasting this tea now – last time I tried it, I was coming down with the cold that I had a week and a half or so ago, now that I’m well over that, it is nice to actually taste this tea and all its flavor!

The bergamot is crisp and delicious here! The scent is strong, just like I want it to be – and the flavor is strong too. Here there is a nice balance between tea and bergamot. The bergamot is flavorful but doesn’t overwhelm the black tea blend. The black tea is strong and bright in flavor.

An excellent Earl Grey!

Sample from my Butiki order.
Dry leaves smell very nice, not picking up a lot of Bergamot.
Tea smells of a very good quality black, small amount of Bergamot/Citrus shining through.
Lovely dark red in color.
I can taste the citrus, the black tea and the bergamot!
Very nice tea.
If you enjoy a Earl Grey with a lower amount of bergamot I would say this is for you.

This is indeed a classic EG. Everything you’d want out of an Earl. Good tea base, good level of bergamot.

First off, I apologize if anybody’s been getting double likes from me on their posts? I don’t even know if Steepster does that, but… I go through and “like” every post I read, but when I do it on my phone, it doesn’t show me as having liked the post when I’m back on my laptop. So if it appears I’m being extra, extra enthusiastic about your tasting note, I’m not trying to be a creeper, technology is just silly!

Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.

Mmm. This truly is a Classic Earl Grey. The bergamot flavor is very assertive without being overpowering or chemical. It’s a very robust morning cup. Maybe I’m being influenced by the name, but to me EG’s always taste like a brisk, gray morning with mist hanging from last night’s rain. Even though it’s not pumpkin-y or any of those traditional “fall” flavors, somehow it tastes like the cold, light-gray part of fall that I secretly kind of love.

Still think the EG cream is my favorite, but I’m glad to have tried a high-quality straight-up Earl. It’s certainly made me have a higher appreciation for bergamot.

Thanks again to Nicole for the sample!

SIPDOWN

A bit on the lighter EG side today but still a winner! Thumbs up!

Another free sample from Butiki!

The dry tea smells very mildly of sweet bergamot. Brewed the tea is lightly scented bergamot but there is also a sweet scent to the tea. The brewed tea taste like a medium boldness black tea with light bergamot flavouring. The black tea base is not too strong and it blends well with the bergamot. The bergamot tastes sweet. There is almost a sweet candied orange taste to the tea. The sweetness is not overpowering though, and fits just right with the tea blend.

I would describe this as a traditional Earl Grey, the bergamot is just right. This is a good one for anyone that doesn’t like their bergamot too strong.

Sample package label: “Classic Earl Grey, Temp 195*F; Time 2min”

Per http://www.butikiteas.com/Black.html: “Recommended Amount: 2 teaspoons of tea for 8oz of water”

Technique:
8-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 26 ppm, heated to 212*F and allowed to cool to 195*F – verified with DAVIDsTEA digital thermometer.

2 Tevanna teaspoons, without sweeteners, milk or cream.

Introduction: Most Earl Grey teas are light- to medium-bodied. While my wife loves the aroma and flavor of a well-balanced EG, she typically does not find them to be strong enough. To compensate, she will increase the amount of tea leaves and/or the brewing time. However, you can only increase those two parameters so much.

Fragrance: This black tea has a fresh classic Earl Grey fragrance without any hint of artificial additives – the genuine article!

Dry leaf – Dark brown leaves

Infused Leaf – red / brown hue

Impression: This is an elegant smooth, well-balanced Classic Earl Grey with a fresh subtle pleasing lemon aroma The harmonious blended tea base of Chinese, Indian, and Sri Lankan teas was well chosen. There was no hint of tartness, bitterness or astringency.

My wife enjoyed this tea but didn’t find it to be “The EG” she’s been seeking. She prefers a ROBUST version of Stacy’s very well balanced Classic EG. A full-bodied stimulating breakfast tea base with an equally strong EG aroma and flavor. An EG that will make you “Sit Up and Take Notice.” An EG on STEROIDS!

Butiki EG NEWS: Per Stacy, “We are working on a premium version that will replace this version but that won’t be ready for a month or two.” Given Stacy’s track record in providing high quality hand-blended teas, we can’t wait!

Thanks to Stacy for providing this free sample.

I am surprised reading some of these other reviews. When I opened the bag, I immediately smelled a very strong Bergamot smell. (Bergamot is that orangey-citrus smell/taste, right?)

I just sipped the tea, and again, I am getting A LOT of Bergamot. It is almost overpowering, but I was in the mood for a lighter black tea this morning, and I am enjoying the citrus note.

Overall, this is good. Definitely more citrusy than some of the other Earl Grey’s I have had.

I feel guilty. I got this as a sample in my Butiki order a month ago, and I’m only just drinking it now. In fact, I don’t think I wrote any tasting notes from that order at all yet. I had a bit of a mix of my tea drinking slowing down a bit (for a while there I was only having one or two cups a day) and being on the laptop less and less lately, so my tasting notes suffered.

Anyway, this is quite a nice Earl Grey. It’s very potent. 195 degrees and 2 minutes seemed very little for a black tea, but I suspect this could get bitter in a real hurry if it was hotter and steeped longer. At the recommended parameters though, it’s perfect! :) The blend of teas is quite good, and this seems really sweet. It’s a lot like drinking a ‘cream’ or ‘vanilla’ earl grey, which is a good thing as I generally prefer vanilla-y earl greys over standard ones.

Anyway, this Earl Grey is definitely one of the best I’ve had. There’s something unique about this earl grey, but I can’t quite put my finger on what exactly sets this one apart from others. I recommend this to earl grey drinkers, and I also recommend it for someone looking to give earl grey a first try. There are thousands of earl greys out there, and this is definitely one worth trying. :) It’s apparently hitting the spot, as I’m finding myself constantly pausing in this note to take another big gulp!

First, thanks to Butiki Teas for sending me a free sample of this to review! I woke up this morning with zero energy (it might have been the wet, sleety snow outside—blech!), so I decided I’d try this tea for a wake up boost. I followed the brewing instructions exactly, though a two minute brew time is quick! The liquor turned out a medium-tint reddish brown, and the aroma is that of the nice black tea base with an overlayer of bergamot. The flavor is nice and balanced between the bergamot and the black tea. To me this bergamot is a little more floral than fruity, but as it cools more citrus notes come out. There’s a bit of maltiness, and a slight astringency. I can see why the steep time is lower, because it seems like this tea might edge toward bitterness if steeped too long or at boiling. Overall this is a nicely blended Earl Grey with a strong black tea base.