Usually you can tell in the flavor when a black tea is decaf, but not with the decaf teas from S&V. I love being able to drink a black tea at night when I’m craving one. I know that a black tea isn’t entirely empty of caffeine but there is certainly much less than a typical black tea. I wouldn’t be able to tell this is decaf and the black tea itself is actually quite strong in flavor. Definitely not weak and odd flavored like some decaf teas can be. I love the idea of a flowery Earl Grey. This one is lighter on the bergamot, or possibly the lavender takes over and drowns out the bergamot. I see plenty of lavender and roses in the blend but the rose is harder to distinguish. I would have liked all three elements to be more balanced in this blend (maybe by not including as much as the lavender?), but otherwise this is a great decaf.
Sipdowns 1/15: Andrews & Dunham – Yunnan Gold Tips None 1/16 and 1/17 Bluebird’s Lemon Sherbert
I agree. I like the overall floral nature of this blend even though a bit more balance would be perfect.