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“I had this one this morning while running to get prepared to go to work.I’m trying to have it quite often to finish my tin because I rebought my dear Earl Grey French Blue which is my favourite...” Read full tasting note
“I just got a very nice surprise with this tea – expectations are funny things! Ysaurella had kindly sent me a sample, and just last night she had reviewed it, and led me to expect more lavender....” Read full tasting note
“This was one of my birthday teas from youngest. She loves Earl Grey so I thought this would be a big hit with her, but she strongly preferred the sample of Earl Grey Royal they sent. The bergamot...” Read full tasting note
Flavoured black tea with major notes of bergamot and lavender.
To revisit an Earl Grey, such a mythical tea of an English phlegm, requests a complete know-how when giving its flavours and to make it in “the French way” is a wonderful adventure. I chose the most ancient Italian bergamot, the “Old England”; this bergamot being harvested following ancestrals customs is rather costly but unveils an unprecedented fragrance. Here I am, diving in the mysterious and sensual lavender flowers.
Ideal infusion time: 3~5 mn.
Water temperature: 85°
Mademoiselle Grey
SerendipiTeaI had this one this morning while running to get prepared to go to work.I’m trying to have it quite often to finish my tin because I rebought my dear Earl Grey French Blue which is my favourite EG.
I have the same opinion even if I steep it with a lower temperature and not too long : this is a great tea (so wonderful quality and perfectly blended)but probably not for me, too heavy on lavender and lavender is not my favourite flower. This is just absolutely not soapy it’s just too much lavender for my taste, I would have preferred a lighter one.
But I cannot be unfair with Theodor,this is the same with writers, they decide to take an angle of observation or a kind of narration and that’s IT, this is their beginning point, this is their work, their masterpiece and we just need to respect that.
Mademoiselle is clearly a fantastic tea I highly respect, I appreciate to drink but I probably won’t rebuy it.
I just got a very nice surprise with this tea – expectations are funny things! Ysaurella had kindly sent me a sample, and just last night she had reviewed it, and led me to expect more lavender. She in fact compares it to another lavender tea I also had, Gryphon´s Earl Grey Lavender (a very kind sample as well, this time from LaFleurBleue). And for once Ysaurella and I have diverging opinions – I prefer Mademoiselle and find it less lavender-ish.
I confess I might have mistreated this when brewing, and did not pay too much attention to how long it steeped. I think it might have steeped too long or too hot, it has a small hint of astringency but one which seems to bring out the bergamot. I get the lavender only as a background soothing things. The bergamot is a great bergamot and the base tea just right. Love it, it might be the one lavender earl grey for me.
PS – maybe it is water alchemy? I notice bergamot teas seem to react so differently to different tap waters! Though with my tap water usually it´s violent rebellion not improving alchemy.
I am happy you loved it ! I brewed mine at 90° and 3 minutes only and I get a hint of astringency too, I think it is the tea base.
but yes to me too much lavender even if I appreciate the blend it suffers the comparison with the gryphon one for my palate :)
It is very funny because to me this is less lavender than the gryphon – but I really am convinced bergamot is a tricky thing and reacts very differently to different waters (maybe the bleach?). I still got one Gryphon tea bag, I shall compare when I use it. Maybe try Gryphon with bottled water, surely it deserves that!
next time I’ll send you a sample of Pouchkine from Betjeman & Barton, it is my favourite bergamot tea along with Earl Grey French Blue (even if sooooo different)
Oh, you temptress! In a couple months, if you loved it, then yes I am sure it will be so interesting. But you know, I am not usually a earl grey person – though good earl greys seem to win over just the same. I got to go and up the rating in Aïda though, it was quite OK the first time I had it, but that tea the more I had it, the better I liked it.
so I’ll need to send you too some Mélange Hédiard as well, these Earl greys are addictive !
Definitely take her up on the Pouchkine, Teresa! I was wowed by the way the bergamot is controlled by the other citrus flavours and the hint of smokiness, and I’m not always an Earl Grey lover.
Ah,ok, I believe you both, one of these days (though do not save it specially for me, drink and enjoy as you will), when I have made a sort of dent in the teas you two ladies have sent me.
It´s sort of torture (a good one, but still), me trying to be sensible about caffeine and two packages arriving on the same day and full of precisely the teas I have been wanting to try. I am restricting myself to two cups a day of something caffeinated (though cheating with second steeps. And plenty of rooibos)
This was one of my birthday teas from youngest. She loves Earl Grey so I thought this would be a big hit with her, but she strongly preferred the sample of Earl Grey Royal they sent. The bergamot was milder in that one.
She didn’t mind the strength of the bergamot in this – she likes bergamot a lot so that wasn’t it. Maybe the base is milder in the other or maybe I overleafed and didn’t realize.
The aroma was nice. It is bergamot and lavender, but the lavender doesn’t smell like granny’s soap, it smells more herbal, more savory. You really pick up the scent that tells lavender and rosemary are close cousins. I enjoyed the complex aroma.
The lavender also does not come across as soapy in the flavor. And I am definitely going to try this one Iced, just for us, as we are hitting temps in the 80’s this week and I would love to see if I can make something mimic Earl Grey Iced from Southren Boy Teas.
Lavender & I are not exactly friends. I think, like you, I like it but not a lot of it. Maybe this tea would make a good infused liquid to make muffins or bread with? Though it is probably too expensive to bake with I’m guessing. :)
Well Nicole in fact even if really great Theodor teas are not expensive teas, to get 100g it costs (for this one 6,20 €.
That’s a very good idea to make pastries with it ! thank you I didn’t even think about it :)