Autumn Harvest! Happy Thanksgiving, fellow Americans! This morning I decided to brew up another of my T2 sampler stash, a blend of bergamot, jasmine, and pear flavorings. I really enjoyed Bird & Blend’s (now discontinued) Jasmine Poached Pear, which paired jasmine and pear on a green base, so I have a feeling I’ll like that flavor combo on an earl grey tea too. Not quite the same, but perhaps a good enough substitute since B&B seems to rarely bring back their discontinued blends?
The steeped tea is a very dark cup, and smells mostly of the pear. The black tea itself is quite smooth with very mild astringency but the flavorings are so strong the base can’t be tasted much. The flavor tastes overwhelmingly of the bergamot, which comes off quite strongly, followed up by a floral jasmine sweetness. Since the bergamot is a little stronger than I tend to prefer, when it mixes with the floral, it comes off a little perfumey tasting on the tongue (though thankfully not at all in the aroma, so it isn’t bothering my migraine sensitive head at all). The bergamot and floral do mix well together, it just feels like their balance isn’t quite right, somehow. The jasmine can’t quite attone for a slight bitterness I’m getting from the bergamot, here. The pear hits later in the sip and fills out the mouth nicely afterwards, and I do like how these flavors go together… it’s just the strong open of bergamot at the beginning of the sip that seems to kind of throw the whole balance of everything off. I think if that had been toned down, the whole thing would’ve pieced together beautifully. As it is, it isn’t a tea I’d care to revisit.
Meh. B&B, can you please bring back Jasmine Poached Pears? Please? Maaaaaaaaah.
Flavors: Bergamot, Bitter, Floral, Pear, Perfume, Smooth
