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I’ve had this one a few times and its always been a bit too bitter for my tastes.
The first time I assumed I had brewed it too hot and too long so I dropped both the temp and time. While not as bad, its still too bitter for my liking.

I was hoping for a bit of a pick me up this morning. If this doesn’t improve as it continues to cool, I’ll just make a cup of Lady Gray instead.

Wish I wasn’t out of Caribe.

I opened the package and the first thing that hit me was lemon. Lemon? Go back to the Harney and Sons web site and it states orange peel. It smells like lemon to me. Actually smells almost exactly like a lemon drop.

As I start to brew, the scent of lemon stays but is accompanied by another that I just cannot identify. Something unpleasant. Something that just seems wrong.

And then I take my first sip and I taste lemon . . . and something kind of unpleasant hiding just behind it. I keep sipping as it cools and the flavor profile stays pretty much the same. And I still can’t identify that component that just seems wrong somehow.

Could it be the floral elements clashing with the lemon? I don’t think so, but the lemon is strong enough maybe it is messing with my ability to tell?

Could it be the green tea? Again, I don’t think so. I’ve had green teas a number of times. Even if I had steeped too hot or too long I can usually identify that. There’s no bitterness. I swear it almost smells like a fart covered up with lemon air freshener.

I’m going to give this a try again tomorrow. I keep thinking I just had to have done something wrong this time.

- Edit -

And on my way home, it hit me, as I assume someone else had hit it. Skunk. Its like a very very faint smell of skunk.

This is one of those cases where I suspect the tea is just fine, but not really my thing.
The fruit aroma is very strong and the fruit flavor appears to dominate the tea. It possibly doesn’t help that I am not a huge fan of stone fruits to begin with.

Also, for some very weird reason, the aroma of the tea as I go to take a sip makes me think its going to taste soapy. I have no idea as to why. It doesn’t taste soapy. Maybe I am associating it with one of those scented shower gels or something similar.

This may be an excellent tea for others, but its just not my thing.

Every time I make a cup of this tea, I fall in love just that little bit more. The aroma is just so uplifting. I’m not big on fruity teas (not counting citrus), so every cup is like a new little surprise. :)

It works well with a second steeping but doesn’t really hold up for a third.

So, opening the package, this tea has a wonderful aroma. That aroma is a bit muted once it starts brewing. In tasting the tea, I can tell that there is flavor there other than just black tea, but just barely. And its not enough to identify what that is. I tried steeping it for longer, but it just got bitter.

I don’t know, maybe my sensitivity to flavors has been demolished by my passion for spicy foods. :)

One I would be ok with drinking if its what was available, but not something I would pick first or go out of my way for.

A spicy aroma. The flavor is spice with a bit of depth. vanilla perhaps.
Its ok. Nothing special, but I will finish what I have.

I’m not a big fan of Earl Gray teas. The bergamont is usually way to strong and its not a flavor I particularly like (which is surprising since I adore citrus).

However, in Lady Gray this flavor is very slight and the lemon and orange stand out much more. Light, pleasant, and a bit up beat. Nice for a morning when you have not had enough sleep.

A nice basic black tea with enough cranberry to give it some flavor.

Yeah, its got some artificial flavors, and is a little sweeter to taste than I like, but its all cinnamon and its nice when I’m in the mood for it.

Note: This is a review of the loose leaf and not bagged.

The loose leaf does not contain cinnamon like the bagged variety does. This is a very noticeable difference which I did not realize until I took my first sip.

The bagged Orange Spice has been a staple of mine for over a decade. I was so excited when I realized it was available in loose leaf. I was very disappointed.