I’m pretty new to the world of Earl Grey. For the longest time, I’ve stayed away from black teas because of my sensitivity to caffeine. Recently, I’ve begun drinking a little bit a day and, for the most part, finding that I’m able to tolerate it. This is really exciting, because I love black tea’s fragrance, and so many lovely blends use it as a base.
One thing I’ve discovered is that I love citrus flavour in my tea. The very first Earl Grey I tried was Golden Moon’s Tippy Earl Grey1 and I think I may have been spoiled. I can’t speak to its generally mediocre Steepster rating, but I loved its really intense citrusy fragrance and flavour. This tea? Not so much. I mean, the fragrance and flavour are certainly there, but when you say double Earl Grey, that’s what I expect. What I got here, though, was more like ¾ Earl Grey. =)
It’s pretty low on astringency, always a nice surprise with a black tea. My inner lazy bum prevailed and I left the bag in the cup, almost always a mistake with black tea, I’m learning. Consequently, the brew got pretty bitter pretty quickly, but that’s no one’s fault but my own. Admittedly I was a bit groggy, but I couldn’t see any brewing suggestions on the box, so I just started sipping when the brew looked dark enough and got through most of the cup before the bitterness set in. As the tea cooled, the black tea fragrance intensified. I took a sip: it was too bitter to enjoy, but ignoring that, I found the black tea-bergamot balance quite a bit improved. I think if I’d removed the tea bag, the brew would’ve been as nice cooled as it was hot, if not better. Well, I’ve got 23 more bags to get it right. =P
Tea amount: 1 bag
Water amount: 6oz/~175mL
Additives: none
Dry mouth factor: 4/10
“My inner lazy bum prevailed and I left the bag in the cup” – lol
I’m trying to get better! =P