52teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 3
My boyfriend thinks the dry leaf smells minty. Kiki huffed the bag. “It smells real good, like basil, like incense.” I think they’re both crazy because to me, it’s pure bergamot, tangerine and lime with a tangy cream that softens that citrus oil bite. But now that I sniff the bag again as I wait for the kettle to boil for Kiki’s cup, I definitely get that cool green scent both of them described. She says juniper, pine. I tell her no, but one of the ingredients could make you think that. I thought she’d nail the bergamot immediately since she makes a lot of cold-brew Earl.
“Raspberry. Tastes better than it smells dry. Or apricot. Or… Pumpkin. Hibiscus. Black tea. Grape, maybe it’s grape. It’s some kinda fruity somethin’.”
Huh. So you’re not impressed. I thought you’d really like this one.
“It’s good. I could drink it. I’m a little fussy today.”
Earl Grey Cheesecake.
“Cheesecake. Definitely not cheesecake. But I could tell the Earl black astringent thing. So is it bergamot that smells like pine to me? Yeah, that’s probably it.”
Damn. I really though she’d love this one. I wonder if this has a fruity Ceylon base and/or some Darjeeling if that’s why she was rattling off fruit notes. To me, it just tastes like classic black tea, which means Ceylon (a decent one).
On the other hand, I loved this tea when I had it yesterday morning. Loved it! The bergamot is perfect with the strong, classic black tea base and that cheesecake note is light but tangy enough to give the impression of having a small forkfull of rich cheesecake while drinking an excellent cup of Earl Grey. Great for 2 steeps. Well done!
Flavors: Bergamot, Bright, Brisk, Cheesecake, Citrus Zest, Earthy, Lime, Malt, Pine, Tangerine, Tangy
