Blue of London

Sipdown, 171. Sending the rest of this off in a swap!

First off, argh beaurocracy. I’m glad that NSF decided not to tell me when the annual report for my grant was due, but rather just inform me once it was overdue.

Anyway, this tea. Looking back at my tasting note from last time, I change no opinions. It’s pretty much exactly the same as the last time I had it, which is to day decently tasty, with a nice sweetness that I really enjoy, but also the yunnan is on the musty/earthy/woody side of things and that’s not quite my style. An Earl on a golden-tippier yunnan base would be awesome… oh wait, it was, back when Verdant had their Golden Earl years ago. sigh.

Tea of the morning here, I am not such a fan of Earl Grey or Bergamot in things but I had some of this sample left and decided to finish it off this morning. See previous notes for more info. ;)

Backlog:

This is a really good Earl Grey. I like that it has a Yunnan Base. The bergamot is a bit more subdued than in a typical Earl Grey, I like the subtle approach here, and I like that this is different. And I like that the bergamot allows for enjoyment of the Yunnan. But there is also a part of me that still wants the BERGAMOT.

For that reason, I gave it a slightly lower rating … it’s a really good tea, but not what I’d call exceptional. A little more bergamot might have pushed it over the 90 mark.

Tea #32 from Another Traveling Tea Box

Now here’s an Earl Grey I can get behind. Probably because it’s a rather subdued, almost sophisticated tasting EG.

The more delicate approach to the Bergamot really lets the Yunnan base come though. It’s woody and earthy,and ever so slightly sweet — a perfect play off the light citrus.

I’m letting the last cup go on, but I’d consider getting some of this for myself in the future.

This tea bag is a funky little thing. I was expecting the silky bag type that so many upper end vendors seem to be using but it is a rectangular, loosely woven muslin bag, more like Kusmi’s but bleached rather than off-white. (Well, the box says unbleached but it is much whiter than Kusmi’s unbleached…) The bag also really plumps up when steeped and I can’t help but think that is a good thing – it means there might be some real leaves in there! I’m going to have to cut a bag open at some point…

The scent of the tea is rather interesting – it’s Earl Grey but there is also a note in there that reminds me of yuzu. It’s all in the citrus family so I suppose that works. The scent is rather strong but not unpleasant or fake.

The flavor is a bit surprising. The scent is so strong, I was kind of braced for a bit of a perfume shock. But there wasn’t one. Sweet and smooth on the front end, the dominant flavor is definitely the Earl Grey, but as strong as the smell and flavor of the EG is, there is no unpleasantness associated with it. I don’t feel like I’m breathing perfume and there is zero astringency or roughness. The mouthfeel is really quite silky.

I’m finding that I am having difficulty figuring out the proper words to describe the EG taste. It’s like a silky, sophisticated peel of some citrus fruit mix (mandarian with yuzu, perhaps) but without the bitterness or tartness associated with citrus peel or pith.

I can’t honestly say I love Earl Grey as a tea entity unto itself (but the husband does so I’m always on the lookout for a good one) but this one is really lovely. I feel kind of sophisticated drinking it. I’m actually sitting here in my silky monkey pajama, but I feel a bit like I’m having tea with Jane Austen. Or Mr. Darcy. At Pemberley. In full period dress.

The second steep (5:00) isn’t quite as sophisticated feeling as the first. There is a little prickle on my tongue that shows up at the end of the sip. It stays small, though, so that’s good. I wouldn’t go so far as to say the tea is astringent now, but the silky mouthfeel is missing. The flavoring seems sweeter now, but it is still in the citrus family – a navel orange, perhaps. The slight prickle brings to mind orange pith a little, that kind of tongue tingling/numbing sensation pith can give. (Or is that the center of a pineapple?) Anyway, the first steep is definitely my favorite. (That being said, the second steep sure disappeared quickly.)

(ETA: I cut open the bag after the second steep. The leaves are broken but probably some of the largest leaves I’ve seen in a teabag. Here’s a pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/aug3zimm/6332730588/ )

ya know what, this is a musky earl grey, and weirdly i will admit, i think i like it more than more usual earl greys.
i’m not a person who is drawn to earl grey. i could take it or leave it kinda. and sometimes they seem too puckery. but this one is more moody. it’s a slight nuance i think, but i feel it.

(note to self: i liked the 2.5 minute steep slightly better than the 3.5 minute steep.)

thanks again Dinosara!

Tea #23 from Another Traveling Tea Box

I love yunnan black tea, but I’ve never had one quite like this. It was interesting to see it used as a base for earl grey, although it didn’t up being one of the best EGs I’ve had. Still, this is something that I would consider ordering for myself at some point, just for variety. There isn’t much left in the TTB so I’ll let this one continue on, although it won’t get much farther.

I probably should point out that this doesn’t get steeped at boiling, but rather 185, and I think that will make all the difference in the world in regards to flavor. Boiling will likely produce an astringent cup of tea.

I found this to be a much smoother blend than the other Earl Grey in the sampler (The des Lords). This one is less astringent and the bergamot seems more prominent. Yunnan still seems a little bland to me, but I did steep at boiling. I will try this at a lower temperature next time.

I picked this tea up from Palais de The when I was wondering around Grafton Street. I love really any black tea based Early Grey, so I was very excited for this. I must say, this is not my favourite tea. I think it may have to do with the fact that it has a Yunnan base (I prefere Ceylon or Darjeeling), but I did enjoy the bergamot (you could definitely tell it was there). I’ve had it twice now, and steeped it the full five minutes. I may try 3.5-4 minutes to see how it turns out then.

Just another fantastic tea from Palais des Thes. But is not my favourite.