Citrus Paradisi

Thank you to TeaEqualsBliss for sending me a bit of this tea.

Not intending to continue on with citrus-y teas, but not disappointed to be doing so, I randomly selected this tea from my huge stash of yet-to-be-tried teas. It smells intriguing. I can smell the bergamot but it isn’t as distinct as the grapefruit. It smells bright and citrus-y.

Wow! Very interesting, indeed. This would be a great bergamot flavored tea for those who don’t think they like bergamot, because it is not an overwhelming taste in this tea. I taste it, but, the grapefruit is equally as strong, if not stronger. Some sips I taste a bit more grapefruit, and every once in a while, the bergamot emerges.

It’s really quite refreshing, and a nice change from the typical Earl Grey.

A lovely sample from wheezybee!

It’s definitely an Earl Grey. The Grapefruit Earl from Bayswater blows this one out of the water, I’m afraid, for a grapefruity tea.

Still, this is lovely. I haven’t been having Earl Grey teas lately except as swaps.

It’s just making me crave the grapefruity one from Bayswater. :)

Thanks, wheezybee!

I love the scent of this one dry. It’s so fresh and clean. It’s supposed to be an earl grey, but I can’t detect bergamot at all. Instead, the main note is grapefruit. It’s almost sweet, but there’s an underlying twang of sharpness, just like the fruit itself.

The bergamot emerges while this is brewing. Not too strongly, just enough to know it’s there. The liquor was pretty dark after 3.5 minutes, so I added a splash of milk. Fortunately, it withstands it rather well.

I like this. The grapefruit is clear in the initial sip, more so as it cools, and tastes clean and fresh. The bergamot is surprisingly strong and a little bitter in the aftertaste, but the citrusy aspect pairs well with the grapefruit. I’ve not tried an earl grey quite like this before, so it’s been an interesting experience. I think I’m coming to like fruit flavoured EGs, though, so this is definitely a tea I’d revisit in the future. My first Simpson and Vail, and a pleasant cup. Shame it’s just a sample!

This is really something special right here! It’s a wonderful medium strength black tea with juicy lemon and orange notes – differs from your stereotypical bergamot – and slight notes of EG – nothing over the top as far as the EG flavoring. The difference in the orange flavor is what makes this one special! Two THUMBS UP!!!!!

The latest contender in the Battle of the Earl Greys! This was a very interesting and somewhat playful cup, and the dry smell was completely different from the steeped taste. Dry, this blend smells like you just cut into a juicy grapefruit – it actually makes me crave one!

Steeped, the black teas take the helm and the grapefruit fades into the background. To me, this tastes more like a grapefruit black than an Earl Grey, but for the most part that’s because I can’t pick out the bergamot. Still, a tasty cup and a nice way to wake up!

You can read my complete review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/06/citrus-paradisi-earl-grey-blend-by.html

Really enjoying this refreshing Earl Grey variation today- I made a quart and have been sipping along for several hours. I find that with most S&V flavored blacks, brewing just under 3 minutes works best. Although I enjoy Citrus Paradisi hot, I like it even more as it cools down to room temperature. Bergamot and grapefruit notes are both there-grapefruit may be more dominant. I like it best with a little stevia.

Thanks so much for sharing this one, Cameron B!  I LOVE THIS. I did not expect to enjoy it at all… not really a grapefruit fan.  But the description also mentions bergamot, so I think it is this wonderful mix of flavors on a strong black tea base that really hits the spot on a cold winter day.  I’d say it’s more of a sweet grapefruit flavor, rather than an extremely bitter grapefruit flavor, which is probably why I never like grapefruit. I think I steeped it perfectly.  It just reminds me of my favorite Earl Greys of the past, that just don’t have flavoring like this anymore.  Bright, refreshing, crisp, brisk, with maybe a hint of cream flavor.    It’s just a great flavor that I also haven’t ever tasted from any other tea shop before.   Simpson & Vail does it again!
Steep #1 // 1 1/2 teaspoons for a full mug // 22 minutes after boiling // 1 1/2 minute steep
Steep #2 // just boiled // 4 min

So, I thought I would love this one, because I love citrusy teas and this is an Earl Grey with grapefruit added.

But I’m not a fan of the grapefruit here, to me it’s somewhere between cleaning product and Emergen-C powder… It’s sharp and almost slightly chemical tasting, and doesn’t taste at all like a grapefruit. And I honestly don’t get much bergamot, so this ends up tasting like some kind of medicinal grapefruit black tea.

Not a fan, sadly. This one is going into my rehoming box…