Earl Grey Review

Type: Black
Origin: India
Price: Sample (regular price - $8.49 for 15 pyramids)
Vendor: Choice Organic Teas
Brewing Method: 1 pyramid, 1 cup of filtered water, heated to 200°F-210°F, steeped for 4-5 minutes.
Overall Score: 4.3 out of 5

Earl Grey is a blend of Indian black tea and bergamot oil. Pieces of orange peel and safflower petals have been added to this blend, as well. Holy citrus batman! When I opened the package I had to hold it away from me because the citrus smell was really intense.

The aroma of citrus is one of those scents that are easily detected so I’m sure the intensity of the citrus aroma in this tea is not necessarily a negative (at least that is what I think so far). When it comes to appearance, the blend in this pyramid is really pretty. The dark tea leaves make the bright orange peel and safflower petals really stand out.

I could really smell the bergamot while the leaves were steeping. I could smell the black tea, also, so that meant that the citrus aroma was not overpowering everything else in the tea. The liquor was a deep orange color.

I have been turned off to Earl Grey’s in the past because the ratio of black tea to bergamot oil was way off. There was always way too much citrus flavor. I was worried that this tea was going to be the same way, from the amount of citrus aroma that came out of the package.

However, I liked this one. I could taste the hearty, full bodied black tea and the bergamot oil was left in the aftertaste. It was a little astringent but not bitter. I will stress the heartiness of this brew. This blend was really intense. It is a nice pick-me-up kind of tea and would probably make a great companion to those early mornings.