Earl Grey

The shades of Earl Grey are plentiful, more than fifty.   Earl Grey is the most recognized flavored or scented tea in the Western world.  It is named after Charles, second Earl Grey and prime minister of UK from 1830 to 1834.   All the tall tales about the tea imply that Earl Grey received the recipe from a Chinese official as a gift.   The traditional Earl Grey tea is Chinese and/or Indian black tea flavored with bergamot oil.   Bergamot is a citrus fruit grown in Mediterranean and its rind yields perfumery oil.   Twinings is said to have the rightful claim to the original Earl Grey tea formula.  Twinings tried a new Earl Grey blend with lemon and extra bergamot in recent years but had to bring back the classic edition after outrage from its customers.

Many tea merchants today create their own shades of Earl Grey using different types of tea and flavorings.   There are Earl Grey oolong, Earl Grey sencha, Earl Grey silver tip, and smoky Earl Grey, just to name a few.  This Earl Grey is the classic one from Twinings. The tea is not too strong and the bergamot flavor is neither overpowering nor Pine-Sol-like. It is a nice go-to tea in the afternoon.   Because of its fragrance, Earl Grey tea is often used in baking and confectionery.  

Earl Grey

Type:  Scented Black     Producing Country:  England   Preparation:  100°C 4 Min

Dry Leaf:   The small pieces of black tea leaves give off strong aromas of lemon, grapefruit and cedar.

Wet Leaf:   The wet leaves have a strong cedar scent.

Liquor:       This mahogany-colored Earl Grey is light, citrusy and mildly astringent.  The lemony taste stays in the mouth for a while.    

Tee Score:  3 out of 5