Earl Grey by Tao of Tea

Earl Grey by Tao of Tea

Seller Description: "This is a handcrafted blend of organic Assam black tea and organic bergamot Essence. Our bergamot ‘Citrus Bergamia’ originates from Sicily in Italy, the famous home to this fruit, and is steam distilled to make a natural essence. We hand-blend the bergamot essence and tea leaves in small batches so that we can maintain an even flavor profile, often ignored by larger mechanical processes. The flavor of the tea is fresh, citrusy and slightly floral. This citrus aroma has a stabilizing effect on the emotions, promotes positive thoughts and relieves anxiety. Bergamot is second only to lavender in its ability to relax the brain and induce sleep."

Directions: 1 teaspoon per 8oz, steep 4-5 minutes
Website: Earl Grey
Cost: $8.75/3.5oz tin

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 4-1/2 minutes
Additives: 1 tablespoon of Sugar in the Raw

This tea has some pretty wonderful promise, but for me the love just wasn't there. The moment I opened the bag, my hope for this tea began to wither. It has a pungent, burnt aspect that seems like it belongs to a completely different kind of tea. Nothing about it made me think "Earl Grey" and I couldn't wait to get my nose away from it.

Despite my misgivings, I really tried to keep an open mind, but the first sip tasted nearly identical to the dry aroma. It was just overwhelmingly burnt black tea, coming at you from two fronts: the smell of the tea and the flavor itself.

As it has cooled the bergamot was able to peek out of its hiding place. It was still faint, but at least it was present. Probably the best thing about this blend was the level of astringency, which was nearly negligible. At least you don't have to worry about a dry-mouth factor.

Overall, this one just isn't for me. I like everything they have to say about it, and the fact that it's organic, but as much as I truly wanted to love it, I just can't. It will not be moving forward in the Battle of the Earl Greys.

Prominent Notes: Burnt black tea

Aftertaste: Burnt black tea

Overall: This won't be moving forward

Smoked Earl Grey by Tao of Tea

Smoked Earl Grey

Seller Description: "A blend of organic Indian black tea from Nilgiri infused with natural bergamot essence and organic smoked tea from Fujian Province in China. The smoked tea is better known as Lapsang Souchong in China."

Directions: 1 teaspoon per 8oz, steep 4-5 minutes
Website: Smoked Earl Grey
Cost: $8.75/3.5oz tin

Smoked Earl Grey

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 5 minutes
Additives: 1 tablespoon of Sugar in the Raw

My freshman year of college, I enrolled in a "rocks for jocks" class, both to meet some requirements and also because in high school I just couldn't wrap my head around plate tectonics. After a few "ah ha!" moments which were course related, I noticed something that had nothing to do with the curriculum: that more than one of my classmates smelled like a campfire nearly every day. It wasn't until that point that I actually understood that while I might live in a very small city, just off campus there were people living in dry cabins. No running water, and wood stoves for heat. I lived in Alaska for six years, and I have my share of weird and wacky memories, and I had to ask myself which century it was more than once!

Of all those, that moment sticks out for some undefinable reason. This tea reminds me of that. The blend tastes almost identical to their Pine Smoked Black, and the bergamot notes are very difficult to identify, if at all.

I was not able to finish the cup, and my husband (who usually is happy with any tea I'm not) actually struggled to finish his. It's just too much of a single note, and the smoky flavor overwhelms everything else. This doesn't taste like an Earl Grey to me, so it will not be moving forward.

Prominent Notes: Campfire smoke

Aftertaste: Black tea and campfire smoke

Overall: This will not be moving forward in the Battle of the Earl Greys.

Blue Flower Earl Grey by Tao of Tea

Blue Flower Earl Grey

 Seller Description: "A hand-crafted blend of full-bodied organic Indian black tea from Nilgiri, natural bergamot essence and beautiful blue cornflowers..."

Directions: 1 teaspoon per 8oz, steep 4-5 minutes
Website: Blue Flower Earl Grey
Cost: $11.00/3.5oz tin

Blue Flower Earl Grey

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 1 tablespoon of Sugar in the Raw

The first loose leaf tea I ever tried was from the Tao of Tea, and I had several of their blends shipped up to Alaska while I was teaching in the bush. Each sip always feels like just a little bit of home. This wasn't one of the teas I enjoyed up there, but I wanted to try out as many of their Earl Greys as possible.

Infused liquor

I've had to experiment a lot with this tea to dial in a better cup. I've made this tea several times now, and so far I haven't been able to tweak my steeping methods enough to truly enjoy it. Yesterday I steeped it for five minutes, and it was pretty bitter.

Adding a dash of milk did help slightly, and the creaminess did allow additional notes to peek out, but it was still not quite to my taste. Part of that might be the addition of the cornflowers - there's an element to this blend that's just hitting me the wrong way, and I think it's the slightly perfumey floral note. Hoping that my hesitation towards this tea could be fixed with a little tweaking, I tried a four-minute steep today and while the bitterness had abated it was left slightly watery but lacked as much of the floral note.

I finally steeped it for four and a half minutes, and it's been the best so far. A compromise between the two previous extremes. The flavor does still have a bit of a bite, as the black tea is the most prominent note by far, with the citrus note meekly following. While the floral note isn't as strong now as it was in the five minute steep, it's still keeping me from truly enjoying this blend.

Infused leaves

From the most bitter to the most watery, the amount of astringency has remained the same. I'm left with a moderate dry mouth, but it's never waned or become worse. Comparing that to my issues with the floral note, that's much less of a concern for me.

Overall, the memories I associate with this brand of tea are just better than the tea itself. It won't be continuing in the Battle of the Earl Greys, but I look forward to trying the more straightforward Earl Grey and re-introducing myself to the Smoked Earl Grey I enjoyed in Alaska.

Prominent Notes: Black tea

Aftertaste: Black tea and cornflower

Overall: This will not be moving forward in the Battle of the Earl Greys.