Earl Grey Cheesecake by 52Teas

Seller Description: "A unique blend of premium Indian and Chinese black teas (including some Darjeeling), blended with marigold petals, oil of bergamot, and natural cheesecake flavors. YUM!"

Cost: $8.99/1.75oz

Teaware: 16oz Hobnail Tetsubin and Depression Glass cup and saucer

Measured dry: 3 tsp

Water Temperature: Boiling

Steeping Time: 5 minutes (After 3 minutes, I decided to steep longer)

Additives: 2 tbsp Sugar in the Raw, dash of milk

Earl Grey Cheesecake by 52Teas

This one has been on my wish list for a while! I've heard great things about it - and negative as well. It seems to vary wildly, so I have to wonder if the mix varies or if shelf-time may be a factor. This tea is out of stock, so I was only able to get my hands on it through a Steepster swap with Emilie. It sounds like there's a lot of that going on, so there could also be cross-contamination happening as it goes from hand to hand. 

I decided to make up a full pot of this, as my husband is both home and curious about this tea as well. From the first sip, I cannot escape the fact that I can’t taste the familiar tang of cheesecake, but there is a rich creaminess that harmonizes beautifully with the EG. Now this is interesting... the longer I let it sit the closer it comes. Hmm. That may bear some more experimentation, but my primary goal is to find a great Earl Grey, and this is a bit off-track.

Cat butt photo-bomb! Akasha, the sneaky huntress!

There is one strange outlier - the slight jab of green that the darjeeling adds to the mix. That I don't care for, but it doesn’t change the experience too badly.

Prominent Notes: Cream, bergamot

Aftertaste: Cream, darjeeling

Overall: Interesting and fun to try occasionally, but not top tier EG.