This company offers some pretty great little 5 for $5 samplers, and I wasn't very good about restraining myself! I ordered the black tea sampler, the herbal, and the rooibos. Hopefully that will be enough to keep me busy for a little while!
But we have to start somewhere, so first off is their Earl Grey Heaven!
Seller Description: "A delicious fusion of organic black loose-leaf tea leaves, fragrant oil of bergamot and a touch of French vanilla, this divine black tea will fill your room with an aroma most heavenly! This creamy Earl Grey tea is rich and robust with refreshing citrus notes that will awaken your senses and put a spring in your step."
Directions: 1-2 teaspoons per 8oz, steep 4-5 minutes
But we have to start somewhere, so first off is their Earl Grey Heaven!
Seller Description: "A delicious fusion of organic black loose-leaf tea leaves, fragrant oil of bergamot and a touch of French vanilla, this divine black tea will fill your room with an aroma most heavenly! This creamy Earl Grey tea is rich and robust with refreshing citrus notes that will awaken your senses and put a spring in your step."
Directions: 1-2 teaspoons per 8oz, steep 4-5 minutes
Website: Earl Grey Heaven
Cost: $9.99/2oz
The directions on their website were so inexact they were not really directions at all, so I had to fiddle with this a bit to end up with an enjoyable cup. This tea definitely played hard to get! For clarity's sake, I decided to break this up into three parts, one for each attempt.
ATTEMPT #1
Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 4 minutes, plus 2 minutes later
Additives: 1 tablespoon of raw sugar
I decided to do the logical thing and start on the low end, with the smaller amount of tea and shorter steep time. It didn't work out, and what flavor there was lacked nearly any substance. There were slight hints of vanilla and black tea, but any trace bergamot was just too light to identify. It was a watery tease, so I decided to let it steep a little longer. After two more minutes the flavor hadn't improved and the cup still tasted watery, but with an additional bitter note. I decided to dump that out and start over.
ATTEMPT #2
Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 5 minutes
Additives: 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw sugar
This cup was noticeably better. It was still watery, but starting to develop some backbone. The vanilla was unmistakable, and this time there was enough of the Earl Grey flavor profile to build up to a medium level of astringency, but something was still missing. It just didn't have that get-up-and-go that's so essential for a morning tea. I need it to help me kick my butt into gear, but this tea makes me feel like I need to boss it around instead!
I decided to give it one more chance, and added a dash of milk. I was impressed with how much of a difference it made - it kicked it up a level, and it was the most enjoyable cup yet. The milk did a good job of filling in some of the blanks, but there was still room to grow, so I decided to try making one more cup.
ATTEMPT #3
Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 4 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 5 minutes
Additives: 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw sugar
I'm running out of steam at this point, so this will have to be the last one. At least I think we finally dialed it in - well, as much as this tea is capable of. While the flavors have become more powerful, there's still some intrinsic weakness... just something missing. I think the black tea base just isn't strong enough to carry the rest of the flavors.
Adding milk did help significantly, and this one was head and shoulders above where we started. The creaminess blends well with the vanilla, and it allows the black tea blend and bergamot to establish themselves more firmly. Letting it sit and cool a bit helped deepen the flavor as well.
But I don't want to have to make it with milk every time, which I would have to in order to enjoy this one. Overall, this just isn't the one for me.
Prominent Notes: Black tea and vanilla
Cost: $9.99/2oz
The directions on their website were so inexact they were not really directions at all, so I had to fiddle with this a bit to end up with an enjoyable cup. This tea definitely played hard to get! For clarity's sake, I decided to break this up into three parts, one for each attempt.
ATTEMPT #1Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 4 minutes, plus 2 minutes later
Additives: 1 tablespoon of raw sugar
I decided to do the logical thing and start on the low end, with the smaller amount of tea and shorter steep time. It didn't work out, and what flavor there was lacked nearly any substance. There were slight hints of vanilla and black tea, but any trace bergamot was just too light to identify. It was a watery tease, so I decided to let it steep a little longer. After two more minutes the flavor hadn't improved and the cup still tasted watery, but with an additional bitter note. I decided to dump that out and start over.
ATTEMPT #2Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 5 minutes
Additives: 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw sugar
This cup was noticeably better. It was still watery, but starting to develop some backbone. The vanilla was unmistakable, and this time there was enough of the Earl Grey flavor profile to build up to a medium level of astringency, but something was still missing. It just didn't have that get-up-and-go that's so essential for a morning tea. I need it to help me kick my butt into gear, but this tea makes me feel like I need to boss it around instead!
I decided to give it one more chance, and added a dash of milk. I was impressed with how much of a difference it made - it kicked it up a level, and it was the most enjoyable cup yet. The milk did a good job of filling in some of the blanks, but there was still room to grow, so I decided to try making one more cup.
ATTEMPT #3
Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug with lid
Measured dry: 4 teaspoons
Water Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 5 minutes
Additives: 1-1/2 tablespoons of raw sugar
I'm running out of steam at this point, so this will have to be the last one. At least I think we finally dialed it in - well, as much as this tea is capable of. While the flavors have become more powerful, there's still some intrinsic weakness... just something missing. I think the black tea base just isn't strong enough to carry the rest of the flavors.
Adding milk did help significantly, and this one was head and shoulders above where we started. The creaminess blends well with the vanilla, and it allows the black tea blend and bergamot to establish themselves more firmly. Letting it sit and cool a bit helped deepen the flavor as well.
But I don't want to have to make it with milk every time, which I would have to in order to enjoy this one. Overall, this just isn't the one for me.
Prominent Notes: Black tea and vanilla
Aftertaste: Bergamot and vanilla
Overall: This will not be moving forward
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