Allyson Whipple

Tag: september

  • The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations

    While I haven’t 100% recovered from the virus that hit me hard at the end of September, I’m happy to report that my senses of taste and smell are back! I got back into tasting as soon as I could in order to get caught up and stay on track with my goal. 

    I’m also still farther behind on blogging than I’d like to be. This portion of the project is certainly in better shape than it was mid-year, but I’m still not quite where I’d like to be. As I’ve said elsewhere, I don’t want to finish my tasting and then have a large number of samples left to review. So here’s another post in quick succession.

    I had a number of unreviewed Special Variations in my tasting queue, so these take the focus for today’s entry. I hope you enjoy this overview of four unique Earl Grey blends, one of which really stood out among the rest. 

    Duchess Grey, Ohio Tea Company

    With Duchess Grey, the Ohio Tea Company has made a truly summer-inspired Earl Grey blend. Consisting of black tea, chrysanthemum petals, orange pieces, peach flavor, and bergamot, this is a bright, sweet blend that is lovely hot, and would also be a delightful iced tea to enjoy on a picnic. 

    The dry leaves are gorgeous, with the cornflower petals providing a summery pop of color. The orange and bergamot scents work together, and are the strongest, with the peach and tea aromas on the back end. I didn’t detect much of the herbal chrysanthemum in the dry cup. The steeped aroma, on the other hand, smells strongly of peach and tea, followed closely by the herbaceous nature of chrysanthemum, with the orange and bergamot coming from behind. 

    The tea actually tastes chrysanthemum-forward, with a floral, herbal tone throughout. The peach followed close behind with the orange and bergamot once again working together. Ultimately, the flavor of the tea is an undertone supporting the added ingredients. This blend is fresh and enjoyable, and while enjoyable year-round, should definitely have a place in next summer’s tea cabinet. 

    Citrus Paradisi, Simpson & Vail

    For Citrus Paradisi, Simpson & Vail added grapefruit oil along with bergamot for a different approach to sweet and sour. When I smelled the dry cup, I was suspicious. The grapefruit smell was overwhelming; I couldn’t detect anything else. While I love grapefruit, it’s not necessarily a flavor I want dominating my tea. 

    The steeped aroma, on the other hand, smelled more strongly of tea than citrus. I also had a difficult time distinguishing the scent of the grapefruit and the bergamot. When I tasted it, though, the flavors were fortunately well-balanced and I could detect all of them. 

    While I love grapefruit, this tea ultimately didn’t blow my mind. I’m certainly glad I tried it; I think this is the first Earl Grey I’ve encountered that included grapefruit as the dominant citrus flavor. Simpson & Vail has certainly created a unique approach to Earl Grey, but this isn’t my favorite of their variations. Still, if you’re a grapefruit fan, you might want to order a 1-oz sample and give it a try.  

    Paris, Harney & Sons

    This tea put me in a tizzy with regards to its classification. The Harney & Sons blend contains black tea, oolong tea, black currant flavor, vanilla flavor, bergamot oil, and caramel flavor. We have the makings of a special variation (oolong tea, black currant, caramel), but the presence of vanilla suggests a creme Earl Grey. Ultimately, though, the sheer number of additional ingredients compelled me to make this one a special variation.

    The dry leaves smell delightful. The bergamot comes first, with the vanilla and caramel coming through as well. The black currant and tea aromas don’t quite come through on the dry leaf, but the farther I go in this project, the more I understand the vast range that can appear between the dry aroma, steeped aroma, and final taste. In this blend, the steeped liquor has a caramel- and vanilla-forward aroma, then bergamot. Again, I don’t get much in the way of black currant or tea.

    When I tasted the tea, the caramel and vanilla were once again in the forefront. I did pick up on notes of bergamot, but it had faded into the background. The black currant and tea flavors never quite came through, and I wonder if they served more as silent partners to keep the caramel flavor from tasting too sweet. But if that was the case, they didn’t quite get the job done. Not only did I find the tea quite sweet, but it tasted so creamy that I almost considered going back and labeling this one a Cream Earl. However, I decided to stick with my original decision. This is a nice tea, but ultimately neither the tea nor bergamot flavor were enough for this to feel like a true Earl Grey to me. I’m honestly bummed; Harney & Sons is one of the most reputable United States tea blenders, and yet I haven’t found anything of theirs on this project I’ve really loved.  

    Earl Grey de la Crème, Tea Market

    On their website, Tea Market describes this blend as, “Our version of Lady Grey.” In addition to black tea and bergamot, the blend contains vanilla bean, English lavender, and raspberry leaf. Since the most common definition of Lady Grey is an Earl Grey blend with the addition of citrus peel (see the second post in this series), seeing this tea described as a Lady Grey is confusing. Then, of course, we run into other difficulties with how to classify this blend. The presence of lavender could render it a Floral Grey. However, the inclusion of vanilla, plus the name of the tea, suggests that this would be a Creme Earl. But raspberry leaf indicates a special variation; I’ve definitely never seen that in an Earl Grey blend before! Given the sheer complexity of this tea, I decided the “crème” in the name wasn’t invoking cream, but instead crème de la crème (the best of the best). With that, I marked this one as a Special Variation on my spreadsheet. 

    The dry aroma is vanilla-forward, and the raspberry leaf is strong as well, followed by bergamot and lavender. I struggled to detect the scent of tea. This is a medium-body tea, and the steeped aroma has the progression of lavender, vanilla, bergamot, raspberry, and tea. The flavor, meanwhile, is lavender-forward, followed by raspberry, bergamot, vanilla, and tea. 

    Given the sheer number of additions to this blend, plus the fact that I don’t love raspberry leaf, I did not expect to enjoy this tea. However, it wound up earning a place on my best-of long list. I realized that the raspberry leaf tempers the vanilla and lavender, which can both get overwhelming. All of the ingredients are perfectly balanced and work together rather than fighting. What this blend teaches me is that a disliked ingredient doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker when used in the right context.   

    By the Numbers

    As of today I’ve tasted 82 teas, meaning I’m caught up from September and getting back on track for October. It’s such a relief to have my senses of taste and smell back!

    That being said, since so little has changed since my last update, I’m not going to spend time on this section today, as I don’t think it yields any new or interesting information. But I do have two more tea orders that should arrive in the next few days, so there should be some interesting things to report in the next update!

    Support the Project

    Read previous installments here:

    The Earl Grey Year Part 1: Four Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 2: Four Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 3: Four More Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 4: Greens and Tisanes

    The Earl Grey Year Part 5: Cremes and Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 6: Classics and Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 7: Classics and Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 8: Cremes and Variations Part 2

    The Earl Grey Year Part 9 : Four More Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 10: Halfway Point

    The Earl Grey Year Part 11: Kusmi Tea

    The Earl Grey Year Part 12: Cremes and Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 13: Four More Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 14: Tisanes and Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 15: European Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 16: Even More Classics and Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 17: Creams and Greens

    The Earl Grey Year Part 18: Florals and a Classics Challenge

    This month I’m taking part in the #OctoberTeas2024 challenge on Instagram. If you’re a tea drinker on the ‘gram, follow the hashtag and play along with us!

    Enjoying this series? You can support my tea wishlist here, or contact me if you have samples you want to share!

    Project References

    Note: This is an ongoing list of all the reading I have done so far for this project. The bibliographic entries here are not necessarily cited in this specific post.

    American Chemical Society. (1965). “Bergamot Joins Lineup Of Synthetic Oils: Glidden process breaks down ß-pinene, back-blends components.” Chemical & Engineering News Archive 43 (33), 24-25. DOI: 10.1021/cen-v043n033.p024a 

    Avila-Sosa, Raúl et. al.  “Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Oils.” Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety. Ed. Preedy, V.R. (2015). Elsevier Science & Technology. pp. 247-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00027-4

    Di Giacomi, Angelo and Giovanni Dugo. “Origin, History, and Diffusion.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. “Composition of Leaf Oils.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 227-236. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Galper, Amy. (December 14, 2022.) “Shelf Life of Essential Oils.” Cliganic. https://www.cliganic.com/blogs/the-essentials/essential-oils-shelf-life 

    Heale, Christopher. (n.d.) “A Guide to the Tea Grading System.” Herbs & Kettles. https://www.herbsandkettles.com/blogs/blog/a-guide-to-the-tea-grading-system 

    Lo Curto, Rosario. “Uses of Juice and By-Products.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 531-542. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Nishida, Kei.  “What Does Astringency Mean for Tea Drinking?” (n.d.) Japanese GreenTea Co. https://www.japanesegreentea.in/blogs/japanese-green-tea-lovers-in-india/what-does-astringency-mean-for-tea-drinking 

    Petite Histoire. (July 7, 2023).  “The [Complete & Complex] Guide to Natural vs. Synthetic Fragrance: What’s the Difference?” https://nyc.ph/blogs/inspiration/the-complete-guide-to-natural-vs-synthetic-fragrance

    Rosen, Diana. (November 3, 2020). “New – Coffee Leaf Arabica tea.” TeaSmart. https://www.teasmart.com/article_201106.html 
    Twinings. (n.d.) “What is Bergamot?” https://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-bergamot

  • The Earl Grey Year Part 18: Florals and a Classics Challenge

    The Earl Grey Year Part 18: Florals and a Classics Challenge

    My ennui has fortunately lifted, though the second half of the month has been quite busy. I got a visit from one of my Austin friends, the chance to do a lot of dancing, and unfortunately, I came down with some sort of nasty bug. (But no positive COVID tests yet!) For this entry, I finally get a chance to review some floral blends for the first time in a while, and the look at two classic blends from the same tea company.

    Floral Greys

    The last time I blogged about any floral blends was back in Part 9! That was before I was even at the halfway point of tea tastings. It’s definitely been a while. I’m glad to have some more of these to write about. With only 17 teas left to purchase, I wonder how many more will show up, especially because it’s the end of the year and people aren’t blending with flowers as much. 

    Vintage Earl Grey, The Tea Girl

    I’m glad I keep detailed tasting notes, because though I tasted the Vintage Earl Grey from The Tea Girl back in June, I’m somehow just getting around to writing about it! Though this is an unforgettable blend and I didn’t really need help from my notes for this entry. The Vintage Earl Grey blend includes Sri Lankan tea (from the Kenilworth Estate), plus French lavender and Italian rose petals to complement the bergamot. It’s truly an international blend!

    The dry aroma is, as you might imagine, potent! I noticed the rose first, followed by lavender, bergamot, and tea. One of the things that puts me off from rose-infused teas is that I associate rose petals with potpourri, but there’s no risk of that here. Think of a high-end aromatherapy candle rather than a dusty antique store. (No shade to antique stores. I love them! Some just . . . smell nicer than others.)

    The steeped liquor has a medium body, and when I smell the infused aroma, everything is well-balanced. That melding comes across when I sip the tea, as well. The lavender and the rose complement each other perfectly. They come across in equal measure, bolstered by the bergamot and the black tea. The recommended three-minute steep time was perfect, so I recommend you follow the directions for this one!

    Lavender Earl Grey, The London Tea Merchant

    When the London Tea Room – St. Louis closed down in early September, I went in and bought up every single Earl Grey tea they had for sale. This was a chance to fill up my tasting queue at a discount, after all. I walked away with five blends in all, but they only had one-pound bags of the Lavender Earl Grey left. That equates to roughly 100 cups of tea. So it’s a good thing I loved this blend! (By the way, while the tea room is closed, The London Tea Merchant still conducts online sales!)

    This blend has an amazing dry aroma: the bergamot shines first, followed by the lavender, and then the tea. The steeped liquor smells faintly of honey beneath the flowers, which I think comes from the tea leaves themselves.

    This is a tea blend that is going on my best-of long list. The lavender dominates the taste, but it isn’t overpowering, and it doesn’t taste soapy. The tea and bergamot work together to complement the lavender. I might have bought an excessive amount of this tea, but it was worth it. No regrets!

    Classics

    I ended up buying two classic blends from the Ohio Tea Company: Earl Grey and Classic Earl Grey. As the owners explain on the website:

    The Earl Grey uses an Orange Pekoe Ceylon tea from Sri Lanka, has cornflower petals, and is flavored with natural flavoring derived from the bergamot fruit, the Classic Earl Grey uses an Assam tea as its base and is naturally flavored with bergamot oil.

    While these are both classic Earl Grey blends, they are quite different, so I decided to stack them against each other. You might be wondering why I didn’t classify the Earl Grey as a floral blend, since it contains cornflower petals. I admit, I struggled with that decision a bit myself. If I set clear guidelines, I need to follow them, after all. However, cornflower has a negligible impact on flavor. Since it’s often incorporated for aesthetic purposes more than flavoring properties, I decided it was not really a Floral Grey, as those typically use much more fragrant/flavorful flowers. 

    Earl Grey, Ohio Tea Company

    This blend has a gorgeous-looking dry cup; the cornflowers really pop against the tea leaves. It also smells well-balanced; the bergamot and the tea both shine in equal measure. The steeped liquid smells more strongly of tea than bergamot, but both are present; the finished cup also smells a touch smoky. 

    When I drink this tea, especially in comparison to the Classic Earl Grey (described below), I become truly aware of how different natural and synthetic bergamot can be. I’ve written about this before on the blog, but it really hits home when tasting these two teas side-by side.

    This Earl Grey is quite delicious. However, the synthetic bergamot just doesn’t meld with the tea quite as well. It’s sharper. While I do like a strong bergamot taste, this one is drawing attention away from the tea. It’s not a bad blend, but it does make me aware that synthetic bergamot doesn’t work with the tea leaves the exact same way as natural bergamot.

    Classic Earl Grey, Ohio Tea Company

    The dry leaves of this blend smell incredible, with a hearty dose of bergamot at the top of the aroma. When I steeped the tea, I made sure it was covered. Lifting the lid off of my infuser mug, the scent of bergamot wafted up immediately to greet me. The scent of the tea is in the aroma as well; you can tell the balance is there. But I appreciated the way the bright citrus steam shone through. 

    When drinking this tea, the bergamot unsurprisingly hits first. The tea flavor then follows in short order. And the taste progression is absolutely perfect. I think the Assam tea they used was just right to complement the bergamot. Assam brings just a touch of sweetness that I think complements the other flavors well.

    This is an all-day drinkable Earl Grey blend that is getting a spot on my best-of long list. I did try a few steeping times with this blend, and I liked the 4-minute steep the best. However, experiment and adjust to your liking! 

    By the Numbers

    I’m ending September one tasting behind schedule because I got quite sick at the end of the month, and my senses of taste and smell are compromised. Each of these tastings deserves the full power of my tastebuds, so I decided it was worth getting behind in order to have a healthy palate. Besides, one tea tasting behind schedule isn’t a big deal; I’m confident I can get back on track quickly.

    There isn’t much new to say in the tea proportions department. I am amused by how generally steady proportions have stayed over time, even though I have deliberately made an effort to seek out teas across every category. 

    Thanks to stocking up at the LTR – St. Louis closing sale, I only have to add seven teas to my queue for October. Ideally I’d have purchased them by now, but the month was busy, and getting sick really threw a wrench in my plans. I’m not sure what I’m going to order yet, but I look forward to whatever comes next!

    Support the Project

    Read previous installments here:

    The Earl Grey Year Part 1: Four Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 2: Four Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 3: Four More Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 4: Greens and Tisanes

    The Earl Grey Year Part 5: Cremes and Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 6: Classics and Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 7: Classics and Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 8: Cremes and Variations Part 2

    The Earl Grey Year Part 9 : Four More Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 10: Halfway Point

    The Earl Grey Year Part 11: Kusmi Tea

    The Earl Grey Year Part 12: Cremes and Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 13: Four More Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 14: Tisanes and Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 15: European Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 16: Even More Classics and Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 17: Creams and Greens

    Enjoying this series? You can support my tea wishlist here, or contact me if you have samples you want to share!

    Project References

    Note: This is an ongoing list of all the reading I have done so far for this project. The bibliographic entries here are not necessarily cited in this specific post.

    American Chemical Society. (1965). “Bergamot Joins Lineup Of Synthetic Oils: Glidden process breaks down ß-pinene, back-blends components.” Chemical & Engineering News Archive 43 (33), 24-25. DOI: 10.1021/cen-v043n033.p024a 

    Avila-Sosa, Raúl et. al.  “Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Oils.” Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety. Ed. Preedy, V.R. (2015). Elsevier Science & Technology. pp. 247-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00027-4

    Di Giacomi, Angelo and Giovanni Dugo. “Origin, History, and Diffusion.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. “Composition of Leaf Oils.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 227-236. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Galper, Amy. (December 14, 2022.) “Shelf Life of Essential Oils.” Cliganic. https://www.cliganic.com/blogs/the-essentials/essential-oils-shelf-life 

    Heale, Christopher. (n.d.) “A Guide to the Tea Grading System.” Herbs & Kettles. https://www.herbsandkettles.com/blogs/blog/a-guide-to-the-tea-grading-system 

    Lo Curto, Rosario. “Uses of Juice and By-Products.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 531-542. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Nishida, Kei.  “What Does Astringency Mean for Tea Drinking?” (n.d.) Japanese GreenTea Co. https://www.japanesegreentea.in/blogs/japanese-green-tea-lovers-in-india/what-does-astringency-mean-for-tea-drinking 

    Petite Histoire. (July 7, 2023).  “The [Complete & Complex] Guide to Natural vs. Synthetic Fragrance: What’s the Difference?” https://nyc.ph/blogs/inspiration/the-complete-guide-to-natural-vs-synthetic-fragrance

    Rosen, Diana. (November 3, 2020). “New – Coffee Leaf Arabica tea.” TeaSmart. https://www.teasmart.com/article_201106.html 

    Twinings. (n.d.) “What is Bergamot?” https://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-bergamot

  • The Best of It: End of September Edition

    The Best of It: End of September Edition

    1. A weekend visit from one of my best Austin friends
    2. Doing touristy things in the place where I live
    3. Social dancing and competing in the Meet me in St. Louis Swing Dance Championships
    4. The fried green tomato sandwich at Sugarfire Smokehouse
    5. The Gateway Arch Museum
  • Soulard Haiku Walks Launch in October

    Soulard Haiku Walks Launch in October

    I’m thrilled to announce that next month, I’m launching a quarterly ginko (haiku walk) series around the Soulard neighborhood. The first event takes place on Saturday, October 26th at 9:30 a.m. It’s free, family-friendly, and open to anyone in the St. Louis area.

    I’ve wanted to start hosting ginkos in St. Louis for over a year now, but with everything else I have going on, it kept getting pushed to the back burner. Finally, though, I realized I could start hosting them in conjunction with the Soulard Restoration Group Community Involvement & Events Committee.

    Here are my goals for the series:

    1. Provide free haiku education in a digestible format.
    2. Provide space for people to practice writing haiku without worrying about critique or judgment.
    3. Create a family- and beginner-friendly event.
    4. Explore Soulard and learn about its unique history.
    5. Recognize that haiku can be written in any environment, and that urban spaces are just as legitimate haiku spaces as pastoral ones.

    We will meet at the Soulard Community Garden and spend 90 minutes learning about haiku, walking, exploring, and writing. The event concludes at the historic Soulard Market, a great place to explore at the conclusion of events.

    If you have any haikurious friends in the St. Louis area, forward this post along to them!

  • The Best of It: Mid-September Edition

    The Best of It: Mid-September Edition

    1. Getting to see Steve Earle perform
    2. The ice cream at Ices Plain & Fancy
    3. The way Maybelle can fold her back paws all the way up to her nose
    4. Hiking at Pere Marquette State Park
    5. My friend Amanda Rachelle Warren’s first full-length poetry collection, Rituals for to Call Down Light
  • The Earl Grey Year Part 17: Creams and Greens

    The Earl Grey Year Part 17: Creams and Greens

    I’m fantastic at starting projects, but terrible at finishing them. I always want to give up when I’m close to the end. This is true not just of writing projects, or of going through the process to get my Pilates studio up and running, but even short-term challenges with a tangible end point. For example, when John and I summited Guadalupe Peak, an out-and-back hike that required a back-country camping permit, I wanted to give up a mile before the very end. As in, we spent a day hiking a thin trail with no coverage to step off and pee, camped in claustrophobia-inducing backpacking tents, reached the summit of the mountain . . . and on the way down, a mile from the parking lot where our car was parked, I was just absolutely and totally done. Unfortunately, there is no rescue mission coming for an uninjured hiker a mile from the parking lot. As Frank O’Hara says, “the only thing left to do is simply continue.”

    That is a long-winded way of saying I’m in a slump with this project. I’ve tasted 76 teas; I’m more than three-quarters of the way done. And I find myself losing enthusiasm for this project. Which leads me to wonder whether this is simply the end-of-project blues I always encounter with everything I’ve ever done, or if I really need to drink 26 more Earl Grey blends in my quest to really understand it. Ultimately, I rely on the evidence: I’m historically a starter, but not a finisher. This slump is most likely my monkey mind doing what it always does, getting bored as the project draws to a close and wanting to start something new. So with that, I resolve to continue on.   

    Cream Earls

    Creamy Earl Grey, Simpson & Vail

    Simpson & Vail’s Creamy Earl Grey is straightforward: black tea, vanilla, and bergamot. I admit that I’ve grown somewhat accustomed to seeing dried cornflower petals in cream Earl Grey blends, but ultimately, they don’t contribute very much (some say they don’t contribute at all), and just because a cup of dry leaves looks pretty doesn’t mean the steeped brew is of high quality. While I do like to note pretty cups of tea when I see them, that’s never the most important part of the evaluation.

    The dry leaf aroma is vanilla-forward, followed by bergamot, and then tea. The flavorings are so strong that the scent of the tea is actually difficult to detect! With the steeped aroma, however, the tea and vanilla come through equally, with the bergamot being difficult to detect. I followed the instructors for a three-minute steep, and on taste, I got tea first, then vanilla, and then bergamot. The citrus really shines on the back end, though, resulting in a bright finish.

    I did enjoy this blend, though since Cream Earl Greys aren’t my first choice of beverage, I’m hard to impress. The folks at Simpson & Vail know their stuff, and I know there are plenty of tea drinkers out there who would like this blend. There are simply other Simpson & Vail teas in my cabinet that I prefer.

    Cream Earl Grey, Ohio Tea Company

    The Ohio Tea Company blend contains a mixture of orange pekoe grade Sri Lankan black tea (I love how specific the company is in their notes!), vanilla, cornflower petals, and bergamot. The scent of the dry cup is vanilla-forward, followed by tea and bergamot, and the steeped liquid has the same aroma profile. 

    Upon drinking this blend, I find that the tea flavor is actually the strongest, followed by vanilla, and then bergamot. While bergamot appears light on my palate, it’s certainly present; I never find myself searching for it. While it’s a little lighter than I personally prefer, you’re not going to miss it. Ultimately, this is a well-conceived and expertly-executed Cream Earl Grey. I think this will appeal to a number of tea drinkers who like bergamot but are put off when it’s the dominant flavor. 

    I don’t see this particular blend becoming part of my collection, because while it does illustrate masterful blending, it also didn’t change my life. I admit I feel a little bad saying that, as this is my first review of an Ohio Tea Company blend. However, I’ve actually already sampled three of the four Earl Grey teas that I ordered from them, and one in particular is going to get rave reviews in a future blog post. I genuinely think this is a perfect blend for some tea drinkers out there, and I encourage you to give it a shot. (Also, Ohio Tea Company allows you one free sample a month. All the more reason to shop there!)

    Green Earls

    Emerald Green Earl Grey, Simpson & Vail

    Simpson & Vail uses China Green Sencha and bergamot oil in this blend. (Yes, sencha is generally a Japanese tea, but according to the map on the tea’s information page, there are producers in the Sichuan province.)

    I was skeptical going into this blend, because when I smelled the dry leaf, the bergamot was overwhelming. Yes, I like a bergamot-heavy cup, but I want to be able to detect the tea as well! Fortunately, there was a better balance in the aroma of the steeped liquor. The liquid has a lovely green body and is clearly a sencha. 

    In terms of taste, this blend is refreshing. It’s something you could drink all day, and would be excellent brewed both hot and cold. My one complaint is that the bergamot is noticeably weak on the second infusion. One of the great things about green tea is that most of them can handle multiple steepings, and I like to make the most of my leaves! The tea was still tasty, it just didn’t seem much like an Earl Grey anymore. I do recommend this tea, just know that you’re only going to get one cup where it really tastes like an Earl Grey.

    Earl Green, Tea Market

    Tea Market’s Earl Green blend contains Pouchong green tea from Taiwan; the leaves are big, bright, and gorgeous. Combined with triple bergamot, they dry scent is citrus-forward, but the floral tea aroma is still there. That scent profile repeats with the steeped liquor.

    Per the steeping instructions, I let this tea set for three minutes before drinking it. I was surprised by how light the bergamot was, considering that this tea is triple-scented. I found it light, refreshing, and easy to drink. This is another tea you could easily drink all day, enjoy hot, or serve cold at a summer picnic. Still, I was hoping for more bergamot flavor.

    Given how light the bergamot was on the first tasting, I assumed it would be entirely absent on a second infusion. Still, I always like to do at least one additional steeping round, so I gave it a try. I was surprised to find that this tea actually had a stronger bergamot flavor on the second infusion! Yes, it was better the second time around. So if this tea doesn’t suit your palate the first time around, give it another infusion. This is a complex tea that definitely unfolds on subsequent steepings!

    By the Numbers

    I’ve only got 24 teas left to taste, and I have all the teas in my queue I need to stay on track for September. The London Tea Room St. Louis sadly closed last week, and since all the teas were discounted, I got every Earl Grey option they had in stock. 

    Even with deliberately seeking out some green and tisane Earl Grey blends, ultimately, the proportions haven’t changed that much. I expect things to hold more or less in this pattern for the rest of the challenge. On some level, I wonder if I should have put the greens and tisanes into the Special Variation category, but when I started this project, I really thought I would encounter more of them. It wasn’t until much later in the challenge that I realized just how few of these particular blends were out there. I suppose I could just re-classify them, but at the same time, I think I want to stick with my initial categories since I’m so close to the end of the project.

    While the final stretch is always the most challenging part of a project to me, I’m excited to delve into the London Tea Room blends. With just 16 samples left to purchase, I can’t help but wonder what will come next!

    (Also, while I hate Christmas Creep, tea companies are starting to reveal their 2024 advent calendars, and I can’t resist looking. I’m bummed that I won’t be able to afford the Fortnum’s wooden calendar again this year, I’m still excited for the more economical options to choose from!)

    Support the Project

    Read previous installments here:

    The Earl Grey Year Part 1: Four Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 2: Four Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 3: Four More Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 4: Greens and Tisanes

    The Earl Grey Year Part 5: Cremes and Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 6: Classics and Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 7: Classics and Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 8: Cremes and Variations Part 2

    The Earl Grey Year Part 9 : Four More Florals

    The Earl Grey Year Part 10: Halfway Point

    The Earl Grey Year Part 11: Kusmi Tea

    The Earl Grey Year Part 12: Cremes and Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 13: Four More Special Variations

    The Earl Grey Year Part 14: Tisanes and Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 15: European Classics

    The Earl Grey Year Part 16: Even More Classics and Variations

    Enjoying this series? You can support my tea wishlist here, or contact me if you have samples you want to share!

    Project References

    Note: This is an ongoing list of all the reading I have done so far for this project. The bibliographic entries here are not necessarily cited in this specific post.

    American Chemical Society. (1965). “Bergamot Joins Lineup Of Synthetic Oils: Glidden process breaks down ß-pinene, back-blends components.” Chemical & Engineering News Archive 43 (33), 24-25. DOI: 10.1021/cen-v043n033.p024a 

    Avila-Sosa, Raúl et. al.  “Bergamot (Citrus bergamia) Oils.” Essential Oils in Food Preservation, Flavor and Safety. Ed. Preedy, V.R. (2015). Elsevier Science & Technology. pp. 247-252. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-416641-7.00027-4

    Di Giacomi, Angelo and Giovanni Dugo. “Origin, History, and Diffusion.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. “Composition of Leaf Oils.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 227-236. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Galper, Amy. (December 14, 2022.) “Shelf Life of Essential Oils.” Cliganic. https://www.cliganic.com/blogs/the-essentials/essential-oils-shelf-life 

    Heale, Christopher. (n.d.) “A Guide to the Tea Grading System.” Herbs & Kettles. https://www.herbsandkettles.com/blogs/blog/a-guide-to-the-tea-grading-system 

    Lo Curto, Rosario. “Uses of Juice and By-Products.” Citrus bergamia: Bergamot and Its Derivatives. Ed. Dugo, Giovanni and Ivana Bonaccorsi. Boca Raton: CRC Press, 2013. pp. 531-542. https://doi.org/10.1201/b15375

    Nishida, Kei.  “What Does Astringency Mean for Tea Drinking?” (n.d.) Japanese GreenTea Co. https://www.japanesegreentea.in/blogs/japanese-green-tea-lovers-in-india/what-does-astringency-mean-for-tea-drinking 

    Petite Histoire. (July 7, 2023).  “The [Complete & Complex] Guide to Natural vs. Synthetic Fragrance: What’s the Difference?” https://nyc.ph/blogs/inspiration/the-complete-guide-to-natural-vs-synthetic-fragrance

    Rosen, Diana. (November 3, 2020). “New – Coffee Leaf Arabica tea.” TeaSmart. https://www.teasmart.com/article_201106.html 
    Twinings. (n.d.) “What is Bergamot?” https://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-bergamot

  • The Best of It: Procrastination Edition

    I was so ready to eat that I didn’t think to take a photo
    1. Pecan pie for breakfast
    2. Homemade breadsticks
    3. Getting to visit Zilker Botanical Garden
    4. Going to poetry group tonight (via Zoom, of course)
    5. I had a wonderful Saturday teaching for the Loft, and hope to do so again in the future!

  • The Best of It: FriYAY Edition

    She’s all ears!
    1. Pumpkin risotto
    2. TerraSolace is a fantastic Etsy seller
    3. The Midnight Diner: Tokyo Stories TV series
    4. There are new episodes of Archer!
    5. The jalapeno pimento cheese at HEB

  • The Best of It: Monday, Monday Edition

    My vintage Corningware percolator
    1. Getting to start the week with a video call from my friend Suzanne
    2. Jackbox Games
    3. Leftover spaghetti for breakfast
    4. Socially distant happy hours
    5. Being more than half done with the current phase of a current writing project

  • A Spider Summer, Continued

    About two weeks ago, I woke up to find an egg sac attached to my bedroom window. I was amazed. I’d never seen one up close before, and now here it was. I’m happy that the spider finds my house safe enough. The abundance of wasps, bees, mosquitoes, and chiggers probably helps.

    img_2196

    But wait! There’s more!

    Yesterday as Simon and I were coming back from our walk, I saw another egg sac attached to the side of the house. I hadn’t realized that spiders would create multiple sacs in a season. The thought occurred to me that it might be from another spider, but this second sac is close to her web. And Arigope are pretty noticeable. I think I’d have seen a second spider.

    I’m just amazed she’s thriving enough to lay a second set of eggs.

    Apparently Arigope aurantia is also known as the Writing Spider, because of the zippers they weave into their webs. I’m quite happy to have a writing spider hanging out with me.

    img_2445Yesterday there was also an amazing double zipper on the web. I didn’t know that happened, either!