- Our French menu for Thanksgiving
- The Soulard Parlour Tour
- Seeing the Mariah Carey Christmas concert
- Setting up my 2025 planner
- The Revellion Christmas Tea at La Patisserie Chouquette
Haiku and a Cup of Tea
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The Best of It:What I’m Looking Forward to Edition
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The Earl Grey Year Part 24: Greens and Classics
Here I am at the penultimate post of this project. Going through my spreadsheet, I had two green blends and six classic blends left in the queue. I decided to wrap up the green teas this week, plus two classic blends to balance the post out. The final post (tentatively scheduled for next week) will end as it began, with four classic blends.
I’m still deciding how I want to share my best-of list. It feels redundant to create a post or a series of posts, since I would just be repeating content. On the other hand, perhaps having my favorites in a one- or two-post digest would help people synthesize this year of work. (I’m leaning toward two posts, as these get long enough!) If anyone reading is interested in that, please let me know. I’m also considering doing a series of Instagram posts or a Youtube/IG/TikTok video instead of another blog post. Let me know what you’d like to see!
I also need to finalize plans for the Earl Grey giveaway I plan to run as a thank-you to those who supported this project. I got things going a few weeks ago, and then work got super hectic. I need to get back on track because I want this taken care of by the end of the year! That will probably only be at my Instagram, so if you don’t know where to find me there, just let me know.
Green Earls
Cream of Earl Grey Matcha, David’s Tea
In my previous post, I wrote about some disappointing experiences with two David’s Tea blends. Given my experience with those two teas, and given that I don’t particularly like matcha, I expected that this tasting would also not go well. You might wonder why I even ordered this blend, considering I don’t like the base tea. Two reasons: first, I had yet to taste a matcha-based Earl Grey (there aren’t many out there), so I was swayed primarily by novelty. But also, it was one of the David’s Tea daily specials back in October. So yes, I was easily swayed by reduced price tea.
The ingredient list for this blend includes cane sugar, organic matcha, and organic cream and Earl Grey flavors. The dry matcha powder has a sweet aroma; I noted in my journal that it smelled like a fancy truffle. That sweetness repeats in the prepared cup. And I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I didn’t hate the taste!
This particular matcha had a creamier mouthfeel than I’m used to, and I wonder if that had something to do with the built-in sweetener or the flavoring. I did have to prepare this twice, because the first time, I got my ratios of tea to water incorrect, but honestly, I actually preferred the version I accidentally made too strong. While I don’t enjoy matcha enough to buy this again, it’s a tasty beverage, and doesn’t taste nearly as sweet as it smells. I’d recommend any matcha lover give this a try.
Bergamot Queen, The Tea Girl
I’m so thankful to The Tea Girl for sending me a sample of her Bergamot Queen blend. The dry cup is visually stunning, with a mix of purple, blue, and white cornflower petals. The aroma of the green tea base has a lovely complexity, both sweet and floral.
The steeped aroma is bergamot-forward, and the sweeter aspect of the tea comes through as well. The taste of the tea is incredibly refreshing. This tea lives up to its name, with the bright flavor of the bergamot shining through. The green tea is still there, and it works well with the citrus. If you generally avoid green tea due to grassiness or bitterness, you should give this blend a try, because the bergamot mitigates those flavors.
I enjoyed this tea hot, as iced tea season has long passed in the Midwest. (I know some people say iced tea season is all year, even in cold climates, but that’s just not me.) And while it was an incredible hot tea, if you’re a cold brew aficionado, you should give this blend a try. I think it would be excellent as a cold beverage. (The caveat is you have to reside in Canada for the time being.)
Classic Earls
Tea of Lords, Palais des Thés
This is my final tasting from Palais des Thés. While I disliked the Sencha Earl Grey and adored the Green of London, this blend falls squarely in the middle. This was my 84th tasting, and it was a point where I was struggling to be impressed by classic blends. I might have enjoyed this more if I’d tasted it earlier in the project, but that’s ultimately unknowable.
Both the dry and steeped aroma have an excellent balance of tea and bergamot. It’s the kind of fragrance I wish I could capture in a scented candle. (Yes, I know Earl Grey candles exist, but in my opinion, they never quite get the aroma right.)
The taste of this tea is bergamot-forward, with the tea in the background. However, it doesn’t feel imbalanced; I’m not really looking for a 50-50 flavor ratio of tea and bergamot. I like something bergamot-forward, so this is a perfect blend for me. That’s why I was surprised that I didn’t love it more. I can tell there are quality ingredients and that the tea has impeccable blending. Yet while I could taste the quality, something about it just didn’t truly resonate on my palate.
Earl Grey, Ci Tea
This is another tea that I received after winning thatttealover’s July challenge. Citea is a Montreal-based business run by a Ukranian family. According to their website, this blend has a Sri Lankan tea base in addition to bergamot flavor. The leaves appear to have been processed using the CTC method.
The dry cup has a heavenly aroma; the bergamot is strong, and the tea smells slightly spicy. While the tea aroma is slightly stronger in the steeped cup, the bergamot scent is able to hold its own.
This was tea number 98 for me, and let me tell you, after I passed 75, it was getting more and more difficult to be impressed by a basic Earl Grey. Yet impressed I was when I tasted this one. The tea itself is fantastic: it has a strong, complex body that’s a bit spicy and a bit flowery at the same time. The underlying floral tone complements the bergamot quite well. I didn’t think I’d be adding another classic blend to the best-of long list, but I’m adding the Citea blend as soon as I finish writing this post.
By the Numbers
Although I’ve tasted all 100 teas, I have one more post to write after this one. With that in mind, I’m going to hold off on sharing the final percentage breakdown until the final write-up.
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
The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations
The Earl Grey Year Part 20: Classics and Greens
The Earl Grey Year Part 21: Four by the London Tea Merchant
The Earl Grey Year Part 22: Four by Simpson & Vail
The Earl Grey Year Part 23: Final Florals and Variations
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
My Earl Grey. (n.d.) “What is Russian Earl Grey?” https://www.myearlgrey.com/articles/what-is-russian-earl-grey-tea/
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
Sorokina, Anna. (April 25, 2020). “‘Russian Teas’ that Russians Know Nothing About.” Russia Beyond. https://www.rbth.com/russian-kitchen/332070-rusian-tea-abroad
Twinings. (n.d.) “What is Bergamot?” https://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-bergamot -
The Best of It: Halfway Through November Edition
- Getting to host the SRG social this month.
- Putting up a bottle tree in our street pot to keep it looking vibrant in the cold months.
- Putting leftover cheese ball on a pumpernickel bagel.
- Maybelle being cozy.
- Completing my first year as editor of the Soulard Renaissance.
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The Earl Grey Year Part 23: Final Florals and Variations
This afternoon, I tasted my 100th cup of Earl Grey for 2024. I actually completed the tasting portion of the challenge well ahead of schedule. Honestly, I’m a bit surprised. I got behind in September, but then somehow finished early.
When looking at my spreadsheet, I only had two floral blends and two special variations left to review, so I grouped them here. Unfortunately these are overall not the best reviews, even though most of them come from major tea brands. Honestly, the strongest tea this time around was a private label blend from a grocery chain. It just goes to show that not all fancy brands are winners 100% of the time, and the less reputable teas can pleasantly surprise you.
Floral Blends
Lavender Earl Grey, David’s Tea
I’ve been a huge fan of David’s Tea for a few years now, and I had high hopes for the final floral blend of this challenge. Unfortunately, there is one ingredient in here that I really don’t care for, and while I went in with the best of intentions, I couldn’t bring myself to love this one.
The dry aroma is lovely; the lavender and the bergamot sing. It wasn’t until the tea was steeping that I actually read the ingredients. In addition to black tea, bergamot, and lavender, this blend contains lemon peel, calendula, and ashwagandha. It’s that final ingredient that ruins it for me. I honestly wish I’d paid attention / bothered to read the ingredient list before ordering, because I would have skipped this one. On the other hand, it’s not an ingredient someone would expect to see in an Earl Grey, so it’s not as though I should have thought to look.
While the ashwagandha aroma didn’t come through in the dry cup, I could smell it in the steeped liquid. However, I didn’t want to give up on this tea. I figured there was a good chance that all the other ingredients in this blend might cancel it out. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for me. As much as I tried to ignore it, I couldn’t escape the bitterness of ashwagandha. It also seemed to clash with the lavender and bergamot. Ultimately, I just couldn’t quite understand the purpose of including it.
Victorian Earl Grey, Simpson & Vail
This is the final Simpson & Vail review of this challenge! Their Victorian Earl Grey is an elaborate blend. They use their rose congou black tea as the base, and then add rose petals, lavender, rosemary, and bergamot flavor.
The dry aroma is intensely floral, verging on the scent of potpourri, which I admittedly found worrisome. The rose and rosemary were the strongest scents, followed by lavender and bergamot, with tea in the background. The steeped aroma is rosemary-forward, with the potpourri scent diminishing. While the steeped liquid had an overall similar aroma profile to the dry cup, everything seemed better melded together.
I believe this is the only Earl Grey I’ve tasted which contained rosemary. I did enjoy this blend, but I admit that as I was drinking it, I struggled to think of this as an Earl Grey. The rosemary taste is so strong that it comes across more as an herbal tea than a black tea. The flavors all play well together, but the rosemary and flowers overpower the bergamot and the tea. I would consider ordering this again, but while it’s delicious, I wouldn’t really think of it as an Earl Grey. It’s truly a special variation, but there’s been too much emphasis placed on the variation rather than the classic flavor profile.
Special Variations
Pumpkin Earl Grey, David’s Tea
I was so excited to try this tea. First, I love novelty blends in general. Even if they aren’t as good as I hoped they’d be, I’m always excited to give them a shot. And I love pumpkin-based flavors. I don’t even mean just pumpkin pie spice. Pumpkin muffins, cookies, fudge, anything. So a novelty Pumpkin Earl Grey seemed right up my alley. Alas, things did not work out.
This blend contains black tea, pumpkin,carrot, cinnamon, cardamom pods, clove, marigold petals, bergamot oil, and natural flavoring. And from the first whiff of the dry blend, I had a feeling that things were not going to go well. I wrote in my notebook, “This smells like Earl Grey Chai. Except there’s a reason you don’t usually see Earl Grey Chai.” The bergamot was completely overwhelmed by everything else. One of my notes indicates that this smells like bourbon that had gone rancid.
Nonetheless, I brewed the tea according to the suggested instructions. I wanted the opportunity to be surprised. Maybe the dry aroma wasn’t great, but when infused, everything would be fine. The steeped aroma smelled slightly better, but not great. I wrote in my journal, “I really do not want to drink this.”
However, I’d paid good money for this tea, and I wasn’t about to just give up on it. So I did my best to get through a full cup. Unfortunately, the bergamot was completely overpowered and the various pumpkin components were overwhelming. I wrote in my notes, “Actually, this tastes like bad Fireball.” I did not manage to get through a full cup. It’s a shame, because I’ve been a fan of David’s Tea for years; I’ve had one of their advent calendars every year since 2020. But unless I get comments from genuinely curious people who want to take this off my hands and give it a try, this is sadly going the way of the Arabica Earl Grey from Adagio: into the compost bin for my garden.
Earl Grey Russian Style, Lord Nelson
I received a sample of this Lord Nelson blend from my Instagram friend thattealover, after I won a prize in her July challenge. The Lord Nelson label is owned by the Lidl chain of supermarkets, and shows that store brand tea can still be quality tea! I had never heard of Russian Style Earl Grey before receiving this sample, which is why I immediately put it on the tasting list. I did some digging, and apparently Russian Earl Grey contains added lemon, though it may also contain lemongrass, cornflowers, and orange peel. Ironically, this blend is apparently not actually Russian.
This Earl Grey blend has a dry aroma that is both flowery and citrusy. The tea aroma is faint. That scent profile is the same for the steeped liquid as well. A remarkably consistent formulation, the bergamot and lemon were also the most prominent in the actual taste, with tea definitely playing second fiddle.
I enjoyed this blend; it’s one that I think would do quiet well when served as an iced tea. While the citrus is bright, on the whole it’s fairly mild and smooth. This is an all-day sipper.
By the Numbers
Although I’ve tasted all 100 teas, I have two more posts to write after this one. With that in mind, I’m going to hold off on sharing the final percentage breakdown until the final post.
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
The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations
The Earl Grey Year Part 20: Classics and Greens
The Earl Grey Year Part 21: Four by the London Tea Merchant
The Earl Grey Year Part 22: Four by Simpson & Vail
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
My Earl Grey. (n.d.) “What is Russian Earl Grey?” https://www.myearlgrey.com/articles/what-is-russian-earl-grey-tea/
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
Sorokina, Anna. (April 25, 2020). “‘Russian Teas’ that Russians Know Nothing About.” Russia Beyond. https://www.rbth.com/russian-kitchen/332070-rusian-tea-abroad
Twinings. (n.d.) “What is Bergamot?” https://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-bergamot -
The Best of It: I’m Scheduling This On Election Night Edition
- The new loaded baked potato tots at The Biscuit Joint
- The Sandwiches of History cookbook is now out!
- Getting autumn tea samples from The Tea Girl
- Taking dance classes at Yes Honey Studio
- The menu at Dumplings and Tea
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The Earl Grey Year Part 22: Four by Simpson & Vail
Between having 11 different Earl Grey blends and being one of my favorite tea companies, Simpson & Vail ended up capturing a large proportion of my tasting queue. With several of their teas left to review, I thought I would devote this week’s installment to four of the Earl Greys I tasted most recently. Plus, this week I’m reviewing the final tisane of this challenge; I know I’m not going to have another one, so it’s easier to group it by company rather than by category. Believe it or not, I still have one more Simpson & Vail blend to review after this! But that will be reserved for one of the final three blog posts.
Earl Grey
This classic blend contains four different black teas: Darjeeling, Assam, Chinese, and Sri Lankan, scented with bergamot oil. The dry aroma smells sweeter than most of the other blends I’ve sampled so far, though there’s no sort of added sugar. This was the 88th tea I tasted, and I admit that in my journal, I noted that I wasn’t excited to drink another standard Earl Grey.
The steeped aroma smells more of tea than bergamot. Although that always makes me question whether I’ll truly love the blend, honestly, the melding of different teas smells fantastic. I wish I could just release that steam in a diffuser all day.
On tasting, I once again felt the bergamot was on the weak side. However, I was nonetheless loving the black tea blend. I would be happy to drink this as a straight black tea without any bergamot addition. I’m going to have to go through their newest catalog to see if I can’t find something similar on their blend list.
Lady Myrtle’s Earl Grey Tisane
Simpson & Vail have created a complex blend, one that is earthy, sweet, citrusy, and floral all at once. It contains lemon myrtle, rooibos, rose, lavender, and bergamot flavor.
This tisane has a citrus-forward dry aroma, with rooibos, rose, and lavender following. The citrus is a combination of bergamot and lemon myrtle, and I admit that I struggled to distinguish between them. The steeped aroma had the same profile.
On the taste, however, the lemon myrtle asserted itself over the bergamot; I could definitely tell the difference between them. Unfortunately, I felt that it overwhelmed everything else. The rooibos and the lavender are also heavy, with the rose and bergamot barely detectable on my tongue. It feels like the different elements are in competition with each other rather than harmonizing.
Mrs. Grey’s Blend
Simpson & Vail’s approach to Lady Grey includes sizable pieces of orange and lemon peel in addition to black tea and bergamot. The dry cup has such a strong citrus aroma that the tea is difficult to detect.
On the steeped blend, on the other hand, the aroma is almost reversed: the tea scent dominates. Given the overall amount of citrus, I was surprised that it lightened up so much upon steeping.
For my first tasting, I followed the suggested instructions of a three-minute steep. Unfortunately, something really felt off when I tasted it, so much so that I made a few more cups just to be sure. Things tasted so odd that I wondered if I’d actually made a mistake with the steeping time, or if my palate was off from something I’d eaten recently. The citrus was quite bitter no matter if I adjusted the steeping time, cleansed my palate, or anything else. I wonder if the bergamot had simply gone off, which happens from time to time.
Darjeeling Earl Grey
This is another tea where I struggled with the categorization. On the one hand, this is simply black tea and bergamot, which would render it a classic. On the other hand, this is the only blend of all 100 teas that uses solely Darjeeling as the tea base. Because straight Darjeeling is a rarity for Earl Grey, I ended up classifying this as a special variation.
The dry cup smells bright and a little sweet. I could tell from the first inhale that it would be refreshing, and I was immediately excited to see how it tasted. I did the suggested three-minute steep. The scent of the infused liquid was heavy on the tea, but the bergamot nonetheless shone through.
I loved the taste of this one. While the bergamot wasn’t quite as strong as I would prefer, it was still bright and enjoyable. It was as refreshing as I hoped it would be, and is definitely the kind of tea you can drink all day (provided you can handle the caffeine). It’s quite enjoyable, and Darjeeling fans should definitely give this a try.
By the Numbers
I did not expect to finish October ahead of schedule! I only had to taste my 90th tea by the end of the month, and I ended up drinking five extra blends. Unless things go way off the rails in November (let’s hope not . . .), it looks like I’ll be finishing the tasting portion of this project a month early.
The pie chart proportions still haven’t changed that much in the grand scheme of things. I’ve also filled out the last few teas in my tasting queue, and I can see from that the proportions really aren’t going to change much more. There are no more tisanes in the queue, only one more floral blend, and only one more green (neither of which appear on the pie chart yet, because I haven’t tasted them). The rest is mostly classic blends, with a few special variations.
Now that the challenge is wrapping up, I do want to start thinking about how to celebrate. I mentioned a while back that I was thinking about doing a giveaway, and I’m still excited about that idea. So now it’s time to start thinking about how I want to put that together.
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
The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations
The Earl Grey Year Part 20: Classics and Greens
The Earl Grey Year Part 21: Four by the London Tea Merchant
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
My Earl Grey. (n.d.) “What is Russian Earl Grey?” https://www.myearlgrey.com/articles/what-is-russian-earl-grey-tea/
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
Sorokina, Anna. (April 25, 2020). “‘Russian Teas’ that Russians Know Nothing About.” Russia Beyond. https://www.rbth.com/russian-kitchen/332070-rusian-tea-abroad
Twinings. (n.d.) “What is Bergamot?” https://twinings.co.uk/blogs/news/what-is-bergamot -
The Best of It: Mid-October Edition
- The neighborhood chili cook-off
- Soulard Oktoberfest
- Family birthdays
- Cheddar and chive scones from Protagonist Cafe
- Candy corn mixed with peanuts
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The Earl Grey Year Part 21: Four by the London Tea Merchant
Since I bought so much tea from the London Tea Merchant when their St. Louis tea room was closing, I’ve written about a few of the teas already. When preparing to write this week’s Earl Grey installment, I noticed I had exactly four LTM teas left to review. So I thought it would be fun to create a single post devoted to these final four blends. Two I loved, one I liked well enough, and one didn’t land so well. However, remember that palates are personal; something I didn’t enjoy might actually be your favorite! The London Tea Merchant is still selling tea online via their website, so you should check out any of these blends that pique your interest.
Earl Grey
This classic Earl Grey blend has a bergamot-forward dry cup, but at first whiff doesn’t seem like anything special. The steeped liquor, on the other hand, has a more compelling aroma. The bergamot and tea are well-balanced, and I detect some spicy undertones. The LTM blenders use Yunnan tea as their base, which is one of my favorites.
On taste, this Earl Grey is exceptionally well-balanced. The tea is bright and refreshing, and is smooth enough to drink all day long. (Assuming you’re willing to consume caffeine later in the day, which I definitely am.) The bergamot shines, but the Yunnan tea comes through. I wrote in my notes, “This is the platonic ideal of Earl Grey tea.”
Though it’s getting more and more difficult to be impressed by a standard Earl Grey, this is a magnificent tea that is getting a spot on my best-of long list. I’m thrilled that although the London Tea Room has closed, the Merchant is still selling tea online, because I want to be able to buy it again.
Cream Earl Grey
From dry aroma to steeped aroma to taste, this is a remarkably consistent blend. On the one hand, that’s not an inherent indicator of quality. Like wine (or even potato chips), variation between aroma and taste is normal, and doesn’t indicate anything about the skill of the tea maker. However, a tea that has the same profile all the way through is a rare find, and I enjoy celebrating that when it comes up.
The London Tea Room approach to Creme Earl Grey includes black tea, cornflower petals, vanilla flavor, and bergamot flavor. I found the balance of tea and vanilla to be well-matched, but the bergamot was lighter than I prefer.
While Creme Earl Grey does not represent the biggest proportion of teas that I’ve tasted, I’ve tasted enough that, as with the classic version, it’s getting difficult to impress me. While special variations make up a larger proportion than cremes, there’s enough novelty in that category to keep me guessing. Creme Earl Greys, on the other hand, have a standard range of ingredients, so it’s now taking more effort for me to really love one of these blends. I recognize the London Tea Room’s Creme Earl Grey as expertly blended and of high quality, but it’s simply not something that changes my life.
Churchill
I was genuinely conflicted about how to categorize this tea. On the one hand, the only ingredients are black tea and bergamot, suggesting this is a classic blend. In addition, London Tea Merchant doesn’t specify which types of teas are in this blend. However, it’s so smoky that lapsang souchong has to be in here, and since that’s not a common Earl Grey base, I ended up calling this a special variation, just as I did for the Forntum & Mason Smoky Earl Grey.
The aroma of the dry cup is bright with bergamot; the smoky tea is there, but it takes a back seat. The steeped tea, however, has a heavily smoky aroma; it’s difficult to detect the bergamot. I found the taste to be overwhelmingly smoky, with the bergamot largely hidden. Even though I followed the steeping instructions, the tea also seemed excessively bitter.
Since I was sick for a chunk of September and October, I gave this blend a second chance. Although I tasted it after I’d recovered, I thought my palate might still have been compromised. So I felt this blend deserved another shot. And while it was less bitter the second time around, I felt the smoke to bergamot balance was off. I just didn’t love this one the way I loved its Fortnum’s counterpart.
Queen of Hearts
This summery blend contains black tea, wild strawberry leaves, and bergamot oil. The additions shine through in the dry leaves, with strawberry and bergamot having a well-balanced aroma. The tea aroma is in the background. This same aroma profile comes through in the steeped liquor as well.
The tea, on the other hand, is strawberry-forward, followed by tea. The bergamot flavor is on the weaker side. However, in this blend, I’m not complaining. The bergamot serving as an accent note works well. I think sometimes bergamot can clash with certain fruit flavors, so keeping it minimal here was probably the ideal choice.
While I’m not a huge fan of strawberry flavor in my tea, I did enjoy this blend, and I’m glad I have a big tin of it. I’d buy this again, and once the warmer months come back, I would make this as a cold-brew blend to serve at a summer picnic.
By the Numbers
I’m 90% of the way through the tasting portion of this project! It’s funny that just a few weeks ago, I was feeling over it and ready to call it quits early. I’m glad I didn’t, because I’ve enjoyed some absolutely marvelous teas since then.
Once again, my percentages remain largely the same. While the specific numbers have changed somewhat, the proportions aren’t all that different. With so few tastings left, I doubt there will be any surprises with the final pie chart.
Since reaching my 90th tea, I’ve added five new samples to my roster. That means I only have to acquire five more. I’m trying to choose carefully because there are many options out there. I’m excited for the new teas that will arrive in my mailbox in the next few days, and I look forward to seeing whatever fills up those few final spots.
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
The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations
The Earl Grey Year Part 20: Classics and Greens
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 20: Classics and Greens
I started the month slightly behind schedule, and today I tasted my 87th tea, meaning I only have three more to taste in October in order to stay on track! Even with two busy weekends ahead, I see myself easily completing this month’s tastings ahead of schedule!
Today I’m featuring two classic blends and two green blends. Both categories have a tea I found disappointing, and one I absolutely loved. We’re really hitting the full spectrum here.
Meanwhile, I only have 10 teas left to add to my tasting queue. What Earl Grey blend should I try next? Let me know in the comments!
Classic Earl Greys
Earl Grey Black Tea Rods, AMBA Estate
I was so excited to order these AMBA Estate Earl Grey Black Tea Rods from The Steeping Room. I had never seen anything like them before! So I was beyond disappointed when I ended up not being able to give this tea a ringing endorsement.
I didn’t detect much bergamot scent on the dry rods, though that’s not always a meaningful metric. I mostly evaluate the dry rods to track the sensory experience across the brewing process. I also want to note that the smell of the black tea rods was lovely! The leaves themselves have a fantastic aroma. After steeping the tea, though, I didn’t detect much bergamot scent in the infused liquid, either. I did get more of that lovely tea leaf aroma, though.
When drinking the tea, I did finally taste the bergamot, but there was just a whisper of it. I followed the steeping instructions the first time, and on subsequent tastings experimented with longer steeping times in hopes of bringing out the bergamot, but it just didn’t work. The taste of the tea is fantastic, but it just doesn’t taste like Earl Grey.
(Note: While the Earl Grey rods didn’t work for me, the tea rods infused with Sri Lankan vanilla were fantastic, and I will definitely be making those a regular part of my tea pantry.)
Earl Grey Extra Aromatic, Simpson & Vail
Simpson & Vail’s Earl Grey Extra Aromatic is a classic Earl Grey with double bergamot. As expected, the bergamot is strong in the dry leaf aroma; I smelled it even before I opened the package. In fact, it was difficult to detect the aroma of tea underneath all the bergamot.
I followed the suggested instructions to steep for four minutes, and was pleased to find that the aroma was perfectly balanced between bergamot and tea. While bergamot is the star of the show in Earl Grey, I always want to be able to detect the tea as well.
It should come as no surprise that, as a bergamot fan, I thought the taste of this tea was fantastic. While the bergamot was strong, it wasn’t overpowering; I still got to enjoy the taste of the tea leaves themselves. If you’re not a bergamot fan, you’re not going to enjoy this one, but for those of you who want a big punch of citrus, I recommend it.
Green Earl Greys
Sencha Earl Grey, Palais des Thés
I’ll say right off the bat that this blend did not work for me. From the moment I sniffed the dry leaves, something felt off. I don’t think the tea was bad. It’s simply that from the get-go, this was never going to be a tea that I loved. (Unfortunately, Palais des Thés does not sell sample sizes, so now I have quite a lot of this tea and no desire to drink it. If you’re interested in this blend, let me know. I’d be happy to set up some tea mail to offload this one from my stash!)
This tea has a medium-light body. It’s not the lightest green tea I’ve ever seen, but also not the darkest. It has a nice gold hue; if only I enjoyed the taste as much as I enjoyed the look of it. The steeped liquid did smell better than the dry leaf, but it still didn’t quite agree with my nose.
When I tasted the tea, I understood what my problem was: the grassiness of the sencha simply did not work in combination with the bergamot. I’m not saying it’s an inherently bad tea. I just felt the grassiness and the citrus did not work well together. But for you hardcore sencha fans, this might be enjoyable. I’d certainly be happy to send you a sample of mine if you wanted to try it!
Green of London, Palais des Thés
By contrast, I found this tea to be completely delightful. I ended up drinking this all day long the first time I tried it! This is another blend in which the bergamot wafted up before I’d even finished opening up the package.
The tea brewed to a golden, medium body. I followed the suggestion for a three-minute steep, and I think that was perfect. When I smelled the steeped liquid, the green tea aroma was heavier than the bergamot, but didn’t mask it.
The green tea that Palais des Thés selected for this blend is slightly bitter, but that is not a complaint. I loved the way the brightness of the bergamot played with the bitterness of the tea. I found the two flavors equally balanced. The only complaint is that the bergamot flavor was greatly diminished when I went for a second infusion. However, that’s been true of almost every Green Earl I’ve tried, so I’m not going to single them out. This blend still gets a place on the best-of long list.
By the Numbers
Last month I was in a funk, and this month I can’t believe I only have 13 teas left to go! My tasting queue is short at the moment; since I started the month behind schedule, I didn’t anticipate getting this far this fast. So now it’s time to think hard about what the last 10 teas will be.
I like how I went out of my way to add more green blends to the queue, and yet again, the proportions remain roughly the same. This is just how it seems to shake out over and over again. There are still some differences from my very first pie chart, and I look forward to comparing the first and the final.
There are lots of tea companies out there, so I can’t help but wonder what comes next. I’ve already tasted every Earl Grey from most of the companies on my list. A few are too expensive for me to order from again, and some others are not easily accessible in the United States. So I don’t see myself buying much, if anything, from familiar retailers. It looks like the last 10 teas will be mostly new.
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
The Earl Grey Year Part 19: Even More Variations
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
