My Overall Impression (Score of 82.0%)

I’ve been traveling a great deal the last few weeks and loving it.  While my primary travel focus is for my FT job, if I have time, I try to get to a new tea shop.  I was able to get to Pike Place Market in Seattle recently.  I found a great spice store called World Spice that sells beautiful spices and some tea blends.  Today’s review is for their Earl Grey Blend.

The aroma on the blend is classic Earl Grey with great notes of bergamot and toasted malt when I opened the package.  Once brewed, I was slightly disappointed with the flavor.  It was watered down (like I added more water than needed for the brew) after 3 minutes of brewing.  Now, you can steep these leaves for a longer time to strengthen the brew.  However, for my review system, I used the 3 minutes similar to the other Earl Grey reviews.

Honestly, I do like this tea.  I have friends just starting their journey and this is one I would recommend.  Since it’s a bit milder, it’s a great introductory blend.  Then I could help guide them once they gave me their opinion.  They may love this or may want something stronger.  For myself, here are my suggestions:

• You can brew it longer to bring up its strength.
• You sometimes would like a milder blend to drink and this would be perfect.
• I would love to try this in the summer as a sun brewed option.

What do I think this Tea’s Personality is?

• Let’s take the afternoon off, chill out and consume me as I’m lighter than other Earl Greys.

The Price

The price on 2/3/24 is $10.49 for 73 grams.

Broken down:

• 73 gm / 3 gm for steeping = 24 brews
• 24 brews from package = app. 44 cents per brew

Typically, I double steep all my teas (use the tea twice) so I can get 48 cups or approximately 22 cents per cup.  Overall, this is a good deal for what I consider to be an introductory Earl Grey.

Aromas

• Opening the package, it reminded me of a classic Earl Grey. Smoky malt intertwined with beautiful strong notes of bergamot are prominent.
• This is followed by hints of white pepper, lime zest, grapefruit rind, toffee/brown sugar and finishing with cigar/tobacco notes.
• When brewed, the aroma is slightly muted in the glass. I expected stronger bergamot aromas from what the dried tea showed but it was still pleasant. 
• It does show citrus notes, molasses, dried meat with a hint of musty flowers on the tail end.

Flavors

• The classic Earl Grey blend is there showing bergamot and toasted malt. This is followed by hints of cardamon, cinnamon, and citrus zest.
• The only way I can say about the flavor is that the brew is watered down. It’s like I brewed a cup of tea and then added a splash of water. 
• It has a thicker mouthfeel with a cream like texture on the palate.
• It’s a good off dry sweetness level reminding me of caramel and toffee notes.
• The acidity, tannin levels and body are all medium or middle of the spectrum.

Scores

• Aromas (4.4/5)
• Flavors (7.9/10)
• Overall impression (4.1/5)
  • Total score = 82 percent (16.4/20)

Foods to Pair and Why

• As I mentioned earlier, I’m going to brew this blend as a sun brewed Iced Tea when it gets warm enough as I think it will be a great flavored, smooth earl grey version.
• I’m not sure why I’m feeling this but some Orange Chicken made from Spice n Pans recipe paired with this would be a great option.
• Since it’s February, we are starting to get some great fresh citrus in. I’m craving a blood orange cake for a delicious pairing.
• Another thought that came to mind would be Salmon Wellington in puff pastry.
• Sometimes, the simple things in life are the best. I was trying this brew during the review and for some reason, my brain kept thinking about fresh blackberries.  I had some beautiful ones in the fridge, and tasting these with the tea was a phenomenal blend.  I would suggest some fresh blackberries with a dollop of fresh whipped cream (touch of sugar) for a nice light dessert.