Review #49 - TozyTea - Earl Grey Black Tea (sachets)

HA! Take that yellow backgrounds, I now have LED lights, two of them in fact, and I'm not afraid to use them. Silly intro I agree but I'm amazed at what ~7 bucks worth of cardboard and tissue can do to improve your photos. For this review another tea company was nice enough to send me some Earl Grey to review but this one came in sachets. Lets see how it fairs.

Aroma

Tozy's offering comes in a round cardboard container and upon further inspection I was very happy with what I read: 

Good for the Earth & Society
Tea container is made of 100% recycled paper
Our Pyramids tea bags are made of cornstarch and are 100% bio-degradable
Tozy Tea donates 10% of our profits towards the education of needy children  

 This is the type of company that everyone can get behind. Continuing on, the cover was held closed by two pieces of tape and once you cut those the cover comes off rather easily. That's when I found something inside I was not expecting especially after reading the above. I found a plastic bag containing all the tea sachets. Initially this really changed my entire opinion about the packaging as a whole. But then I got thinking, how else are they going to maintain freshness in an "air tight" manner? Sadly, this is probably the most cost effective way to pull this off and since the bag is of the zip-lock nature you can re-use it when you finish the tea bags. But it will be a very nice day when the tea industry is no longer forced to use plastics. With that out of the way, I opened the bag.

To be honest, even with all the sachets in the same bag this tea is very, very light on aroma. So I went back to the front of the container to see what was inside:

Our version of the world's most famous flavored black tea features handpicked Sri Lankan Orange Pekoe grade tea flavored with oil of bergamot.   

Fair enough. As we have seen before with other teas, sometimes the aroma doesn't really give you any information about the tea until you taste it.  So lets find out how to brew it properly.

Steeping Method

From their container:

Bring Fresh cold water to a boil
Place one tea sachet in a cup and add water
Wait 3-4 minutes and remove sachet
Add sugar and whole milk as desired

That means we will take their advice, add 5 minutes and then stress test it.

The Result

I started at 3 minutes since I knew I was going to push this tea at the other end of the temperature scale. At this time the color was very light, the aroma increased a bit but the flavor was very light. I let the tea cool a bit to see if the flavor changed any but it did not. The black tea flavor "itself" was also very light and did not balance with the bergamot which was even lighter. I also thought I tasted something else but couldn't put my finger on it.

I then tried the 4 minute steep. At this time the color got darker and the aroma increased as well

but now I started to pick up something in the aroma that wasn't there before in addition to the flavor. I blamed myself for doing something wrong and did a complete reboot. Washed the cup, didn't put the sachet on my display plate and refilled my electric kettle but that extra thing was still there. So back to the container I went and that's when I found it. In the first section I mistakenly just typed up what the front of the container said was in this tea but when you actually look at the ingredients you'll see that this tea does in fact contain ... cornflower pedals.  To be honest I was split. the front says it has tea and bergamot but it also says, "Our version" which means I should have paid more attention.
Whether others will have this happen to them is not something I can comment on so I will not hold it against Tozy and instead blame myself.

So I moved onto the 5 minute mark and things changed a bit. The cornflower I was picking up on started to fade. The color and aroma also increased making it a better Earl Grey. I let the tea cool for a bit and what little cornflower flavoring was left pretty much disappeared. If you have read my Review Policy, you'll know I was happy to see it go given I'm not a fan of cornflower.

With results getting better with each steep, I brewed up another cup and just left the sachet in. The results were more in-line with what I look for in an Earl Grey. It was still on the light side but without the cornflower flavor.

Re-Steeping?

For me I wouldn't re-steep because by leaving the bag in, there is nothing left. But if you don't mind a bit of cornflower in your Earl Grey, then 3-4 minutes, then 5.

Final Thoughts

I don't know whether to feel bad or to be happy. On the good side I finally found an Earl Grey with cornflower that I can drink. But only after over-steeping it which was probably not in the blenders mind when they created it. To end, if you are looking for a light Earl Grey with Cornflower from a company with a good conscience, by all means try this one.  

Review #48 - Dominion Tea - Earl Grey Organic (loose)

When I started this little endeavor it was for personal data collection. Then I decided to put it online so I could access it anywhere I had a connection. One thing led to another and the next thing I know, I've got a que of teas to review which is a great problem to have. Being the typical engineer I was always looking to improve my reviews not just with the way that I reviewed the tea but in how I presented it. Meaning the technical aspect of the website and the pictures they would contain. To be honest I was never happy with about half of the photo's I uploaded but I only had a point and click camera so I just said that's good enough since this was a hobby. Well that camera started to die which meant, time for a new camera. Then I saw this video by DIY TRYIN  and I decided to build my own Light Box. Since this was my first time messing with this stuff I kept it inexpensive and spent only about $7. When it was finally done, I was pretty blown away by the results. I'm sure you'll agree that my pictures are alot clearer and don't have that annoying glare issue. I'm still messing with different bulbs to get the best (warm white?) background so I can get the best shots. Because if all these companies are going to be nice enough to send me tea, the least I could do for them is make it look the best I can. Onto the review. 

Aroma 

As you can see from my clear (not bad huh? ;-)) picture, the tea arrived in a nice resealable pouch. The size of the pouch was 2oz which meant I had plenty of tea for plenty of testing.  The bag has two stock labels on the front and back with extra lables on top of them for the specific tea contained within. The stock stickers/labels contain the company name, logo and URL on the front and some company info along with steeping instructions on the back. With the bag inspection out of the way I cut it open and was met with one of the best smelling teas I've ever had. Citrus, tea, nature and all things natural is the best way to describe it. There was absolutely no hint of anything artificial which is exactly the way I like it.

Since this tea is normally bought from their site, I did some searching and obtained the following info.

Essential oil of bergamot and a good quality Chinese black tea is all that is in a traditional cup of Earl of Grey. So why do so many Earl Grey’s taste so different and how do you get a really good cup of Earl Grey? In short, focus on the bergamot. - See more at: http://www.dominiontea.com/earl-grey/#sthash.iudDTqFw.dpuf  

Then I clicked on the full story link and found an entire page dedicated to just Earl Grey and how bergamot plays such an important role. Do yourself a favor and read What is it really?

As for the contents, the tea is organic and after reading their bergamot page, it's quite apparent these "guys" are serious about putting the best ingredients in their tea.


Steeping Method

Directly from their site:

Steeping Instructions

Step 1:

 

Preheat mug with boiling water, discard and refill.

Step 2:

 

Steep 1 tsp or 3-4 grams of tea per 8 oz of water.

Step 3:

 

Steep for 3-5 minutes as desired. Experiment with slightly cooler water or shorter steeping times. Try one additional steeping if desired.

I didn't think I was going to need anything else then those direction but I did which I will explain in the next section. 

The Results

I started with the 3 minutes mark and received a very light tea. The color was very transparent but the

aroma was still very nice. The flavor of the tea was more on the tea side but once I let it site for a while the bergamot came through a bit more. There was no bitterness only a very light flavored Earl Grey. 

The 4 minute steep time saw the color darkened and the flavor increase. The aroma actually subsided a bit allowing the tea to be taken in a bit more then at 3 minutes. Again I let the tea sit for a bit and the flavors blended quite nicely. Normally this is my favorite steep time but at this point started to realize this may be a lighter Earl Grey by design. 

At the 5 minute mark the aroma continued to impress, the color darkened and the flavor increased as well. The flavor was very balanced with both tea and bergamot not overwhelming the other. But to be honest, I wanted a bit more. As I have stated in previous reviews, I like (using wine as a reference again) a Cabernet or Bordeaux type of Earl Grey where the tea has a full taste to it. But at the same time can appreciated when tea blenders go for more of a Chardonnay approach. At this point, this was a Chardonnay which got me thinking. This wasn't the first tea to brew up light and in that case I upped the serving and it changed everything. 

So I threw out the instructions and went with a huge heaping teaspoon at the 4 minute mark and two teaspoons also at the 4 minute mark. The result was exactly the type of Earl Grey I enjoy. The color was darker, the flavor more intense and it even gained some additional sweetness when allowed to cool. Some teas cannot do this but this tea was able to transform itself just by adjusting the serving. Granted this changes the dollar value of this tea but if you re-steeep, it might just even things out. 

Re-Steeping?

What I found during all my testing was not surprising and not a bad thing at all. If you prefer a lighter tea I would not re-steep this tea because it starts so light to begin with leaving very little to enjoy. But if you start with my extra servings you can get a second steep. Go heaping teaspoon at 4 minutes to begin and 5 for the re-steep. The second will obviously be lighter but it will still be a good cup of tea.

Final Thoughts

This tea is organic, and uses quality bergamot which leaves the rest to personal preference. If you like a lighter Earl Grey, this is a must try tea. If you are more inline with my tastes, this tea can pull it off but at a price unless you re-steep. Either way it's so nice to review tea from a company that takes Earl Grey so seriously. 

Review #47 - Whittard of Chelsea - Earl Grey (loose)

To start I'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Next I would like to say, you are not seeing double even though you may be thinking, "didn't you already review this tea before?" Yes I did review a tea from Whittard before but that was their bagged Earl Grey. This review will cover their loose. Now that we have that cleared up on to the review. 

Aroma

If you read my review of the bagged Earl Grey Whittard sent me you'll notice the box is practically the same minus some small details. The biggest, the box says black tea leaf instead of bagged and the top is tapered unlike the bagged box which was not. The tea is sealed in a clear plastic bag and is not hard to open at all. More on what happened after I opened it a bit later.

The aroma can best be described as smooth and clean. There is no hint of any perfume so we were off to the same good start we had with the bagged. I liked how the aroma was balanced once you got past the initial bergamot part/smell. The back of the box gives us another difference from the bagged version. Like before there is a table of info regarding the tea.

Strength : Medium
Character: Bright and Refreshing
Origin: China 

For those of you who either remember the previous review or went back and checked you'll know that the origin of this tea is different. Also found on the package is the best buy date which shows my box as:

20.06.2016 

To end this section I'd like to finish the thought that I had about the plastic bag. While the bag was sealed properly (no hint of any aroma) it should be stated you need another container to put your tea in after opening this bag. Even though I took some care in opening the bag it still didn't open perfectly leaving it very hard for me to roll it down in order to seal it back up. I tried once but noticed the rip got worse. So I transferred all the tea to another sealed tin I had. Maybe they could put something on their packaging alerting the buyer to be ready for an alternate storage option. Not a huge deal but the notice would be a nice touch.

Steeping Method

Normally this section is pretty straight forward but in this case I found it "odd" that the packaging did not provide any per cup steeping instructions only the following:

For a Perfect Pot of Tea
Use fresh water. Water left in the kettle loses vitality and makes teas taste dull
Rinse the pot with boiling water to bring out the tea's flavour
Add 3-4 teaspoons of tea to a 6-cup pot
Piur boiling water and leave to brew for 3-4 minutes
Pout through a strainer; add milk or lemon.  

I then checked their site and found this:

Brew: 3-5 minutes according to taste

So I did my normal 1 teaspoon serving and went with 3 - 4 and 5 minutes of brewing time for this review.



The Results

Starting with the 3 minute time, the color was on the lighter side but the aroma had increased greatly

since I first opened the bag. The balance was very good but like I said the flavor was on the lite side. I allowed the tea to cool a bit and was rewarded with a bit more citrus/sweetness.

Next up 4 minutes. At this duration, the color was darker and the aroma had increased as well. Both the tea and the bergamot increased their flavor but were still very nicely balanced. I let this time cool and even though it did gain a bit more citrus it still remained balanced. What this time did offer over the 3 minute time frame was complexity. There was a much nicer ending to the tea. Instead of it just being a good Earl Grey it had a bit more flavor leaving a nice fresh tea flavor in your mouth.

Which brings us to the 5 minute mark and that means we all need to keep in mind Whittard did not suggest this time (On the Box) so any issues are mine alone (or are they?) The result was an increase in the color and some additional flavors. I tried this time twice, like the others and on the second attempt started to pick up some different flavors. To be honest I think I was on the verge of burning the tea. The aroma didn't provide any burnt clues but the taste was definitely ever so slightly different.

In this case my tried and true 4 minutes was my personal favorite while the 5 minute stress test time turned out to be just a bit too much.

Re-Steeping?

To begin, given the result I got from my stress testing I didn't even try to re-steep instead I just played around with the 3 and 4 minute brewing times. In the end it came down to personal preference. I like a bolder taste so I suggest a 4 minute first steep time and the same for the second. The flavor will be less then the first but I didn't mind it at all. If you like a lighter tea, then 3 minutes for the first steep then 4 minutes for the second will almost get you two of the same cups of tea. Nice when teas can do that.

Final Thoughts

I avoided the topic, which always comes up, so I will touch on it here. In the US we are facing a number of "challenges" about knowing where our food comes from.  Whittard's site shows teas labeled as Organic and they also state that all of their syrups are 100% natural. I'm hoping that natural word continues to carry more weight in the UK then it does in the US. With that aside, I really enjoyed this tea and I really enjoyed being able to compare loose versus bagged. Either one provides a good cup of Earl Grey and I have no issues with suggesting this tea. As you might guess, I prefer the loose especially given it's ability to re-steep. So don't be shy and try them yourself and let us know what you think in the comment section.

Review #46 - The Spice & Tea Exchange - Earl Grey Tea

As you know I took a bit of a summer hiatus from reviewing tea. But I would like to point out, even though I was not writing up the next review I was still on the look out for new teas. So at the end of my family's trip to a certain "World" in a southern state in the US, that may be Magical, Epic, Hollywood-ish, or contain Animals, I found some tea "Downtown". Better still, even though the temperature in this southern state is known for going well over 95 degrees during most of the summer, I was buying tea normally made with boiling hot water. While you ponder whether I'm crazy or not, lets get to the review.  

Aroma

The tea that I bought came in a clear plastic bag. It had the typical zip lock enabling you to continue using the bag after it was opened since you could re-seal it. I don't know how long it sat on the shelf in Florida but reviewed it quickly once I got home. My initial thoughts on the aroma were of perfume. Not alot, but it really didn't have that fresh citrus smell that I look for. The tea was also present but not as much as other teas. The ingredients listed on the bag matched what is listed on the companies site:

Contains: organic black tea, essential bergamot oil. 

The bag/site also provides a small blurb about the blend:

Classic English tea. Black tea leaves are blended with the natural oils from the bergamot citrus fruit. Results in a smooth rich cup, with floral and citrus notes.

The package was listed as 1oz and had the "location" named: Lake Buena Vista


Steeping Method

The bag has the following information:

Steep: 1 TBS at 212degrees for 4-5 mins 

Because I had a full oz of tea to test, I added a 3 minute time to both first and second steeps.


The Results

I started at the 3 minute mark keeping in mind this wasn't a suggested time. The result was not

surprising because the color and flavor were definitely mild and light. The interesting part was the initial flavor. I'll stop there because the same result was tasted with the other two times.

I then moved onto 4 minutes and things improved alot. The aroma coming from the tea didn't have anything that said perfume. The color of the tea was alot darker but the flavor was again just not what I would expect. So I let it cool a bit and was rewarded for my patience. The tea balanced out and all the flavors started to work together to present a very nice Earl Grey.

The same thing can be said about the 5 minute steep time but with a bit extra. At 5 minutes, the color grew a bit darker and the initial flavor even more unbalanced. So I again let it sit and received the same mellowed result. The flavors balanced out and the aroma really started to give off the citrus aroma you come to expect with this tea. I did detect a tiny bit of bitterness but nothing that ruined the tea. I had this same tea over the course of a week and received nearly the exact same "I need to wait" result. With all of the above in mind, lets see how it did when re-steeped.

Re-Steeping

To put this bluntly, this tea drove me crazy because it responded so differently too the three times I threw at it. If you start at 3 minutes, then steep for 4 on the second you get a very light but acceptable tea. But if you go 4 minutes then 3 minutes you get a bit more of a flavor. It's not much, and still very light but it's there. If you go 5 to start, forget it. Personally the second steeps are too light for me but if I was running out of Earl Grey and want to make this tea last, I would go 4 then 3.

Final Thoughts

Spice and Tea have come up with an interesting Earl Grey. It's organic, and while I couldn't find anything about the bergamot, this tea really didn't taste of anything artificial. The packaging allows you see the tea so you know what you are getting and all needed information is right where it needs to be on the package. There is the unique waiting period. For me it wasn't a problem once I understood what I needed to do. If you are the type that can't wait then you may not like this tea but if you can, I would definitely suggest you try it yourself.

Review #45 - Whittard of Chelsea - Earl Grey (bagged)

Once again the internet comes through. This time around Whittard contacted me with an offer of both bagged and loose tea which I accepted gladly. But this caused a slight  problem. Which tea do I review first? So I did what any person in my position would do. I pulled out a quarter and flipped it to see which of the two would be reviewed first. So onto the review we go.

Aroma

To begin, the box containing the teabags comes in what I call your typical tea box. Once you take the plastic wrap off you have one side that opens making bag access quite easy. After I removed the wrapper I checked and could not detect any hint of aroma from the tea which is a good thing. I grabbed a bag, ripped it open and was met with a nice clean smell. Not overly strong but definitely allowed me to take in both the bergamot and the tea. I didn't pick up on any form of a perfume aroma so we were off to a good start. Curious about the ingredients I took some time to read what the box had to say. In three different languages it said:

Black Tea, 4% Bergamot Flavoring

Above those words was a table (think word doc table) containing additional info:

Strength: Medium

Character: Bright and refreshing

Origin :  Indonesia

In addition to that,  the front of the box had the words "Light Traditional" which was kinda confusing. My guess, the black tea by itself is medium but the combination creating the Earl Grey was light.

To end this section it should be noted that neither the bags nor the tags used staples which for me, should be the industry standard.


Steeping Method

From their site:

Brew a Perfect Cup

Ideally warm the pot first with a splash of hot water. Use one teabag per cup and always use freshly drawn and boiled water. Allow to brew for 3-5 minutes according to taste.

The box contains nearly the identical information but instead called for just 3-4 minutes. Because I had a whole box to use for testing, I went with 3, 4, 5 minutes along with my  typical stress testing.


The Results

Starting at 3 minutes gave exactly what the box said, a light tea. The color was very

light, and the aroma and flavor followed suit. There was no after taste but at the same time there was no complexity. After allowing the tea to cool a bit no extra flavors were gained.

Moving onto the 4 minute steep time really helped this tea alot. The color improved greatly and the aroma was noticeably improved. The flavor was very good with no after taste but had a bit of complexity. As the tea cooled slightly the flavors blended a bit more and this tea balanced out very nicely.

With growing interest I tried the 5 minute steep time, and while the improvement was only slight, when the tea cooled a bit the extra steep time made it worth it. The tea gained some additional citrus while not ruining the balance. The color was nearly identical to the 4 minute time along with aroma but there was definitely extra tea flavorings to enjoy.

That bring us to the dreaded stress test where the bag is just left in there to see if we can discover something about this tea. And while there is nothing to report it should be said that the tea put up a fight until about 6minutes when it started to taste burnt. As always, I broke the rules and didn't listen but I always enjoy seeing how each tea reacts. Which brings up to the re-steep test.

Re-Steeping

After much research I am going to say, "Just don't do it." Yes you can re-steep this tea but there is no reason too. Seriously, the only way I could get this tea to re-steep would be to go 3.5 minutes on the 1st and then between 4 and 5 on the second. Even then you won't get much. It's ok but like I said, don't. Just grab another bag if you are looking for a second cup.


Final Thoughts

Lets get the unknowns out of the way and then end with the positives. We know where the tea comes from but we don't know anything about it, nor do we know anything about the bergamot flavoring. Hopefully the fine folks in the UK don't have to deal with/worry about some of the garbage we in the US are facing with our food and the sad state of labelling. Hopefully both the tea and flavorings are as natural as nature made them.

On the positive side, this is a very good tea. The 3 minute steep time is not to my liking but if you like your Earl Grey on the light side, this deal will provide. But for me, 5 minutes was my favorite. It had good color, nice aroma, and even some complexity after it cooled a bit. To end, do your self a favor and try this tea for yourself, I'm guessing you'll enjoy it as well.  

Review #44 - SanctuaryT - Classic Earl Grey (loose)

For this review I was contacted by what might be the closet "shop" yet. Sanctuary T is located in NY which is probably, on a perfect traffic day, around a 3hr drive. They actually sent me a number of teas but for this review I'll be focusing on their Earl Grey. Onto the review.

Aroma

The samples were sent in plastic bags with hand written notes on them. Like before, if you are willing to send me tea for review and the samples are created just for me, I do not review the vessels you choose to send the tea in. All I will say is the teas were put in small little baggies and the tops rolled up tight.

When I opened the baggy I was met with a very subdued aroma. Both the tea and bergamot were easily picked out and nothing had an artificial smell to them. Sometimes you pick up alot of fruity citrus, but in this case the bergamot was on the limited side. As we have seen before, the aroma sometimes gives a different picture of what the tea will taste like.

As for ingredients, I'll let their site explain what is in this tea:

Our Earl Grey stays true to the classic traditional blend of Chinese black tea flavored with bergamot for its signature full-bodied citrus taste. 

Steeping Method

Because of the way the tea was sent to me I'll let their site explain the times and such:

Steep for 3-5 minutes. Longer steep times increase the tea's acidity (great for adding milk and sugar).

Given the range of times given and the sample size I will not stress test, but focus on the times and the re-steeping for each time.

 The Results

Since I had a test plan in mind I started with the 3 minute time. The color was good but not as dark as other teas I have reviewed. The aroma changed a bit and gained some fruitiness as it cooled which was interesting but the tea remained in the light category.

I then moved onto the 4 minute time and things improved. The color grew darker and the aroma took

another step towards added fruit. It was at this point I started to think of the words mellow and smooth. I let the tea cool a bit and that's when I started to enjoy the tea even more. The smell was this nice mellow bergamot that didn't overwhelm the tea. This tea definitely had balance but you had to wait for it. That's when I moved on to the 5 minute time frame.

At 5 minutes the color was at it darkest, as expected, but the aroma only added to the whole mellow and smooth vibe. The tea remained balanced but once again tasting it right after it was brewed didn't give me what I wanted. It was only after the tea had a few minutes to "blend", did it's unique taste come through. In most teas I talked about balance because I don't want either of the ingredients to overwhelm the other. But in this case, the flavors joined. I was no longer trying to pick out the tea, for example, but instead just enjoyed the flavor as a whole. As I said before, there is something mellow and smooth about this tea that makes it unique.

So the next question to answer would be, how would it handle re-steeping?

Re-Steeping

As typical, and if I have enough tea, I test each steep time for it's ability to re-steep. This time was no different. Sadly, the initial steep time I liked the most, gave the weakest re-steep and to be honest no one should be surprised by this. So here is where I stand. If you really wanna re-steep go just under 4 minutes for your first and just over 4 for your second. For me, go 5 the first and forget re-steeping.

Final Thoughts

Lets start with the cons. Unless I was blind and couldn't find the info on their site, the actual contents of this tea are unknown. I.e. Organic vs other things. Also the 3 minutes is very light and not something I prefer. But as for the pros, this is a very enjoyable tea.  IF you have the patience this is a perfect tea for a nice relaxing Sunday morning. The flavors meld nicely at the 5 minute mark to the point where you don't want to drink this tea quickly but rather spend some extra time to savour it. As always, try it for yourself, and be sure to leave a comment.

Review #43 - Brew Leaf - Cream Earl Grey Black Tea (loose)

Summer vacation is over and I am back. I hope everyone had a great time enjoying their summer getaways and you were able to drink lots of tea. For this review I try another tea from Brew Leaf with a bit of apprehension. Why? Because if you have read my Review Policy you'll see I have yet to sample an Earl Grey, with additional ingredients beyond the tea and bergamot, that I liked. So will this tea snap me out of my traditionalist ways or will it only cement it further? Lets find out.

Aroma

Since this tea came in the same exact packaging as the other Earl Grey I reviewed from Brew Leaf I will not repeat myself. If interested please refer back a few reviews for all the details. What I will discuss is the aroma. When I opened the package I smelled something I hadn't smelled in a good long time. It conjured up, for me at least,  childhood memories of eating ice cream on a stick. I believe they were called cremesicles. The bad part, I never really liked them and remember being the one kid who instead ate the vanilla covered in hard chocolate versions instead. I'm sorry but my dislike for creme goes way back. Once I got beyond the initial aroma I tried really hard to pick up on the bergamot or/and tea. If I hung in there I could make out the tea but the creme flavoring just overwhelmed the bergamot. 

Brew Leaf has seen a number of updates to their site since my first review so I can now include the ingredients of this tea: 

A remarkably heady Earl Grey tempered with wickedly delicious cream flavor. One cup is not enough! Luxury Ingredients: Organic: Black tea, Osmanthus petals, Natural flavors. Certified Organic by Pro-Cert Organic Systems. Tea(s) From: Sri Lanka.  Region(s): Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva.

As you can see, this tea is organic which is always a good thing.

With regards to the powder like consistency, this tea mimics their other Earl Grey. The tea is not complete dust as found in bags, but it's about the smallest "leaf" I've seen of all the teas I've reviewed. The smallish nature of the leaf didn't affect the taste of the tea in my first review so I'm hoping for the same result here.

Steeping Method

Since I have some history with this brand I decided to go for steeping times on the low side since the previous tea did not fair well with a longer time. I used 2, 3, and 4 minutes. It should be noted neither the bag nor the updated site contained any steeping info.


The Results

I started where I always do, at 4 minutes and got a mouth full of creme and burnt

tea. The color was on the lighter side as can been seen in the picture. The balance of this tea was almost completely on the creme side. Yes I could pick out the tea but the bergamot just wasn't there.

At the 3 minute mark things really didn't change all that much except for the burnt part. This time the bitterness of the tea was replaced with more creme which for me, wasn't ideal. The color was a bit lighter but not by much. At this point in the review I should probably announce that someone like me should not be reviewing this tea. I'm just not a creme fan.

At the 2 minute mark I was hoping to obtain a better balance with regards to tea vs bergamot vs. creme but what I got was almost all creme. To be honest by giving the tea such a short time to steep the flavor from the black tea never built up enough to balance things out.

To end this section, and just like the first Brew Leaf review, I ended up with tea in my cup because the small leafs got through my strainer.

Re-Steeping

I re-steeped all three times and if you like creme use the 3 minute time. You avoid the bitterness of the 4 minute time yet obtain some tea flavoring compared to the 2.  Go 3 minutes, then 3 again.

Final Thoughts

So as you can see, this tea did not break me out of my Traditional Earl Grey ways. I really wish I could have found something about this tea that appeals to my tastes but facts are facts. I didn't like creme as a child, and I don't like it as an adult. Which makes it very difficult to review this tea fairly. So I will end with this... If you like creme, try it. If you are like me and don't like creme either by  itself or in your tea, then I'd pass on this one.