 | "I absolutely loved this blend. For me it was just about perfect, but the intensity of bergamot flavor here may be a bit much for those new to Earl Grey."
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9.5/10
From Indonique.com:
“This tightly twisted whole black leaf is intensely aromatic and infuses a delicately balanced and smooth dark red citrus flavored cup.”
“Intensely aromatic” is right - this stuff absolutely screams “Bergamot!” when you first open the container and take a whiff. When it comes to Earls Grey though, smells can be deceiving - many such blends smell great in the leaves but end up too flat, too smokey, too bitter or too tasteless in the final brew.
Not so here. The aroma of the leaves gets picked up perfectly in the flavor of this brew. The rich perfume of bergamot infuses every sip and completely envelops your senses in the aftertaste, with just about as much intensity as you could possibly squeeze into a cup of Earl Grey without it actually ending up a bitter and undrinkable brew. The Chinese tea base used here is delicate and clean, without the intensely-smokey notes that you’ll sometimes find in Earl Grey, reminiscent of Lapsang Souchong.
In the end, I loved - absolutely loved - this blend. I would put out the warning that the bergamot/citrus flavor is very intense, though, so I’d only recommend this to truly die-hard Earl Grey lovers who know what they’re getting into.
— To purchase Indonique Earl Grey Extra Fancy Black Tea, or for more specific information on ingredients or the story behind this particular blend, click here to go directly to the manufacturer's web site.
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Stephen Teaviews.com Reviewer » Read more about this reviewer on Stephen's profile page. » Find a list of recent posts by Stephen. |
March 18th, 2008 at 1:25 am
You’re absolutely right Stephen, the tea screams of bergamot as soon as you take it out of the shipping box. This is not for those who are not used to strong flavor in their tea. I prefer sweeter teas myself, but I can tell if you’re into the bolder, citrus-flavored black teas, this is definitely one you shouldn’t miss. A great flavor from Indonique!
My Rating:
7/10