Customer Reviews

Earl Grey Tea, 125g

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I discovered Whittard of Chelsea many years ago on a visit to London, and have since made it a habit to stop by one of their stores whenever I am in Britain. I'm delighted to see, though, that their products are now also available over the internet.

Earl Grey is my favorite blend of tea by far - no competition there. The biggest secret with this recipe once given to 19th century British Prime Minister Earl Grey of Hoswick Hall by a Chinese manadarin, reportedly in gratitude after the earl saved his life, is to get just the right doseage of bergamot oil, which is a rather intense, tangy scent derived from the bergamot orange (which in turn is a cross between the pear lemon and the sour orange; the latter is native to South Vietnam, and its oil was probably the recipe's original ingredient). Using too much bergamot oil can easily obscure the black tea's natural flavor - but the folks at Whittard get it just right, with a distinct bergamot note that nevertheless leaves ample room for the black tea's aroma to unfold underneath. I also like the fact that Whittard, unlike other tea companies which use Indian and Sri Lankan teas for their Earl Greys, have maintained a stronger sense of the original recipe by using a blend of Indian and Chinese teas instead.

Unless you insist on having *all* your tea with cream or milk, I recommend having this one without any kind of milk products: not only does the original recipe not call for such an addition; in my mind it just plain ruins the blend's particular flavor. (But that's just me, of course.) Whichever way you have it, though, if scented teas are your kind of thing, Whittard's Earl Grey should be right up your alley.