Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steven Smith Teamaker
Tea Description:
A flavor somewhat superior to traditional Earl Grey. Fragrant Ceylon Dimbulla and Uva are artfully combined with select teas from India’s Assam valley, then scented with the flavor of bergamot from the realm of Reggio Calabria, Italy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Lord Bergamot from Steven Smith Teamaker is one of my all-time favorite Earl Grey teas. So I was very happy when this tea was included in April’s box from Knoshy.
What makes Lord Bergamot so great? I think it has to do with the fact that the black tea base is a blend of Ceylon teas from the Dimbulla and Uva estates as well as Assam tea from India. This creates a very pleasant, full-bodied base for the scenting of the bergamot oil. The Ceylon provides a smooth, rich flavor while the Assam adds a touch of malty flavor. There is a slight “wine-like” quality to the tea that contrasts in a lovely way with the tangy bergamot.
And I love that when I tear into one of these individually wrapped sachets I can SMELL the bergamot and it’s a powerfully strong scent. This is the way bergamot should be. It should be very aromatic.
By the way, this tea is available loose leaf too, and that’s how I originally tried this tea and as is true with other teas: I prefer it loose! However, Knoshy decided to send a box of sachets instead of loose leaf tea. That said, even in a sachet, this is still a really excellent Earl Grey!
The flavor of the bergamot is evenly matched with the richness of the black tea base. It doesn’t taste fake or chemical-ish. It doesn’t have a perfume-y sort of taste to it. This happens sometimes when the tea blender has selected a bergamot oil that is of lesser quality ~or~ when the tea blender has gone a little too heavy handed with the bergamot scenting process. (Or perhaps a combination of both factors.) But when a high quality bergamot oil is used in the right amount, it produces a SUBLIME flavor like I have here in my teacup right now.
It is a bright and tangy flavor, but there is a really pleasant sweetness to this too. The combination of the caramel-ish, malty notes of the black tea and the sweet/tangy flavor of the bergamot is moreish. Which is why, as I said at the start of this review, this is one of my top three favorite Earl Grey teas.
Those top three change pretty frequently, depending upon availability – some times a tea company either closes shop or they discontinue or change their Earl Grey; and sometimes it depends upon my palate – meaning that sometimes I come across a new favorite Earl Grey and one of the other teas is knocked to the #4 spot. But this one continues to be a top contender.
It’s just really good. If you like Earl Grey … this is one you should be putting on your must try list.
