Tea Forte Advent Calendar: Day 10 - Earl Grey

 


Oh I was so happy to open the calendar to be greeted by this blend.


Earl Grey is one of my favorite tea blends.  When done right, the Assam + the bergamot makes for a heavenly cup.


Of course, when the balance is off, it can also be one of the most disappointing cups of tea to deal with.  However, all of the Assam blends in this calendar so far have been most enjoyable, so my hopes were high.

I forgot to take a picture of the brewed cup, but the color was dark, yet not dark enough to be mistaken for coffee.  The color made me think the brew would be suitably strong, yet still having an overall mildness.  The fragrance was lovely, but not overly heavy on the bergamot.  There was no oily residue on the top of the cup either, which let me know that they hadn't overly oiled the leaves to get the bergamot blend.  I appreciate this.

The first few sips were.... nice.  But it tasted - closed.  To be honest, most good Earl Greys do this to my palate when I drink them straight off the steep.  So, I added heavy cream and a touch of sugar.

Ahhhhh - it opened up like a blossom and gave me the lovely malty slightly floral taste of a quality Earl Grey.  I took my time drinking the cup.  It was a thing to be savored, and so I did.

Adding the shortbread finger did nothing but elevate the experience.  The butter in the cookie complimented the cream in the tea and the malty assam made the shortbread taste richer and sweeter.  It was a WONDERFUL way to start my day.


Final thoughts:  When re-stocking my Earl Grey I would consider including this brand as a contender for purchase.

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