Tea Tonic’s ‘Timeless Shades of Earl Grey’ is, in short, quiet and mellow. Its light flavour reminds me of summer and can be fully appreciated in quiet moments. It contains both black tea leaves and oil of bergamot.
The lowdown on my prep: I brewed a teaspoon-and-a-half of loose leaves in a porcelain teapot. The tea brewed in freshly boiled rain water and I let it sit for roughly four minutes.
The fragrance of the leaves is quite strong. There was a heavy, almost woody scent, but this was perhaps due to the potency of the bergamot oil. It was a delicious fragrance and made me keen for the tea.
Such a fragrance led me to believe it would have a strong flavour. That was definitely not the case. The flavour, while at first seeming dull, proved to be mellow and light. Certainly not as full-bodied as other earl greys, but pleasing all the same. Unfortunately the citrus was mostly indistinguishable, although I found it more potent in the aftertaste, which had me going back for more.
For good measure, I tried it with full-cream milk. This didn’t add anything to the tea, and cancelled out the mellow flavours. I wouldn’t recommend this tea with milk. If you prefer your tea as such, perhaps brew this for a good five minutes, and add only the slightest dash of milk – the taste is too delicate. You will miss the citrus flavours otherwise!
The packaging is oddly satisfying. A big metal pot of loose leaf tea is always going to be good, but this pot just feels right. The 210 gram box stores plenty of leaves so you won’t run out soon! The design is great for scooping out leaves as any spillage falls into the indented rim rather than the table. This was so useful – particularly for a clumsy one like me!
‘Timeless Shades of Earl Grey’ is light and mellow, with a citrus aftertaste. The subtly of the flavours feels suited to quiet moments, and the lightness would be fantastic in summer. I recommend this for a light tea, or perhaps an introduction to earl grey!
Earl grey? More like earl GREAT!
Happy sipping xx
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