Tea Reviews | It's All About The Leaf

For those of you that know me, the fact that I am reviewing an Earl Grey tea may seem a bit… strange. For those of you that do NOT know me, you should know that I do not like Earl Grey. I have tasted teas from all over the world, different cultures, countries and hundreds of different blended and flavoured tea, and I could just never get my head around one of the most well known teas, Earl Grey – until now.

I actually broke one of my own rules here on It’s All About The Leaf – the rule that says you can only review teas that you either like, or have never tried before. If you don’t like black teas, and know it, don’t review them.

When I received this tin of Tippy Earl Grey from Golden Moon, my first thought was “Who should get this to review? They should like Earl Greys – because it looks like a good one”. I made the mistake then of cracking the tin open for a sniff – and instantly I knew that I was the one reviewing this one! It smelled like Earl Grey – but not as flowery and had a sweetness about it.

Even with the great scent I was still approached it with a little trepidation – it IS Earl Grey after all, and I don’t LIKE Earl Grey! So I started with a little less than is was called for, and steeped it only for 3 minutes to keep the strength down.

First impressions, smooooooth. Subtle. NOT bitter! NOT flowery! What the heck am I drinking? I am so used to an extremely tannin’y brew that smells and tastes like flowers, that I was momentarily confused! I can smell the Bergamot, I can taste the Bergamot, but it is not like taking a sip of grandma’s perfume, which is my usual reaction to an Earl Grey! It tastes… good!

Golden Moon highlights that this tea is made with a high quality base – and by George they are right! Right from their site:

“How is the Golden Moon Tea Earl Grey better than most Earl Grey teas?

The tea base is of a much higher quality than most Earl Grey tea. Also, our flavor is a good deal more balanced. Most other Earl Grey teas use a very strong Bergamot to cover poor quality tea. Earl Grey tea connoisseurs love our Tippy Earl Grey because of its consistently good taste and high value per cup.”

That is it, that is exactly it. Well balanced with a high quality black tea base. That is what has been missing in my enjoyment of Earl Grey tea since I was a kid! I am really enjoying this tea – cup after cup. No milk required, no sugar required to mask the taste. Even as it cools, it stays balanced and enjoyable.

Bottom line – this is the tea that you want to get back to Earl Grey with. If you don’t like Earl Grey – try it. If you like Earl Grey – try it. The only people that may not enjoy it are ones that like bitter cups of flowers. This is not that, this is a sweet subtle and enjoyable cup of Earl Grey Flavoured Black Tea. Thank you Golden Moon – I cannot WAIT to try other teas from your collection, based on my enjoyment of this!

You can purchase the Tippy Earl Grey directly from the Golden Moon Tea website.

Written by Mike Its All About the Leaf Reviewer - Read more about this author on Mike's profile page - View recent posts by Mike

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