This one wins on authenticity, and on organic and fair trade status, but I was disappointed by a high amount of astringency.

Very British-style...strong, but not as bergamot-ey as I expected. Pervasive but subdued bergamot quality.

This tea is very strong, overall. I also found it can easily be too strong...it is bitter, edgy, and a bit astringent. But it has a certain Britishness to it that I find is hard to capture in words, something about the strength of the base tea combined with the lack of edginess in the beragmot makes this more reminiscent of authentic English Earl Grey teas than the American brands that imitate the same style. The American renditions of Earl Grey I find are a bit lighter and fruitier.

I did not think this tea had too much or too little bergamot, but I suspect that some people might feel that it is not quite enough, especially given the "double" label, and given how full-bodied and bitter the tea is overall.

I also suspect that this tea, and the English Breakfast from Paisley, both might taste better with milk, but since I don't drink my tea that way regularly, this judgment will need to wait until another reviewer who prefers their tea with milk or cream steps in.

I still think this tea is on the pricey side relative to being a simple tea bag with broken-leaf tea, and relative to its astringency. The fair trade and organic status are nice, but those alone I think are insufficient to justify the price for me. I'd rather spend a similar amount of money on loose-leaf, whole-leaf tea.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.