Tea: Earl Grey
An Earl Grey Tea from Hampstead Tea - 
Organic - 
Fair Trade
| Brand: | Hampstead Tea |
| Style: | Earl Grey Tea |
| Region: | Blend |
| Caffeine: | Caffeinated |
| Loose? | Teabag |
| # Ratings: | 2 View All |
| Product page: | Earl Grey |
Reviewer: Alex Zorach
✓ 1453 teas reviewed
✓ 43 of Earl Grey Tea
✓ 109 of Flavored Black Tea
✓ 6 of Hampstead Tea
✓ 317 of blends
Review of Earl Grey
May 13th, 2013
| Aroma | Flavor | Value | Total |
| 5 of 10 | 3 of 5 | 3 of 5 | 53 of 100 |
| Fair | Fair | Reasonable |
I wasn't terribly impressed with this one.
The base tea tasted a little bland and generic to me. Hampstead does not share where the base tea is from, but it tastes more like Ceylon tea than anything else. The bergamot presence is light. Some slightly odd tones in the aroma, including black pepper and something suggestive of cedar wood or hardwood mulch. These woody / herbaceous qualities I like when I encounter in oolong, but I don't like them in this tea.
The cup is full-bodied, but without the sort of crisp bitterness or full flavor that I like in this style. Flavor seems muted. The dominant sensation I notice is astringency, which I feel mostly in the back of my mouth and throat.
I would probably not drink this one again, especially given how outstanding Hampstead's Darjeeling is--even their tea bags, but especially their loose-leaf.
