The loose tea is a rather broken black tea blend with visible bits of citrus peel and blue cornflower petals. It smells strongly like fresh oranges, but the tea aroma is quite faint. Adding hot water brings out a malty aroma from the tea, but the citrus still predominates.

The bulk of the flavor is citrus. The blend of orange and lemon is a nice balance of sweet and tart. There's a hint of bitterness, but the orange and lemon are much less bitter than the bergamot of traditional Earl Grey. I'd prefer a base tea with a stronger flavor, though, because the citrus completely overpowers the tea. A slightly astringent maltiness peeks through, but it's much milder than I expect from a UK blend.

Though it's not perfect, Twining's Lady Grey is one of my favorite flavored teas and one that I consistently repurchase. Twining's blends its tea bags differently than its loose tea, though, so keep in mind that the flavors aren't exactly the same. The loose tea is slightly more bitter, I'm guessing from more pieces of fruit peel. The tea bags also don't contain cornflower petals.

Prices have increased during the COVID pandemic and tins from the Twining's US online store are now $6.99 for 100g/3.53oz. $2 per ounce is a bit on the expensive side for this quality of tea. I've yet to find another brand that replicates this flavor, though, so I'm willing to pay for this blend.

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