Stash's Earl Green

Review

I am a fan of Earl Grey blends. I am drinking Twining's Lady Grey as I write this. I try to always keep around some Earl Grey or another (originally a bigger fan of Twining's blend, moving over to Bigelow's blend more and more for various reaons). I also like green tea. Seeing how Stash is one of my most purchased companies (with their Green Chai being probably my favorite overall spiced tea), Stash's Earl Green (a portmanteau of obvious origin) seemed to be a good way to combine these two things together. I was looking forward to a hint of nutty green flavor with a bergamot background.

I am quickly learning that I do not like flavored green teas. I mean, in something like a tea-juice punch the flavor of green holds its own, but in prebuilt taste combinations like this one and Lipton's Green with Cranberry and Pomegranate the green tea takes such a backseat to the foreground flavors that I end up drinking something that I know is tea by name more than by taste. There is a whole huge tea market that likes only the hint of tea, or like their tea kind of weak, but that is not quite my, well...cup of something.

This is a good blend to make such a point. The bergamot is dead on. The green tea is there as something of a mild background (tasting more like the green tea you get in bottles, than the kind of brew at home, however). The combination has a good flavor, if a bit towards an indescribably fruit juice tint. It has a good order, sits well on the palate, has no serious aftertaste.

I would never, though, think of this as a tea-blend. This brings to mind a tisane. In a cafe, with friends, it might make an interesting drink to sip and while away the hours. If it is just me, though, doing some reading or writing, or sitting outside with my pipe, it does not work.

As with the aforelinked review, this is a tea not for me but might work well for others. My guess is if you are a old school Earl Grey fan, you might like the change of pace but will not coaxed to make this your regular. If you are a whole leaf green fan you might put this into rotation, but will drift away from it after a pouch or two. However, if you like mostly flavored greens, and maybe like a little sweetner in your tea, this could be a good blend for you.

My rank, especially considering the $10 per 100g price tag, is Meh.

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