When I opened up this tin, I was greeted by the very welcome scent of bergamot, that famous flavoring of all Earl Greys. Earl Grey is my old standby of scented teas, and I am always on the lookout for new and delightful variations.
This particular blend, with a rooibos base, features not just bergamot oil but orange rinds that I can only guess come from an actual bergamot orange. It also appeared to have cornflower blossoms, but as Adagio does not have ingredients lists on its website or sample packaging, I’m left guessing. It certainly did smell delightful.
Upon steeping, the light but distinct scent of rooibos emerged, with a whiff of caramel. The bergamot scent was still there but not quite as strong as in the leaves themselves. Likewise the actual flavor of the infusion is not as strong as many Earl Greys. Rooibos has its own flavor of course, and one cannot expect the same tannic astringency that black tea lovers seek out. This tea has a lightness to it most suitable for late afternoons and into the evening, when caffeine is not quite as welcome as it is at the breakfast table.
Adagio describes this tea as:
Rooibos tea from South Africa, flavored with oil of bergamot, a citrus fruit. According to legend, this tea is named for Earl Grey, a British Prime Minister, to whom a Chinese noble entrusted its secret recipe for saving his life. Unfortunately, this story is not true. But we hope this won’t prevent you from enjoying our exquisite ‘Bravo’ version of the popular Earl Grey tea, the perfect afternoon tea. Naturally caffeine-free.
I do recommend as a minimum steeping time the seven minutes recommended by Adagio. Many South Africans even steep their rooibos overnight for maximum strength, as rooibos leaves do not have the tannins that cause tea to become bitter when steeped for too long. While perhaps the bergamot flavors would have more play at a lower steeping time, the rooibos itself would be overwhelmed by the citrus notes that are so delightfully delicate when properly steeped. As for the cornflowers, I do not know that they added anything to the flavor, if that is what they were, but they certainly do look pretty in the tin.
"![[Google]]( http://www.teareviewblog.com/wp-content/plugins/easy-adsenser/google-light.gif)
Recent Comments
"When I was a kid, in the middle of winter, my friend Penny and I eachbought a quart of ice cream, skated to the island in the middle of our lake and ate them. Soooo good and soooo naughty. It keeps us young to be naughty sometimes. I would just go for it an enjoy!"
marlena said, in reply to Better Belly Blend from Two Leaves and a Bud on August 30, 2010 at 12:35 pm
marlena on:
Better Belly Blend from Two Leaves and a Bud
"Well, as someone who has tasted a lot of chai tea, I can attest that this really is not very similar in taste to Chai. Chai tends to focus on the spices, whereas this tea’s focus is on the orange, with the spices being very gentle and more of an accent to the orange."
liber-teas said, in reply to Harvest Orange Spice from Octavia Tea on August 25, 2010 at 11:00 pm
liber-teas on:
Harvest Orange Spice from Octavia Tea
"How fun! I love drinking tea so I love that you have a whole blog related to reviewing them. One brand that I really love that I don’t see on your list is the Portsmouth Tea Company. When I lived in Boston I used to buy lots of their teas and they were oh so unique. They had some really great fruity and floral blends. It’s interesting that..."
Kelly said, in reply to Harvest Orange Spice from Octavia Tea on August 25, 2010 at 11:25 am
Kelly on:
Harvest Orange Spice from Octavia Tea
"Haha!! My co-worker told me that she purchased this tea after having purchased the Matcha Latte at Seattle’s Best, and her and another co-worker purchased this because they believed it was what was served there. She stated to me today that “it didn’t seem the same exactly…it felt like their was something..."
The Tea Guru said, in reply to Matcha Latté with Honeydew from Tazo Tea on August 20, 2010 at 8:55 pm
The Tea Guru on:
Matcha Latté with Honeydew from Tazo Tea
"I’m not absolutely certain, but I believe that this is the concentrate that Seattle’s Best coffee shops use to make their matcha latte. The lattes I’ve enjoyed there were sweet with a definite melon flavor… and I have noticed that they sell other Tazo teas there. If it IS the concentrate that they use… I am..."
liber-teas said, in reply to Matcha Latté with Honeydew from Tazo Tea on August 20, 2010 at 8:47 pm
liber-teas on:
Matcha Latté with Honeydew from Tazo Tea
"I Love this tea!! This flavor is my favorite. I am so addicted to it! Thanks
"
Betsy said, in reply to Raspberry Earl from Zhena’s Gypsy Tea on August 20, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Betsy on:
Raspberry Earl from Zhena’s Gypsy Tea
"Steph: Thank you for your information about the naranquilla. I didn’t find the flavor to be very tart at all – which is what I would have expected from the combination of lime and rhubarb. Perhaps the maraschino sweetened it up a bit and made it much more peach-like. It reminded me a bit of candied apricots or peaches."
liber-teas said, in reply to Easter Tea from Dammann Frères on August 19, 2010 at 7:42 pm
liber-teas on:
Easter Tea from Dammann Frères