At the weekend I wrote about my visit to the utterly fantastic Wilkinson's of Norwich. I had a utterly brilliant time and today I'm going to review my favourite of the three tea's I purchased there, Lady-in-Waiting Earl Grey.
Lady-in-Waiting is a variation on the Earl Grey theme. The nearest standard tea I can compare it to is Twining's Lady Grey.
When I visited the shop I stood for what seemed like an eternity and looked at all the tins of tea lined up on the shelves. Lady-in-Waiting caught my eye simply because of it's name!
Lady-in-Waiting is a black tea. According to Wilkinson's website it has the double whammy of not only having citrus oil in the tea but also citrus zest too! You can see a lovely blue flower contained and also pieces of zest, so it's quite a pretty tea to look at.
One of the myriad of reason's why I love loose tea is the sheer joy of opening a caddy and being hit full on with the lovely aroma of the tea. And this tea is certainly a winner. As soon as I open the lid the lovely orangey aroma is gorgeous. It's really strong, but when you take a full teaspoon out and pop it into the infuser, it's not overbearing at all. There is also a lovely malty tinge to the aroma too. It's full bodied if nothing else.
I tend to be a little more relaxed when I'm brewing black tea, in as much as I don't clock watch like I tend to do when brewing green tea (note to self, must buy a proper tea timer!). So, I popped the infuser into the water, finished a couple of jobs later and came back a few minutes later to find a wonderfully brewed, lovely dark tea.
This is a brilliant tea because the tea tastes utterly natural. An odd thing to say you may think, but I cannot tell you how many Earl Greys, (and variations of) that taste artificial. Those tea's tend to smell mostly of perfume and leave that horrible feeling in the back of your throat very similar to what you can get when walking through the perfume department of Debenhams or Boots.
Lady-In-Waiting is a smooth tea, without a hint of bitterness, even if you have brewed the tea for a little too long. The citrus flavours are gorgeous, I love the orange taste, so fulfilling and refreshing. The base tea is of a high quality and is lovely and tasty.
This tea is perfect to serve with cakes for afternoon tea. It's quite a feminine tea, light and delicate, but at the same time, particularly on a cold, damp day, is warming and comforting. And in times of sadness, it's guaranteed to lift your spirits!
I brought 125g's of this tea priced very reasonably at £3.40 but honestly, I do wish that I had treated myself to 250g's which is still only £6.46. I think that's a great price for something that is lovely.
As a confirmed Earl Grey lover, I would say this is one of the best variations I've tasted. And it's perfect if you find Earl Grey, in all it's bergamot loveliness, a little too overwhelming! A great blend if you want to make a few ginger steps into the world of Earl Grey.
I shall be ordering more. Another item on my never ending list of things to buy!
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