Twinings: Plummy Earl Grey

As most readers will know, I'm a sucker for Earl Grey. And, I will admit,  I find it extremely hard to walk past a tea shelf that has a new Earl Grey that I've not tried and not get some to sample.

I love all the variations of Earl Grey, too. For instance I love Lady Grey, Earl Grey with fruits added to it .... pretty much any Earl Grey.

Yesterday I went on a tea purchasing expedition. I have heard that Tesco's were selling lots of new brands and blends and I couldn't resist popping down and seeing what was on offer. The shelves were groaning under the weight of all manner of exotic and rather more "out there" blends (more of that to come over the next few days ...). Quite frankly, when it comes to supermarket tea, I have not seen so much choice in a long time. And it was quite overwhelming if I'm totally honest.

Twinings Plummy Earl Grey was a blend that I had heard complimented from many different sources. And I had had my eye on it for quite some time. Plum was not a flavour of tea I had experienced often, if at all, so I found it quite interesting a tea to try.

I will admit that the price of tea is prohibitive. It's not something that I would be able to afford to buy on a regular basis. It's priced at £3.49 for just twelve teabags. If you purchase it in loose form you get 100g's for £8.00. So, it will be a tea treat rather then a regular tea in the cupboard. Of course it's worth paying for a tea if you like it, but I will admit I find it a bit steep for just twelve teabags.

It is, however, a lovely tea. I was really impressed by the gorgeous, fruity scent and it is a scent that is appealing as soon as you open the packet. The packet, incidentally, is quite handy as it's resealable so if you don't have a free caddy the tea will keep fresh.

Plummy Earl Grey is a black tea that has plum flavouring and the addition of star anise and bergamot.

When brewed it makes a lovely, dark ebony colour. The instructions on the packet say to brew for 3 to 5 minutes. I found midway, 4 minutes, is about right. A tip though, do not oversteep as it can quickly take on bitter tones.

The plum flavour is extremely rich and is a very different, fruity spin on this traditional tea. And it does make a very pleasant change from the traditional citrus tones that Earl Grey normally has.

Due to the plum flavour it has a deep, robust and full flavour. I think plum works wonderfully well with black tea as I'd love to see more of it. Plum and tea go surprisingly well together, and it's really a lovely match.

Just beyond the plum, you can still taste the citrusy tones of the bergamot but it's a flavour that slightly hangs back as if letting the plum flavour have it's day. So though this is a modern twist it still retains it's traditional bergamot roots.

Surprisingly I found it hard to taste the star anise though, so on that aspect of the tea I can't really comment.

Plummy Earl Grey leaves your mouth feeling lovely and refreshed and has a subtle fruity aftertaste too.

I really enjoyed this tea. And I hope this isn't going to be one of those blends that disappear after a while.

If you love Earl Grey in any of the configurations that it can come in, I think you'll really love this. It's quite different for a Earl Grey but enjoyable none the less. It would go perfectly with a piece of heavy fruit cake, like a Christmas or wedding cake. 

You can take this tea with milk but honestly, it's so plentiful with it's flavouring that drinking it black (in my opinion) is the only way to do it justice. I believe you won't enjoy the depth of flavour if masked with milk - but I do understand that many readers may not be able to take their tea black, it's an acquired taste!

I hope that Plummy Earl Grey stays around for a while. It's enjoyable, refreshing and a delightful addition to the Earl Grey family.