Tuesday 10 May 2016

Twinings: Earl Grey Green Tea


Regular readers will know that I am utterly nuts about Earl Grey. And I'm also nuts about green tea, so the latest creation from Twinings, Earl Grey Green Tea was sure to pique my interest. It was on offer in Tesco's so I decided, on a recent visit, to purchase a box.

The packaging for the tea is, like the blend, new and fresh. It's certainly eye catching, and that's hard to do in the world of tea packaging which, on the whole, is rather nicely done, both in design and with the use of colours. I had heard bits and pieces on Twitter about this new tea so thought it was worth a go.

Before we start though I want to stress that on the whole, I'm not a great fan of green tea purchased in supermarkets. Most of them, especially the stores own brands, just do not come up to scratch, not after tasting tea from places like Teavivre.  They tend to be bitter, cheap tasting and rather oily when flavourings are added. However, that said, in a rush I have been known to pick up a box of Twinings selection pack if I'm out of green tea.

I was doubtful on this tea. I wasn't sure how the green tea would work with the traditional flavours of Earl Grey that we all know and love. But on first taste I was pleasantly surprised.

Twinings Earl Grey Green Tea is a light, fruity drink that is both refreshing and tasty which is good news as it's been hot here in the UK over the past few days.

With this tea it's vital to follow the rules of green tea preparation - leave the water to cool for a few minutes to avoid burning or scorching the leaves, and don't over infuse, a couple of minutes will be more than enough. This tea goes go very bitter if you brew it incorrectly. I know this from personal experience and had to pour away a entire pot when I got distracted.

This is a smooth tea, with deep, fruity flavours. The base green tea, is good and solid, with a slightly astringent quality which is not unpleasant, and which leaves a nice, strong taste in your mouth, which I enjoy! The fruit flavours are delightful - making your mouth feel refreshed and this tea is brilliant to take if you are really thirsty as it's a a thirst quencher, and quite addictive, too. I make a pot of this up and so have quite a few cups at a time.

I thought the fruity flavours of this tea worked really well with green tea. Normally, with green tea, you get more delicate fruits added, such as peach or pear. This tea certainly did have a oomph and left a mark. The green tea and the flavour are both strong though, so do be careful when brewing as both have a tendency to lean towards bitterness.

Sadly though, there is a problem with this tea, no matter how nice it is, this is not a traditional Earl Grey - or at least not in my eyes it isn't. When I think of Earl Grey, I think of citrus fruits. Oranges and lemons. However, when drinking this tea, especially as the tea cooled a little, all I got was the flavour of grapefruit, which I subsequently discovered was an added flavour to this tea. It really reminded me more of a tea I recently reviewed - Royal Palace Tea - then Earl Grey.

Don't get me wrong, this is not an unpleasant tea, it's really nice and refreshing, but it's not a traditional Earl Grey as we know it and I do have a slight issue with it being named as such. A traditional Earl Grey has bergamot added, which is responsible for the citrus taste. Though refreshing, the primary taste of this tea is grapefruit. Yes there is bergamot added to this tea, but it's so subtle it's barely detectable. One of the greatest pleasures in my life is enjoying the citrus flavours which come along with Earl Grey and which lifts the black tea onto a different level.

But, putting my biased view of Earl Grey aside, and whether this is technically a Earl Grey or not, I did actually like this tea. It's not delicate, it packs a punch, but does make for a satisfying brew. I found it to be fully flavoursome, enjoyable and refreshing.

I have tried some green tea's from Twinings recently (such as some of steamed green tea's) and wasn't that impressed, however, this one has ticked the box. Just don't expect it to taste just like your favourite Earl Grey because it's not quite the same. But, in it's own right, it's enjoyable none the less.




2 comments:

  1. I've recently spent a vacation in London which was amazing and this was one of the tea's that was offered as part of our breakfast selection in our hotel. I really liked this tea but would have to agree and say it's not a traditional EG flavor but still it was very nice. After having read your blog since almost day one, you have inspired my husband and I to visit the Twinings store which is just too cute!So tiny and petite. I purchased so many teas that are unavailable in the USA. We don't know where to start since getting home. I would also like to say thank you to the staff at Whittard for all of their help when we were lost in Covent Garden.

    With love
    Marian.

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  2. Good afternoon, Marian.

    Thank you for your comment.I do hope you enjoyed your visit to London and to the Twinings shop! Am hoping to visit there again very soon. What tea did you buy?

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