Rishi Organic Earl Grey (review)

Name: Rishi Tea Organic Earl Grey Loose Tea

Brand: Rishi Tea

Type: Black tea,  Earl Grey

Form: Loose Leaf

Cost: $21.92 for 3 3.3 ounce tins (other prices/quantities available from various sources)

Review: As I have explained in previous reviews, I like my Earl Grey to have a strong bergamot note.  Thus, you can certainly imagine my delight when I opened the package of Rishi Organic Earl Grey Tea and was enveloped in the delightful, tangy scent of bergamot. The bergamot essence was clearly of high-quality: Rich with citrus notes but not perfume-y. Lovely stuff.

I was mildly confused, however, by Rishi’s instructions for the tea’s preparation.  They demanded a tablespoon of tea leaves for 8 ounces of water. (I am used to most tea manufacturers instructing a teaspoon of dry leaves to 8 ounces of water.) But as my loyal readers know, I am a stickler for paying attention to manufacturer-issued tea making instructions (at least for the first cup), so I did as I was told.

In fairness to Rishi, the resulting tea was neither bitter nor “bad”. It was very, very strong, however, and at that concentration, the bergamot was perfume-y, and just not my cup of tea.

Ahem.

<clears throat>

<apologizes profusely for her bad pun>

So on my second try, I went back to my standard measurement of one teaspoon of dry tea leaves to 8 ounces of water. This did the trick nicely, and I had the pleasure of sipping Rishi’s robust, slightly sweet black tea with just the right balance of intense and fruity  bergamot oil. The liquor is dark brown, and the finish is astringent, but not overly so.  A truly delicious tea!

Incidentally, an examination of the spent leaves showed why Rishi Organic Earl Grey, even when infused with 1 tablespoon per cup of water, did not become bitter:  The tea leaf pieces were large and I noted few stalks/twigs. I am impressed that Rishi’s commitment to high-quality tea extends to even its flavored teas: Sadly, many tea manufacturers often dump their inferior tea leaves into flavored blends.

Recommendation: This is a high quality Earl Grey that should please those who like an intense bergamot flavor but who also want a high quality black tea.  Be sure to experiment with the amount of tea leaves used in order to get the flavor you desire.

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Tagged as: Black Tea, Earl Grey, Rishi, tea, tea reviews