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Tazo's Earl Grey Black Tea is very perfumy. I am used to drinking super-premium tea that have the real bergamot added, not the essence. So this tea tasted to me like regular black tea with a very, very strong bergamot-like flavor. I definitely did not care for it, although I love Earl Grey teas in general. On the paper tea packet, Tazo writes, "a more aromatic version of the Earl's traditional black tea scented with the essence of bergamot"; therein lies the problem---a little too perfumy and scented for me. On their web site, Tazo describes the flavor profile of Passion as "floral, lavender, fragrant, spicy, lemon". Tazo describes the aroma as "citrus, lavender, light smoke". You may like it; apparently the other reviewers so far do, but it is not for me at all.
Also, be careful of letting this tea brew too long accidently. Even a few minutes too long results in a bitter, bitter tea, reminiscent of orange pekoe with a strong perfume added. What a letdown! Even properly brewed, though, this tea cannot, in my opinion, warrant more than three stars.
The ingredients in Earl Grey are just black teas and bergamot essence. Note that Earl Grey does contain caffeine.
Tazo is an interesting company that makes only super premium teas. They are socially responsible, based in Portland, and have the motto, "The Reincarnation of Tea". Tazo is owned by Starbucks. Their web site is fun and quirky, with a Zen-type focus, definitely worth checking out. It is unclear, though, from their web site, how many of their ingredients are organic or kosher, and they do use some "natural flavors" in their teas--this wording seems a little vague for a super premium tea.
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Read More Reviews on SBK149899 - Tazo Tea, Earl Gray Blend, Black...
