Modern Vespa

I bought some Earl Grey from Harrod's while in London this summer. It tasted and smelled of Earl Grey while in London and in France. I went back to drinking an older tea once we got home. I finished that and started drinking the Early Grey again. It no longer smells or tastes of bergamot. It just tastes like regular tea or English Breakfast. Each tea bag is in individual paper pouches. Anyone ever had this happen? It has never happened to me with tea I have bought at home before.

Sounds like a maintenance issue, maybe Tetley has a service bulletin relating to this problem?

Maybe it's low on oil (bergamot oil that is). I will have to see if I can top it off

Wherever Tetley tea is concerned, it's always best to cut out the middle-man and pour it straight down the toilet.

Did you keep it correctly - in a good tea tin? If not, it will lose its taste and scent.

Me, I like Earl Grey in the mornings but Lapsang Souchong is the business.

I did not put it in a tin. I usually do, but I have only had it since June. I just thought it would last longer. Oh well. It wasn't Tetley, by the way. Lapsang is good, but I am addicted to Earl Grey. I also enjoy chai, especially in the winter. I am a little weird for a Texan; I have to have a cup of hot tea at least once a day, even when it's 100+.

I have been buying my teas from www.holymtn.com for about 10 years now.

The quality is amazing, far better than any bulk brand, however famous. You can unroll a used tea leaf and see the Tippy Golden Flowery Orange Pekoe (TGFOP) "tips" as the leaf is completely intact.

Pricing is not bad considering the amazing quality, and Rae and her husband (at least, I think it is her husband!) are great people.

Try the "Golden Monkey" if it is available, it is a superb tea.

If you like potency, the "Camels Breath" (like Lapsang Souchong) purah tea will put hair on your teeth. One of the preparations is to brew it overnight. Then it becomes something like "tea espresso".

One friend of mine describes it as "I always wondered what the Orc's gave Merry and Pippin from that bottle. Now I know."


And the Earl Grey is great too.

They ship in heavy Mylar bags, the storage is good for up to two years, which is about the limit for tea to be "fresh".

One last bit of advice: The website does not always show all the teas. Some teas (like the Earl Grey) are available in several grades. Giving them a call if you want to try something new or different is always worth it.

It is the water

When stationed in Munich, we had two different water supplies on base.

The coffee and tea tasted differently depending on the water

Geez, that's really sad stuff! :

Oh Wow! -Did that REALLY happen to you?!

not earl grey but the pomans house swears by grace tea companys fancy ceylon, pricy but excellant and lasts on the shelf a long time, its a bulk tea that hasent been ground to shreds, got to have the brown betty to make it right though