Profile : Yorkshire Earl Grey
Loose - English Favourites Tea
March 5, 2019
CUP CHARACTERISTICS: Expansive notes of bergamot synergize with a heady blend of Kenyan, Indian and Ceylon teas. Stunning with milk.
Ingredients: Black tea, Cornflower petals, Natural flavors (organic compliant).
INGREDIENTS FROM: Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva / Assam / Nandi Highlands
REGION(S): Sri Lanka / India / Kenya
SHIPPING PORT(S): Colombo / Calcutta + Haldia / Mombassa
GROWING ALTITUDES: 500 - 8500 feet above sea level
GRADE(S): OP (Orange Pekoe), BOP (Broken Orange Pekoe)
MANUFACTURE TYPE(S): Orthodox (Traditional leafy)
ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL: High
CAFFEINE LEVEL: Medium
VEGETARIAN: Yes
VEGAN: Yes
INFUSION: Bright and coppery
INFORMATION:
So,
what exactly does Earl Grey, or more precisely, Charles Grey, the 2nd
Earl of Grey has to do with Yorkshire, a country in Northern England?
Hint - the answer isn't "he was born there." Charles Grey was born
farther north up in Northumberland. Before 2006 the answer pretty much
would have been "nothing", except for the fact that he probably would
have traveled through Yorkshire on his way to London to take care of his
duties as Prime Minister. So, what happened in 2006 to link the man
with the county 161 years after his death? It was the acquisition of
his old writing desk by a museum in Leeds, one of Yorkshire's larger
centers. Doesn't sound very exciting do it? Well, a lot went down on
that desk.
For one, he probably drank a lot of tea seated at the
decorative rosewood table, which was believed built in 1825. His cup
probably would have held an infusion of broad-leafed China black tea
scented with his signature bergamot. In his capacity as Prime Minister,
he also wrote and signed many important government bills at the ornate
desk. Perhaps one of the most important of these was an act to abolish
slavery in the colonies. This act put an end to the centuries' old slave
trade between Africa, Europe and the New World. In the world of writing
desks, it's an important one.
To honor the man, his tea and his
contribution to a better world for all, we've decided to formulate a
new variation of his fantastic namesake blend. To start, rather than use
a base blend of Chinese tea, the traditional Earl Grey base, we began
with a very flavory blend of high grown, seasonal Ceylon teas from Sri
Lanka. Next, as a reference to his abolition of the slavery of the
African people, we bolstered the blend with a fabulous BOP grade (Broken
Orange Pekoe) from Tinderet estate in Kenya. To this we added our
all-natural oil of bergamot to create the tell-tale bite of citrus. The
resulting cup is wonderfully rich and robust, laden with round notes of
malt and superlative bergamot character. You've never had Earl Grey like
this!