A grassy green tea gets a citrus lift from bergamot oil in this blend, and the two suit each other well. The leaves are picked in China during spring, hand-plucked for quality, steamed to keep their character, then scented with Italian bergamot. Brewed up, it smells like fresh-cut grass shot through with bright citrus.
On the palate it stays mild and smooth rather than sharp: grass and lemon up front, a soft bergamot undertone running underneath, hints of honey and date further back, a touch of spice, and a clean finish with no bitterness.
Earl Grey as a style traces back to a nineteenth-century British Prime Minister's diplomatic trip to China. The story goes that he was given a bergamot-scented tea blend as thanks for saving a local boy's life, and that the citrus oil was originally added to help tea survive the months-long sea voyages of the trade routes. This version keeps that same idea of scenting the leaf, but builds it on a green tea base rather than the usual black one.
There's real caffeine in a cup, somewhere around 30 to 40 milligrams depending on how it's brewed, which puts it above herbal infusions like chamomile or rooibos but below a black tea, so it gives a gentler lift than a full-strength brew. Green tea has long been valued for its antioxidants, and some drinkers reach for it as part of traditional ideas around heart health and digestion; bergamot's scent is also traditionally thought to have a calming effect. None of that amounts to a medical claim, but it is part of why the blend has stuck around for so long.
To brew it, heat water to around 85°C and use a teaspoon of leaves per 240ml. Steep for two to three minutes, leaning longer if a stronger bergamot note is wanted and shorter for something lighter. Honey or a slice of lemon both work well stirred in. Kept in an airtight container away from light and heat, the leaves hold their citrus scent for a good while.
