Decaffeinated Earl Grey Green Tea by Tea & Coffee | Teatico
Overview
Bergamot does the heavy lifting here, and it shows from the first sip: a light, grassy green tea base lifted by bright citrus, with floral and lemon threads running underneath and a smooth, honeyed finish. Cinnamon shows up more as a warm undertone than a dominant note, rounding out the cup rather than competing with the bergamot.
The blend traces back to China's green tea gardens, where spring-harvested leaves are decaffeinated using natural methods before being scented with bergamot oil — the same essential-oil infusion that defines classic Earl Grey, just built on a green tea base instead of black. Earl Grey itself dates to 19th-century Britain, named for Charles Grey, a British Prime Minister, though the story of how the bergamot flavouring came to be attached to his name is more legend than documented fact. The original blends were black tea; green tea versions came later as a lighter alternative, and this one carries decaffeination further, keeping the caffeine content low without leaving it entirely caffeine-free.
Brew it gently: water at 80°C is enough, since anything hotter tends to scorch green tea leaves and dull the flavour. Steep for two to three minutes — two for something lighter, three if you want the bergamot and grassy notes to come through more strongly — then strain promptly so the leaves don't turn bitter. A slice of lemon plays well with the citrus already in the cup, and a little honey or a dash of cinnamon rounds it out if you want something warmer. Store the leaves in an airtight container out of direct light and they'll hold their aroma well.
