Earl Grey has always leaned on a bit of theatre — the story goes that the 2nd Earl Grey was gifted a bergamot-scented black tea after one of his men saved a drowning boy in China. It never happened; Grey made no such trip, and how the blend actually came about is still a mystery. This version keeps the same bright, citrus-and-malt character as the original but has had most of the caffeine pulled out. The leaves go through the CO2 method, which uses pressurised carbon dioxide to draw out the caffeine molecules while leaving the larger flavour compounds mostly untouched. That takes out roughly 96-98% of it, so a trace still remains rather than none at all. Tea & Coffee packs it fresh to order at its Pluckley factory in Kent.
In the cup it's crisp and full-bodied, bergamot and lemon up front, honey underneath, with malty, faintly coffee-like depth and a thick texture that holds together to a clean finish. Steep it at a full boil, 100°C, for three to five minutes, and take it with milk, sugar, honey or lemon, or drink it black if you'd rather taste it unadorned. Because the caffeine content is so low, it's a reasonable pick for an evening cup or for anyone cutting back on stimulants generally — though if you're pregnant, it's still worth checking your total daily caffeine intake with a health professional rather than assuming decaf means none at all.
