$19.99
Pantenger Earl Grey is a blend of the finest Ceylon OP leaves from Dimbula province in Sri Lanka, and the most delicate organic bergamot oil from Calabria.
Pantenger Ceylon tea is organically grown and only the best leaves are handpicked before being carefully processed to preserve their characteristic aroma of citrus and dried fruit. The liquor is deep translucent copper in color, and the blend with bergamot oil enhances the aroma and makes a perfect afternoon tea.
Legend goes that in 1803, Lord Grey’s retinue rescued a boy from drowning in a Chinese river. The boy was the son of a prominent tea merchant who, to show his gratitude, sent the Earl a special blend of tea. When the Earl was running out of tea, he asked Twining’s to replicate it. The company composed a tea using black tea leaves and bergamot oil and name it Earl Grey in his honor.
It is very unlikely that the tea received by the Earl Grey contained bergamot oil since there is no such fruit in China. However, there is an exquisite Chinese tea called Ju Pu Cha that contains tea leaves inside a fruit similar to a little orange. The bergamot is a citrus with a pear shape and its flavor is something in between an orange and a lime.
At present, Earl Grey is the most famous scented tea in Europe and America. Each company has its own recipe, from the mass produced tea bags that contains synthetic bergamot flavor to the more sophisticated that use fine tea leaves and bergamot essential oil. Pantenger Earl Grey is one of the finest examples of its class.