Brandice talks about her Earl Grey

Brandice complained often and loudly about Earl Grey's on SteapTV. After a number of blending attempts of her own, (which didn't work out so great) I talked to her about making her a custom blend.

Now she has it in hand, and cup, and here's what she's got to say:

How do you feel about your Earl Grey Brandice?

I think that Felicitea has created a blend that is both perfect for me and achieves a very subtle and intricate level of flavor that I really enjoy. I like that the tea itself has a lot of body, while never being overpowered by the oil of bergamot, and the tea smells like absolute earl grey heaven when I open the tin. I occasionally just sniff the dry tea for a bit before making a pot.

Is it everything you hoped for?

Absolutely. This is a strong, full-bodied tea that manages to also remain complex. I love that I can drink this tea on the go with big gulps and get really good flavor, or I can sit and really savor the flavors. The tea lends itself to either type of tea-consumption, and that's something that I need, as a tea lover and a very busy person.

How do you drink it? What are your recommendations?

I drink the tea with a 4 minute steep, sometimes 4 and a half minutes if I know I'll be drinking the tea quickly. This, like most black teas, is a strong black that can become stronger (i.e. eventually bitter) if let to sit on a warmer for long periods of time, so I use a shorter steep time for a pot I'll be drinking slowly, and a longer steep time when I'm on the go and will be drinking the tea quickly. This is a black tea that still holds a good amount of flavor with even a three-minute steep, so worry more about over-steeping than under-steeping.

What was your favorite part of the custom blending process?

Trying all of the different blends to choose the final blend that would become Earl Grey Brandice was definitely a lot of fun, but I really enjoyed answering the questions that Summer asked to get a picture of what I wanted out of my custom Earl Grey. I felt as if she asked the perfect questions, and the questions actually helped me to better solidify what I really wanted overall from the tea she was blending for me. I liked writing out a description of what a great Earl Grey is for me, and then tasting the actual embodiment of what I'd asked for.

Did you enjoy the process?

Loved it! I plan to hopefully work with Felicitea to create other custom blends for me in the future, when I've stopped drinking Earl Grey Brandice almost exclusively. :)

Did you feel that Felicitea was clear through out the process about what was happening?

Absolutely. Felicitea was clear, helpful, allowed me many options and different samples to try, and if I asked for any further information during any part of the process, Summer immediately got back to me. It was a very easy and straightforward process, and I felt good about the process.

Would you recommend custom blending to someone else? Why?

I would recommend custom blending to anyone, even someone who's never really been that into tea. Summer is gifted at blending flavors, and the process is much, much harder than it looks. To get a custom blend of tea, you have to really know what you're doing, and unless you have eons of extra time on your hands to learn the ins and outs of flavor and tea, you should let Summer help you find the blend that's right for you.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this process! I'm unbelievably happy with the result and left feeling really good about seeking out further custom blends. Plus, Earl Grey Brandice will now make such a wonderful gift for loved ones and friends!

To see what both she and Joe had to say about it, check out this weeks SteapTV: