As Captain Jean-Luc Pickard Would Say

Tea, Earl Grey, Hot.  Since I am living in the 21st century instead of his, I have had to use a tea pot, water and tea leaves, instead of a replicator, although the tea was sent by Think Geek.  The dry tea has a heavy bergamot aroma, that I tend to associate with Russian blends.  There are some blue flower petals and what appears to be orange peel.  Bergamot is an oil made from the rind of  bergamot oranges, once grown in Asia, now, for the tea market, pretty much grown in Southern Italy.  I brewed the tea for 3.33 minutes with boiling water.

As it brewed the aroma was much, much lighter than I expected, almost lemony.  The liqueur was a fairly light amber.  I'm not sure about the taste.  There is definitely something more than the usual bergamot to it.  It remind's me of St. Isaac's Blend, which has orange, lemon and grapefruit in it.  There is a small hint of flowers.  I don't really think this is what I would call Earl Grey, but I like it and find it quite refreshing.  I think it would make an excellent ice tea.

 Lest I get too excited about the snow being gone, Ma Nature gave us 8  inches last night.  Today we had something like freezing rain after almost a full day of sun, glorious sun.  However, on the green side, there are a few leaves of a day lily poking up.

This is a narrow side street in Sorrento, Italy.  The little tree in a pot in the center is a lemon tree.  they are all over the streets, even growing up through restaurants.

Make It So

What Ho, Star Trek and Earl Grey tea fans!  There is a company that sells Captain Pickard's favorite beverage and it has good reviews.  It is Think Geek, www.thinkgeek.com  and the tea is.....Tea, Earl Grey, Hot.  I ordered some to try and will report for duty when it arrives in my ready room.  They also have a number of rather odd, but interesting things there.

As a result, I am finding myself wanting some Earl Grey.  But, there is not a scrap, not even a tea bag of it to be found.  Oh,Woe is I.  I am consoling my self with Upton's Finest Russian Caravan,TB70, a blend of teas from India, China and Formosa.  Unlike many others, there is no smokiness to this tea, which is supposed to emulate the scent of all those campfires on the way from China to Russian in the old days.  No "odour de camel sweat", either, for which I am quite happy.  Instead, the dry tan, grey and black leaves smell mostly of corn silage in the silo, which to this farm chick, was always a pleasant aroma.

I brewed the tea for 4 minutes, with boiling water.  It smells like a pleasantly damp woods with some green hints and some roasted corn hints.  The liqueur is a pleasant amber and does indeed taste roasty and woodsy, with a bit of spice and a long, smooth finish.  It does well with a bit of milk in it as well.  A very nice drink on a wet, cold, gloomy day.

I want this for my front door!