Tea isn't a beverage for me, it's an event, starting from boiling the water to when the last drop vanishes down my esophagus. Therefore I usually buy loose leaf as it is less processed, I can see and smell what I'm buying and I can better control the strength of my tea. I first tried this when I obtained a few complimentary bags.On the matter of taste, I find it very good. The Bigelow EG appeared to be very strong in color and taste.
Tea bag teas are usually cut very fine so the bags can be packed flat, and because finely cut leaves have more surface area than big leaves, you don't need to steep the tea as long. In fact the instructions say to steep only 1-2 minutes as opposed to the usual 3-4 mins.
To me, Earl Grey taste has two components, the tea taste and the bergamot taste, and it takes a lot of skill to blend and make a tea that has a pleasing combination of the two tastes.
For example, I've found that Taylors and Harrogate has a mild tea and bergamot taste, Whole Foods loose leaf has a strong bergamot taste, etc. Your run of the mill EG usually has a strong tea taste that overshadows the bergamot and you don't taste it at all. Bigelow has a very strong tea taste, but it doesn't overwhelm the bergamot, which you taste at the end. So I like it very much because I've never had a strong tea that didn't overwhelm the bergamot. And it's definitely not a mild tea, it's very robust and strong. It's not a light handshake, it's a full body hug and kisses on both cheeks when you drink this.
In conclusion, if you want a very strongly flavored Earl Grey with a strong tea taste, but also a strong hint of bergamot, this is it. Update: Since I wrote this review, which is 5 years ago, I've often bought this brand and it tastes as good as ever.
~The Rebecca Reviewis my favorite tea. The bags are individually packaged so they travel well. This is one of the stronger Oolong teas and may take some getting used to. Once your tastebuds adapt, you may not want to drink any other tea. I have tried many of the other so-called "best" Oolong teas and Oolongs promoted by "experts." I always come back to Bigelow.
My corner store has been sold twice over the past 7 years. The company that owns it now quit stocking the Oolong, so I am very happy that I can still purchase it through Amazon!
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I'm no tea expert, but I've sampled quite a few of the Bigelow varieties. English Breakfast is a great basic black tea, much more full than the flavor in a black tea bag from a generic or major brand 100-bag box. I don't find it to be bitter at all, unlike some black tea varieties. I try to let it steep for no more than 2 minutes in the cup (the package suggests 1 to 2 minutes), as additional time seems to introduce a bitter component that increases with time. If you want a stronger flavor, you might experiment with 2 bags, rather than 1 bag for longer time. However, this is a fairly strong tea, and I'm happy with the strength from one bag. I consider English Breakfast to be my "standard" tea for when I'm not looking for some variety.Don't confuse English Breakfast (pink bag) with another Bigelow black tea variety called English TeaTime (deep blue bag). There's quite a difference, with the English TeaTime being much weaker.
I always drink tea straight--no sugar, no honey, no lemon, no milk! So my reviews are my opinions of the straight tea flavor, not how it interacts with another agent. I drink Bigelow tea almost exclusively, because it's readily available, modestly priced, and has lots of varieties that are all of decent quality. If I give a Bigelow flavor less stars, it reflects only my taste preference, and is not a statement of low product quality.
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This tea's flavor was better than I expected. Slightly-strong, earthy flavor is a nice twist to those teas which barely zest the water. I purchased enough boxes to negate shipping. The result, one of the best Oolong teas I've tasted at about $.50 cheaper than I can find it in the store. Having nearly ten-times the flavenoids as regular green tea, with its great taste, it the logical choice.
