VAHDAM Earl Grey Tea Loose Leaf (12oz|170+ Cups) Black Tea with Bergamot

When I opened the package, I was blown away by the wonderful Earl Grey and citrusy aroma. However, I have had several cups and made sure my palate was clean so that there was no other taste in my mouth. To me this taste like plain black tea. This tea is pretty much tasteless. Overall, this is an incredible disappointment. I drink lots of different teas and my favorite Earl Grey so far is Tippy Earl Grey from Golden Moon Tea - see here . I canceled this subscribe and save item as I am so disappointed. I expected better considering the overwhelmingly positive reviews. There is also one more negative. The bag is supposed to be resealable but the internal zip lock pulls away from the bag in spots leaving me without the ability to seal this bag. UPDATE May 10, 2018 - The owner contacted me and was generous enough to sent me some replacement teas to try (see picture and story). The customer service is outstanding and the teas smell great. Unfortunately, after have more than 10 cups of tea on a clean palate, I just could not taste any Bergamot flavor. The brew itself is clean (meaning no sediment) which is very good, but the tea is flavorless or almost flavorless as in the case of the chai I tried. I am always surprised when a tea smells fabulous but it does not carry over into the brew. I wish them well. UPDATE Oct 31, 2024 - After I tried the replacement tea the owner sent me, I put both packages aside for a couple of years. I decided to start drinking this tea again and it is very good. Perhaps it took time for the bergamot flavor to meld with the tea but now the same tea I rated 2 stars tastes like 4.5 stars to me.

I've already reviewed Vadham's Kashmiri Kahwa (5-star!!) -- now for their Earl Grey, another phenomenal blend. So I remember the first time in my life, 3 years ago, that I picked a bergamot off a tree. I had no idea what it was, but I was enamored with the smell of it. I kept putting it to my nose and taking big whiffs of it, it was amazing, and nobody around me could tell me what it was. I wasn't able to find out by googling either. I have had Earl Grey tea many times throughout my life, many many times before that incident 3 years ago. I never knew it had "bergamot" in it, I didn't even know what "bergamot" was. Because all I could ever taste in most Earl Grey tea's that I've had was a bitterness. I got Vadham's 10-flavor sample pack a couple of months back, immediately fell in love with the Kashmiri Kahwa, then I started trying the rest. I came to Earl Grey -- my 2nd Vadham obsession -- and when I opened the sample pack and smelled it, I was immediately hit with that same smell off the little green fruit from that tree 3 years ago, and suddenly it clicked. Suddenly I was like.... wait a minute, I know this smell. I looked at the ingredients list, and it was just "black tea" and "bergamot" -- so I googled "bergamot" -- and there it was. And suddenly I understood that that amazing fruit and its essence has been enjoyed in this tea blend for a very long time, among other culinary applications. But this is the first time I've had Earl Grey where I've actually smelled bergamot. And it is strong and so soothing, reminds me of that day. I had to buy the big pack. Just made my first brew, an authentic London Fog. My new obsession. Thank you Vadham! - Tamim

Always good quality. Long leaf, fresh and full of flavor. This is a great company. Highly recommend.

Ok I have been using this tea for about 2 years or so now, have previously used Harney and Sons and Rishi, this tea is significantly more expensive than Harney and like wise less expensive than Rishi. Overall the quality of the tea is excellent, the blending and amount of bergamot oil is just about spot on. It is an absolute necessity to keep the tea leaves properly, the flavor will degrade rather quickly if you do not keep the tea sealed tightly. What we do is vacuum seal about 1/2 the bag and use the open half, however if we made 2 cups side by side with a brand new bag and the tea from the previous batch it becomes very obvious that the tea flavor is not the same. My only problem with this company is that they switched from 16 oz bags to 12 oz bags and the price stayed the same. Which means they raised the price 25% and didn't say anything about it, just repackaged it in a bit of a different way, if your going to do that at least be upfront with your customers, they are in fact the life of your business. Anyway it is an excellent tea and I think you will like it.

This Vahdam Earl Grey (a classic blend of Indian black teas laced with bergamot oil, made popular in 19th-century Britain) is a rich, scented black tea blend. This type of tea originally was an attempt to replicate the flavors of Chinese teas, and selling tea with bergamot oil was frowned on (even tried in court cases). But its popularity and improved processing increased the demand, until Earl Grey became a recognized varietal blend in 1880s London. Vahdam is a seller that prides itself on changing the older, traditional (but slower) ways of marketing Indian teas, so that the consumer gets a fresher, tastier product soon after harvest and processing. When warehoused and retailed by third-party US sellers, some of that advantage is diminished, but read their mission statement above and you may decide to order tea direct. I've read, sampled and researched to learn more about fine teas. It helps to learn about tea grading, curing and number of harvests to help you choose more wisely--and realize the earth (terroir) and environment are as critical in tea culture as they are in wine cultivation. There is a major flavor difference between fannings used to make tea bags, and higher qualify full leaf single-estate teas. Varieties are detemined by the country of origin and even the microclimate or region, as Chinese Yunnan teas are different from Sri Lankan or Indian varieties, Jasmine or Darjeelings or Assams. Prices are influenced by the demand, the climate and weather, and the size of a year's harvest, so they vary annually. Vahdam's vacuum-sealed packages will assure the tea arrives fresh and are a good way to preserve the flavor and quality, often better than using tins or tea caddies. Only vacuum-sealed canisters will give your purchase the same protection and longevity. The smaller sample sizes let you decide if Earl Grey tea is to your liking; see the recommended brewing, steeping instructions, as they change with a tea variety.

Update 2018-02-09 Vahdam teas are my daily beverage, all day long, now that i quit drinking coffee and alcohol. I am giving as gifts to friends and family in the convenient to use pyramid bags. The attractive boxes make a nice, affordable gift. I have been drinking Vahdam teas for a couple of years now. I received an email from Bala Sarda, the company founder, and decided to take the time to share about their products. If you like high-quality teas, you really need to check these out. I have a friend at work who visits the prime tea country back at his home in mainland China every few years, and brings back some of the most wonderful teas. They are prohibitively expense for me to purchase here in the US. Vahdam teas are the only teas that I have tasted that remind me of the high-quality, very expensive products from mainland China. Different products but similar high quality. And Vahdam teas from Amazon are very affordable. Here is Bala's story from his email, which I thought worthy of copy/pasting here: "I wish to introduce myself as the 25-year-old, Founder of Vahdam Teas . Your Amazon shipment is Out for Delivery and should reach you very soon. Firstly, thank you for choosing our teas. And before you try them, I wanted to share MY STORY with you. I come with a lineage of over 80 years in tea & I am the 4th generation in my family running a tea business. However, it is when I joined my bulk-tea-export family business, I noticed that most of the tea being sold across the world is passing through multiple middlemen & reaching consumers like you , a minimum of 6-12 months after harvest in the plantations . And by then, most of the PRIME freshness & flavour found in tea is lost. And even though, world famous tea brands are growing every year, the millions of tea growers back here in India are plagued with problems like low wages and are also facing an uncertain future . Yes, even though India grows some of the finest teas in the world (30% of the world's production), the absence of a home-grown brand has made the industry dependent on bulk tea exports to brands who move to poor quality teas from other tea growing regions in order to compete on price points & earn higher margins, as soon as the farmer's increase their price. And to initiate a journey to solve these problems, is when I decided to launch Vahdam Teas, a home-grown Indian tea brand, a couple of years back. How are Vahdam Teas exceptionally fresh? Unlike your everyday cuppa, V ahdam teas do not travel in containers for months before being packaged and sold. All our teas are procured direct from plantations & tea growers within 24-72 hours of harvest , packaged garden fresh and shipped to Amazon warehouses directly from source in India . By eliminating all middlemen we are not only able to make available garden fresh high quality teas but are also able to retain all earnings in the region where these divine teas are grown & nurtured by millions of growers with immense love, care and passion . A process which ultimately helps every farmer get a better price for their produce. Additionally, instead of a date of packaging, most Vahdam Teas come with a Date of Picking/Harvest which is the true indicator a tea's freshness. I would like to thank you for joining our tea family & patronizing a truly ethical, fair-trade tea. I am every excited for you to try our teas & taste the VAHDAM difference. We are honest company, working hard to get better every day & if for some reason you do not like your cup of tea or if they is any other feedback, please don't hesitate to mail me here, directly. I will personally ensure to send you a replacement or a refund. " The Earl Grey Citrus is my favorite, and after years of drinking Starbucks Verona, this is now my daily beverage.

When my favorite tea vendor at the mall, ceased to exist, I was forced to go to the Internet. It turned out to be fortuitous. This is so fresh and really good. It came super fast. I received mine on 08/16/2018, and was amazed to see a pick date of June 2018. I have only experienced a best if used before date. The packaging was nice, and when you open the vacuum pack, you start to experience the freshness. Smelled so good, you could smell the malty aroma, and the Citrus. I have never had Bergamot before, but I knew it was a citrus cousin. I made it hot first, and it took me a couple of sips to get used to the Bergamot, it kinda caught me off guard at first, maybe because it was so fresh and strong. After the first cup I was sold. To me, its a 50/50 flavor combo, neither flavor is more powerful than the other. You taste the rich malty caffeinated brew, and the zing of the citrus. Delicious. I make it cold too. My husband, who is a coffee drinker extraordinaire, will give up his coffee a couple of days a week, and have tea with me in the morning. Its better for you.

I used to rave about how good this tea was. It was such a beautiful and fragrant tea before. Something happened or changed, and it’s not the same Earl Grey tea I used to love for so long. Now, not so much. I used to say this is what I wanted to order in fancy hotels and cafes, but not anymore. The flavor has changed.

good test tea and strong

One of the better earl grey teas Ive tried. Great value too! And none of those cornflowers most loose leaf earl grey tea has!!

主にスコーンにいれていました。値段も手ごろで良い商品だと思います。

Je suis satisfait par ce thé Earl Grey. La senteur de la bergamote est bien là dès que l'on ouvre le paquet. Le gout est très bon et délicat. Sa senteur a l'air de durer dans le temps. Le packaging est bien présenté, en plus un grand sachet refermable est présent ! Rapport qualité-prix imbattable. Je vous le conseille. Bon thé à vous !

It has a pleasant taste, and I recommend it to tea drinkers.