First, the leaf: a blue tea, that is to say a semi-oxidised oolong, rather than the black tea usually used for Earl Grey. Earl Grey in Love, from Mariage Frères, enriches the house’s Earl Grey collection with this smoother base, scented with bergamot and sprinkled with rose petals and blue flowers. It is offered here in a box of 30 round traditional cotton muslin tea sachets, made in France, making 75 g of tea.

The declared composition combines tea, bergamot aroma and flower petals; the blend may contain traces of nuts. It is listed in the catalogue under the Jardin Premier label. The box, in an intense blue, matches its contents.

The cup has golden nuances. It is velvety and lively, to borrow the house’s word: the bergamot is voluptuous rather than sharp, the rose can be sensed in the background, and the oolong brings a roundness that black tea does not offer. Those who find classic Earl Grey a little dry will discover a softer and more floral version. The caffeine content is low.

It is an afternoon tea, which goes with a scone, a lemon cake or rose biscuits. It is drunk without milk, to keep the finesse of the semi-oxidised leaf, and when iced it gives a cup of great freshness.

Use 1 cotton muslin tea sachet per 200 ml of water at 95 °C and four minutes’ steeping time. The cotton lets the leaf unfurl and adds no taste. Keep the box closed, away from light, and above all away from coffee and spices, whose odours would cling to the bergamot.