Earl Grey depends on two things: the bergamot, and the tea that carries it. For Grand Earl Grey, Mariage Frères chose a quality Ceylon tea and scented it with a generous bergamot perfume; the house sums up the cup in two words, round and seductive.

Black teas from Ceylon, grown on the highlands of the former island of Sri Lanka, are known for a frank, colourful and bracing cup that holds up well to a perfume without being overwhelmed by it. This is what makes them a classic Earl Grey base, more upright than a China tea. The declared ingredients are tea and flavouring; the blend may contain traces of nuts.

The liquor is amber and round. The bergamot opens, frank, zesty, slightly bitter as it should be, then the Ceylon takes over with its brightness and colour, and the finish is clean, without astringency if the steeping time is respected. This is an Earl Grey with character, for those who want to sense the tea behind the citrus.

It is drunk plain, or with a splash of milk, in the English manner, throughout the day, and especially at teatime. It accompanies a scone, a lemon cake, shortbread, or a cucumber sandwich. Steeped, then chilled over ice with a slice of lemon, it makes a classic iced tea.

Allow 2.5 g per 200 ml of water at 95°C and five minutes of steeping. Grand Earl Grey Ceylan is weighed and packed to order in our shops in Bordeaux and Nice, from the 5 g sample to the kilo, in a pouch designed to preserve its perfume, and should be kept in an airtight tin, away from light and strong odours.