Tea encyclopaedia · Flavoured tea
Earl Grey is defined by the distinctive citrus-floral aroma of bergamot. The tea base can vary, so the style is broader than one fixed recipe.
Signature flavour
Bergamot
Tea base
Often black tea, but not always
Taste
Citrus, floral, aromatic
Variation
Loose leaf, bags, decaf, green and white-tea versions
Bergamot is a fragrant citrus fruit associated especially with southern Italy. Its peel oil has a distinctive floral-citrus aroma that is more perfumed than ordinary lemon or orange.
Commercial Earl Grey may use bergamot oil, flavouring, peel or a combination, so the ingredient list is worth reading.
A brisk black-tea base makes a very different Earl Grey from a delicate Darjeeling-style base or a green-tea interpretation.
Earl Grey is easier to compare when both the tea base and flavour source are made clear rather than relying on the name alone.
Some related blends add lemon peel, orange peel or other citrus notes. Brand-specific names should be distinguished from the broader Earl Grey style.
The useful discovery route is “bergamot-led tea” with filters for base tea, caffeine, format and added citrus.
Brew according to the tea base rather than the flavour name. A black-tea Earl Grey generally tolerates hotter water than a green-tea version.
Milk can soften a robust black Earl Grey, while more delicate versions are often best tasted plain first.
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