# Twinings changed Earl Grey tea - How do you feel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2011, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064 "2011-09-03T15:45:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/21 "2011-09-03T20:39:47Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I don’t care because I really, really dislike Earl Grey tea. I don’t even like the smell of it. There’s an anecdote I read in a bio of XTC about the social differences between Andy Partridge and original drummer Terry Chambers. Partridge gave Chambers a cup of Earl Grey tea and Chambers got angry, thinking Partridge was trying to trick him into drinking perfume. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/22 "2011-09-03T20:53:26Z")
I’m not quite ready to throw a fit here, but…I don’t like this. The whole point of Twinings Earl Grey is that it’s _Twinings Earl Grey._ You can drink it and feel like you’re connected to a rich tradition, and it’s always the same, and it’s just _there_. Even if this new mix tastes better (and it might, Twinings isn’t the best Earl Grey I’ve had) it means that there’s no more “real” Twinings Earl Grey. And that’s no good! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/23 "2011-09-03T21:03:42Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > I’m looking forward to hearing how the Post-Apocalyptic Earl Gray works out! (Named thus because, with the smokiness of the lapsang, it should be like Earl Gray that survived some firey holocaust and came out awesome.) I’m going to be tweaking the recipe a bit, but here’s my first report back: The various strong flavors in this tea hit you at different times. As you bring the cup up to your mouth, the bergamot is the first thing to hit the nose, cutting through the smokiness of the lapsang souchong. When you take the first sip, the bergamot all but disappears, leaving the pine smoke flavor, which fades into the base tea (an organic black Yunnan) as it swirls through your mouth. After you swallow, the bergamot returns, blending with the smoke to create a lingering aftertaste. I think I’ll cut back on the smokiness a bit to highlight the underlying tea, but it’s pretty darned close now. Yes, “Mr. Excellent’s Post-Apocalyptic Earl Grey” will be going on the menu at my tea bar. > [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Also: You own a tea bar? Can I be your friend? Absolutely! You live in D.C., right? If you hop in the car early tomorrow morning, you can be here by mid-afternoon tea time on Monday. There’s an art fair down the street, and the weather should be perfect for a cup of tea. If you’re a cigar kinda guy, we could enjoy a nice Macanudo Cru Royale and a class of 12-year old Macallan afterward. > [@chappachula](#): > > is it as popular and accessible as this [tea bar in China](http://www.justaskshirley.com/photos/china/wow.htm) ? > > (I’ve always wanted to go there for a nice, relaxing cuppa tea. But, gee whiz, now that they’ve changed Earl Grey, I suppose it’s just not worth the trip… 🙂 ) Oh. My. Goodness. I would definitely go there. But I seriously doubt they serve anything from Twinings 😉 > [@Athena](#): > > You can’t say that without telling us which ones you like better! Clearly, you didn’t read the blog post 😃 My favorite Earl Grey is the Ancient Tree Earl Grey from Rishi. Not only do I love it, but it outsells the next most-popular Earl Grey in my tea bar by a four-to-one margin. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/24 "2011-09-03T21:52:57Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > I’m not quite ready to throw a fit here, but…I don’t like this. > > The whole point of Twinings Earl Grey is that it’s _Twinings Earl Grey._ You can drink it and feel like you’re connected to a rich tradition, and it’s always the same, and it’s just _there_. > > Even if this new mix tastes better (and it might, Twinings isn’t the best Earl Grey I’ve had) it means that there’s no more “real” Twinings Earl Grey. And that’s no good! I’m thinking this is a New Coke moment for Twinings. But I don’t drink tea and do not care. ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/25 "2011-09-03T21:55:41Z")
> [@chappachula](#): > > is it as popular and accessible as this [tea bar in China](http://www.justaskshirley.com/photos/china/wow.htm) ? Just looking at the photos of the trail made me fee sick with fear, but wow, what an experience! They don’t butter the tea there, do they? ---
**Author:** ![Tapiotar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3be4f8/32.png) [@Tapiotar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapiotar)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/26 "2011-09-03T22:00:40Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:1, topic:595064”] For those who don’t know the story, British tea giant Twinings was the company that first marketed Earl Grey tea. They’ve just changed the formulation, adding more bergamot (more detail on my blog [here](http://garyrobson.wordpress.com/2011/09/03/twinings-changes-their-earl-grey-stop-the-presses-or-dont/)). People appear to be coming apart at the seams over this. How does this affect you? What will you do about it? [/QUOTE] Gary, I looked at your blog post and website. If I ever get to Montana again, I’ll make a point of stopping in your teahouse/bookstore. It looks exactly like my kind of place. [HIJACK What was that mystery series set in either Montana or Wyoming, protag have Creole, half Native American, fairly violent, slight but beleivable mystical tendences? I sold my copies before a cross-country move, and now I don’t remember anymore./HIJACK] ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/27 "2011-09-03T22:13:21Z")
My vote was not quite among the options. My vote was “I don’t voluntarily drink Earl Grey so I shouldn’t care but I do sometimes drink tea and as I posted a couple of years ago a shocking number of offices/cafes stock ONLY Earl Grey as a non-herbal tea so sometimes I get Earl Grey under protest so anything that makes it taste more like my grandmother’s linen sachet is an unwelcome development.” ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/28 "2011-09-03T22:23:12Z")
> [@Huerta88](#): > > My vote was not quite among the options. My vote was “I don’t voluntarily drink Earl Grey so I shouldn’t care but I do sometimes drink tea and as I posted a couple of years ago a shocking number of offices/cafes stock ONLY Earl Grey as a non-herbal tea so sometimes I get Earl Grey under protest so anything that makes it taste more like my grandmother’s linen sachet is an unwelcome development.” Sure it is. It’s option 8 on the poll. 😉 And as for your herbal teas: see [SMBC](http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=2342#comic). ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/29 "2011-09-03T22:39:20Z")
I haven’t tried it yet, but I absolutely love bergamot,a dn it would be tough to put in too much for my taste. Dried lemon, on the other hand, is usually not to my taste, so I’ll have to try it. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/30 "2011-09-03T22:51:52Z")
Don’t drink tea, so only option for me was “I don’t drink tea at all, so I don’t care.” but even though I don’t drink it, I wouldn’t say “I don’t care” about this. Plenty of things I do like have been ruined when they got all “new and improved” so I feel the pain of anyone upset by this alteration of the formula. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/31 "2011-09-03T23:12:02Z")
I stocked up when they had a super blowout sale on their Earl Grey and English Breakfast 50 packs from England. It’ll be awhile before I need any. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/32 "2011-09-03T23:22:50Z")
I love tea, although I don’t know squat about it. Suddenly, I really want to learn. Gary, as soon as I get back to my computer, you’ve got one new follower. For the record, I also liked New Coke. And Crystal Pepsi. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/33 "2011-09-03T23:38:09Z")
> [@Cheez\_Whia](#): > > I stocked up when they had a super blowout sale on their Earl Grey and English Breakfast 50 packs from England. It’ll be awhile before I need any. Even in their cellophane packaging, if you’re going to be storing it for a while, I’d get a good airtight container and put it in a cool room that gets no light (or use one of those resealable silver Mylar bags). Otherwise, you’ll start losing freshness in a few months. ---
**Author:** ![Toucanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Toucanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toucanna)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/34 "2011-09-03T23:50:06Z")
I had heard that Earl Grey was developed when someone tried bergamot as a cheap substitute for cardamom. So, I tried some black tea with cardamom. Very tasty. I am not going back to EG unless my tea choice is limited to either EG or jasmine tea. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/35 "2011-09-04T00:00:00Z")
> [@ricksummon](#): > > Does this mean they’re going to have to re-dub all the episodes of **ST:TNG?** No, it just means they’ll need to invoke time travel. **Executive on the phone:** “Yes, I’m pretty sure I can push the reformulation through…” _\_ ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/36 "2011-09-04T00:12:37Z")
Earl Grey is crap. Twinnings are crap. Thus, Twinnings Earl Grey is crap squared. PG, Tetley or it isn’t tea. Edit: In fact, I’ll go one further. Any tea that is served loose or in individually wrapped bags is by definition shite. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/37 "2011-09-04T00:26:45Z")
> [@Toucanna](#): > > I had heard that Earl Grey was developed when someone tried bergamot as a cheap substitute for cardamom. So, I tried some black tea with cardamom. Very tasty. I am not going back to EG unless my tea choice is limited to either EG or jasmine tea. I’ve never heard that, and I have a hard time imagining it. Cardamom and bergamot are _very_ different. (To most Americans, cardamom-based tea blends are known as “chai.”) Do you have a cite for the bergamot/cardamom story? > [@amanset](#): > > In fact, I’ll go one further. Any tea that is served loose or in individually wrapped bags is by definition shite. I do not understand. If it’s not in a teabag, and it’s not loose, what’s left? ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Onimous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Ann\_Onimous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Onimous)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/38 "2011-09-04T00:39:21Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > No, it just means they’ll need to invoke time travel. > > **Executive on the phone:** “Yes, I’m pretty sure I can push the reformulation through…” > > _\_ This is gold, **Der Trihs**. Pure gold. Thank you! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/39 "2011-09-04T00:50:45Z")
I was under the impression that **Twinings** reformulated their Earl Grey about 3-4 years ago and decreased the amount of bergamont and whatnot in their tea. I always thought their tea was a bit on the light side, so I kind of approve of this change. In terms of strength and amount of flavor among Earl Greys, the order was roughly: Twinings Bigelow Tazo And I thought Bigelow had about the right amount. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2011, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064/40 "2011-09-04T00:55:06Z")
> [@Ann\_Onimous](#): > > This is gold, **Der Trihs**. Pure gold. Thank you! 😃 You’re welcome. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twinings-changed-earl-grey-tea-how-do-you-feel/595064.md?page=3)