Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference – Earl Grey Fine Tea with Clementine
For the last few years, I’ve reviewed the Bird & Blend tea advent calendar, which means that there have been 24 nominally festive-themed teas in the run-up to Christmas. This year, there’s just the one: Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Earl Grey Fine Tea with Clementine.
So there’s a lot resting on this one. It’s got to represent the whole of Christmas 2023, tea-wise. That’s a heavy burden for any tea to shoulder, and, to be frank, Earl Grey & Clementine isn’t really up to the job.
I mean, it’s definitely a Christmas tea. It’s described as “a festive twist on classic Earl Grey”, and there are baubles and festive foliage on the box. But really, it’s just very, very orangey.
It doesn’t contain any actual orange, just clementine and orange flavouring, which is surprising because it has the bitter taste of orange peel down to a tee. It’s like when you nibble a bit of orange peel after eating an orange and then think, “Why did I just do that?”
There’s bergamot flavouring in here as well, of course. There needs to be in order to justify the Earl Grey moniker. But that’s rather drowned out by the sharper citrus flavours. It’s not unpleasant. I’ll finish the box, but neither is it ‘12 Days of Christmas’, ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘I Wish it Could Be Christmas Every Day’ all wrapped up in a tea bag.
Happily, there’s enough other festive fare at Tea Fancier Towers right now. I’ve got walnuts. I’ve got mince pies. I’ve got sprout trees ready to be plucked. I am well and truly all set for the big day.
I love Christmas. And my heart is brimming like that of a reformed miser who’s just been visited by three Christmas ghosts. Merry, merry Christmas, everyone. I hope each and every one of you has a marvellous time.
