What Is Earl Grey Tea, Exactly?

What's actually in the blend

Earl Grey is a flavored tea, most commonly black tea scented with bergamot. Classic versions often use a Chinese Keemun or a Ceylon base, but green tea, decaf and other bases exist too. The bergamot is what gives Earl Grey its distinctive floral-citrus aroma.

Many blends add dried cornflower petals mainly for visual appeal; they contribute little flavor on their own. For a wider view of where Earl Grey fits, see our guide to the main types of tea.

What is bergamot?

Bergamot is a fragrant citrus fruit, grown mainly in the Calabria region of southern Italy. It's too sour to eat like an orange, but the oil in its peel is highly aromatic — floral, bright and slightly bitter — and is also used in perfume.

Earl Grey gets its flavor from bergamot, either as oil or as flavoring added to the tea leaves. Blends can use natural bergamot oil, other flavorings, or a mix, and the amount used varies. How strong or pleasant that aroma seems is partly a matter of personal taste.

What Does Earl Grey Taste Like?

Most Earl Grey tastes like black tea with a citrusy, perfumed lift. The bergamot aroma comes through first — bright and citrusy with floral notes — and the tea underneath adds body, maltiness or briskness.

Blends can taste quite different. A strong Assam or Ceylon base gives a bolder, more robust cup; a lighter Keemun or green tea base feels softer. Some blends are heavy on bergamot, others more subtle, and added ingredients like lavender, rose or vanilla change the profile further. Our tea flavor profiles guide explains how to describe what you taste.

Where the name comes from

The tea is named after Charles Grey, 2nd Earl Grey and a 19th-century British prime minister. Popular stories say the blend was a gift or was created for him, but these are commonly repeated legends rather than documented fact — how his name got attached to a bergamot-scented tea isn't clearly known.

Variations you'll see

Because it's a flavoring concept rather than a fixed recipe, Earl Grey shows up in several forms depending on the base tea and additions used.

• Lady Grey: a milder style, often with added citrus peel or other additions
• Earl Grey Green: green tea base instead of black, lighter and less brisk
• French Earl Grey: black tea with bergamot plus rose or other floral petals
• Smoky Earl Grey: built on a Lapsang Souchong base for a smokier profile
• Decaf Earl Grey: made with decaffeinated black tea for a lower-caffeine cup

Brewing it well

Since most Earl Grey is black tea, brew at 203 to 212°F (95 to 100°C) for 3 to 4 minutes, using about 2–3 g of leaf (roughly 1 heaping teaspoon) per 8 oz of water. Treat these as starting points — the right numbers depend on the tea base and your taste. An Earl Grey Green should be brewed cooler, like other green teas.

If your cup tastes too strong or bitter, shorten the steep or use a little less leaf. If it tastes weak or flat, use a bit more leaf rather than just steeping much longer. Earl Grey takes milk well if the base tea is a robust Ceylon or Assam, less so if it's a lighter Keemun.

For more detail, see our guides to tea water temperature, tea-to-water ratios and how to brew black tea.

Earl Grey and the London Fog

A London Fog is a tea latte commonly made with Earl Grey, steamed or frothed milk and usually vanilla. It's one of the easiest ways to enjoy Earl Grey if you like creamy drinks — our tea lattes guide includes a simple London Fog recipe.

Deciding between breakfast-style and bergamot-scented tea? Our English Breakfast vs Earl Grey comparison breaks down the differences.