Earl Grey tea is a kind of tea that has a flavor and smell that comes bergamot orange , a citrus fruit . The tea was named after Charles Grey , 2nd Earl Grey , a British prime minister from the 1830s . The Earl Grey blend is named after 2nd Earl Grey , British Prime Minister in the 1830s and author of the Reform Bill of 1832 , who reputedly received a gift , probably a diplomatic perquisite , of tea flavored with bergamot oil , taken from bergamot , a citrus fruit typical of Southeast Asia and grown commercially in Italy .