Not too long ago I received an envelop from Canada! Yay! My friends from the north! I’ve always adored Canada! Inside the package was Earl on the Prairie from SimpliciTea.
Upon opening this tea – I have to say – first and foremost – I was smacked in the face with an out of this world aroma! It was a cross between perfume and potpourri. It was pretty intense but oh-so-memorable!
This look leaf contains medium length black tea Ceylon leaves, Bergamot, and Saskatoon Berries! If you aren’t familiar with Saskatoon Berries they are much like blueberries but actually closer to the apple family and have a sweet almond-like flavor.
Saskatoon bushes are a deciduous shrub or small tree that can reach 16 ft in height. The mature bushes sport white flowers each spring. Saskatoons are native to North America, growing wild from Alaska to Maine. In the northern lower peninsula of Michigan there are currently over 20 commercial growers that have 50 to 10,000 plants each. We are currently working on a survey of operations in several other states and the Canadian provinces.
The flavor of the tea is pretty incredible. I have never tasted anything quite like it. It’s very memorable, fruity, semi-tart, and tasty! For a tea tasting experience you won’t forget – try Earl on the Prairie from SimpliciTea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: SimpliciTea
Description
A Decadent Saskatoon Berry Earl Grey
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey de la Creme from Steeped Tea. . .
Steeped Tea is a company I have known about for quite some time now but have never ordered from them or tried their teas. I have been to their site many times and each time when I click the “Shop” button and it tells me to “Shop Now with a Consultant” I am reminded of why I haven’t had their teas and why I am disappointed. It is a different type of business and though some people probably very much enjoy shopping in this fashion, it is not for me.
With that said, thanks to the wonders of tea swaps and traveling teaboxes, I was able to come across a sample of Steeped Tea without the involvement of a consultant. Particularly this Earl Grey de la Creme tea. Normally I don’t enjoy bergamot in teas but every now and again I find an Earl Grey Cream tea that makes for a good latte. This one just sounded good because I am always intrigued by the word “Creme”. That and the fact that this was an opportunity to try a tea company I have been curious about made me overlook the “earl grey” component of the tea.
I brewed this for 3 minutes in 200 degree water. I used 4 teaspoons of tea in about 8 ounces of water and then topped off my mug with 8 ounces of frothed milk. Boom! An Earl Grey de la Creme Latte! Just missing the splash of vanilla and I would have had myself a London Fog.
Alas this is more bergamot and less cream in practice, despite the assistance of the creamy frothed milk. It has a strong citrus oil flavor which comes off too floral and brisk for my tastes. If I drank Earl Grey tea, this may be nice but as someone who isn’t a fan of the blerg I can say that this is way too in-your-face, and would probably be even more so without the milk. Like I said though, I don’t usually enjoy earl grey teas to begin with so I am not necessarily this tea’s target audience.
Personally I would have liked a lot more “de la creme” and a lot less “earl grey”. It was a drinkable latte but not my favorite. At the end of the day though, it satisfied my curiosity about Steeped Tea so it was worth the taste.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Steeped Tea
Description
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
