Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Le Palais des Thés
Tea Description:
Yunnan is one of the best black teas in the world and with a fresh and delicate bergamot from Calabria, it gives a particularly fine and well balanced blend. An exceptional Earl Grey.
Earl Grey is one of the best-loved English teas. It was first created when Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Falloden and Foreign Secretary of Britain, received an old recipe from a Mandarin Chinese that called for flavoring tea with bergamot.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a tasty Earl Grey from Le Palais des Thés … this Blue of London – or Earl Grey Yunnan. Tasty … but I don’t know that I would call it exceptional as it is called in the above description.
But it is good. The Yunnan gives it a very rich flavor that is sweet with notes of caramel and spice, and the slightest hint of chocolate. It is a strong, invigorating black tea, and I like the way the Yunnan complements the bergamot flavor. The Yunnan tea is the strongest flavor of the cup, but there is a compelling balance between black tea notes and bergamot.
The bergamot here is a softer bergamot. Some teas go for a heady bergamot essence and some go for a more subtle approach. This bergamot is on the subtle side. It doesn’t whack me upside the head with the tangy citrus notes, nor is it so strong that it comes across as perfume-y. It is on the delicate side, but it isn’t so delicate that it is not tasted. I DEFINITELY taste the bergamot here, I just don’t taste a strong, pungent, soapy bergamot that overwhelms the palate with its presence.
And I like that. As much as I love bergamot – and for those of you that have been reading my reviews for a while probably are well aware of my love affair with the distinguished Mr. Earl Grey – sometimes a subtle, smooth approach is better than coming on strong. I like that the way the bergamot comes through here.
This is a really good Earl Grey … and the more I sip it, the more I like it. It isn’t my favorite Earl Grey, which is why I say I wouldn’t classify it as exceptional – I save exceptional for only those I consider my favorites. But, it IS good, and certainly worth a try, especially if you are a fan of Earl Grey. Just because it isn’t my favorite doesn’t mean that it won’t be yours!
Smoky Earl Grey Tea from New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Description:
An interesting twist on the traditional Earl Grey, this tea is made with Chinese Lapsang Souchong to add a savory smoothness to the citrus notes of Bergamot. Best in the afternoon, and suggested without milk.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve tasted many variations on the classic Earl Grey tea, but, of the many different takes on the favorite, I can’t recall having a Smoky Earl Grey Tea like this one from New Mexico Tea Company. I may have had one or two other smoky Earl Grey teas with a strong smoky essence like this tea possesses … but they were apparently not very memorable because they’re not coming to mind at the moment.
But this Smoky Earl Grey is memorable. As I’ve attested in the past, I’m not a big fan of the smoky teas … and I used to shy away from Lapsang Souchong tea because the smoky quality tends to be a bit too much for me. I have since learned better ways of infusing a smoky tea, and this has lead me to have a more enjoyable experience with the heavily smoked teas. And I am glad that I’m able to bring that brewing knowledge to the teapot for this Smoky Earl Grey, because I’m really liking the result. It is indeed smoky, but, the smoke does not interfere with the tangy/sweet quality of the bergamot. Instead, they intermingle quite nicely … and create a rather unique, delicious flavor that I’m enjoying quite a bit.
The key is to “reawaken” the leaves … or do a pre-rinse of the leaves when you steep a Lapsang Souchong. Pour just under boiling water on the leaves, allow them to infuse for 15 seconds, and then strain the leaves and they’re ready to brew! I then brewed the leaves for 3 minutes. This produced a flavorful cup that is smoky … but not overwhelmingly so. The level of smoke does not overpower the flavor of the bergamot. The bergamot tastes sweeter in the presence of the smoky characteristics of the tea … I notice more of the sweeter notes of the citrus fruit than I might experience with a traditional Earl Grey.
A very enjoyable cuppa – if you’re a fan of Earl Grey … you should try this interesting twist on the classic!
Green of London – Earl Grey Mao Feng Tea from Le Palais des Thes
Tea Type:Green Tea
Where To Buy:
Product Description:
Green of London is a particularly fine and well-balanced blend, consisting of an excellent Chinese green tea, a fresh and delicate bergamot, and flower petals – cornflower and blue mallow. An exceptional Earl Grey, finally available with a green tea base!
Earl Grey has been a great English classic ever since Charles Grey, 2nd Earl of Falloden and Foreign Secretary went on to become Prime Minister in 1830. For saving the life of the Chinese Mandarin, he received in gratitude a specially scented tea flavoured with oil of bergamot.
Tasters Review:
I received a lovely email from Fanja at Le Palais des Thes explaining that Green of London – Earl Grey Mao Feng is now available at their SoHo/NYC Store! Exciting!!! They sent the Sororitea Sisters a batch of their brand new US release and we are VERY excited to try this!
I must say – I cannot remember if I have had an Earl Grey flavored Mao Feng before. I know I have had Senchas, as well as other types of green’s that were EG flavored but I really don’t remember a Mao Feng!
I do really like this! They hit the nail on the head for EG flavor especially with the Green tea base, here! It seems to be the perfect level of EG flavor to be strong and true but you can still taste the Green Tea base which is grassy and sweet. The Bergamot is really nice too! And there is a hint of floral flavor and it increases as I continue to sip!
This is a nice sipping tea as well as a gulping tea. I enjoyed this hot and cold. Pretty brilliant!
I thought this was a pretty neat tea to review on my Birthday! CHEERS!
Vintage Earl Grey from New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: New Mexico Tea Company
Tea Description:
A sophisticated twist to an undeniably sophisticated black tea. Vintage Earl Grey adds the subtleties of rose and lavender to the familiar well-loved tradition of Italian orange bergamot for a smashing afternoon delight. Enjoyed with an intimate circle of friends or in your own personal retreat time, this soothing and lively combination will stir memories of pleasant times well spent.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Vintage Earl Grey blend from New Mexico Tea Company is a very interesting combination of flavors … a really unusual but tasty twist on a classic favorite!
My first thought when I saw so many floral notes plus bergamot was that this would end up tasting like one of those fancy body washes that you might find in a specialty shop in the mall. And while I’ve not actually picked up a bottle of body wash and chugged it, I think I can still say that this does not taste like body wash … or soap … or perfume!
It is one of the more unique Earl Grey blends that I’ve encountered. The flavor is at once citrus-y/bergamot-y, rose, lavender, and rosemary, with a background of black tea flavor. The black tea base is rather subtle and even a tad overwhelmed by the presence of so many strong flavors … but that does not mean that I do not taste the black tea. It just means that it is not as prominent as it would be in a traditional Earl Grey blend. While it doesn’t stand out and say “Here I Am” to the palate, it comes through in the background. There is only a wee bit of astringency and no bitterness with this tea.
In one sip, I notice notes of rose, lavender, bergamot, resin and pine, plus a backdrop of black tea. The rose is the first flavor that I notice immediately. The bergamot then comes through, offering its distinctive citrus-y, tangy flavor. The lavender takes a few sips to really be recognized … and I think this has something to do with the other ingredients actually “altering” the usually distinguished flavor of lavender … it took me a little while for me to recognize the flavor as lavender … whereas if this had been a straightforward lavender scented black tea, I would have noticed the lavender immediately because of the lack of other ingredients to taint the lavender’s presence.
The rosemary is there too, and I like the sharp, pine-ish flavor that it offers the cup. It really does give this a ‘vintage-y’ kind of flavor together with the rose and lavender. It’s quite remarkable.
I really enjoyed the way this tea came together. It is indeed DIFFERENT, but, different isn’t always bad. In this case, different is definitely GOOD, and it was unique and interesting enough to keep me sipping!
Posh Earl Grey from Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lu-Lin Teas
Tea Description:
A LuLin Teas take on the English favourite Earl Grey. We’ve added bright blue corn flowers and zesty orange flowers to create our wonderful Posh Earl Grey Blend. Add a slice of lemon, drink with milk or keep it black for three very different taste sensations.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Posh Earl Grey is the first tea that I’ve tried from Lu-Lin Teas … and this is a company I’ve been excited to try for months now! I heard about them on Facebook, I think, and I’ve been in contact with a representative of the company, Hannah, about possibly sampling some of their products for a while, but because they’re in the UK, they wanted to wait until they were able to expand their shipping to the United States.
Well, they’re available here now … as well as in the UK, and this Posh Earl Grey is an excellent version of my classic favorite. It tastes smoother than a typical Earl Grey; it is not quite as pungent … the bergamot tastes sweeter and maybe a little less tangy than what I’ve become used to. And I like this difference. Oh sure, I still love that classic taste of bergamot, but I love it when I find something a little different too.
The black tea tastes … silky. It has a smooth flavor from start to finish. There is very little astringency and no bitterness whatsoever. It isn’t what I’d call a robust tasting tea, but, what it lacks in boldness, it makes up for with its even tone … I like that it is just so smooth!
The bergamot is nicely balanced, not overwhelming but also not too subtle. It has a very pleasing citrus-y taste, tasting bright and slightly acidic, but mostly, what I taste is a really lovely sweetness from the bergamot. It is a very pleasing, well-rounded cup.
If this tea is any indication of the quality and flavor of teas I can expect from this company, I’d say I’m in for a wonderful experience with Lu-Lin Teas!