There are times when I simply need a good, strong Earl Grey. The Delightful Morning Blend from Plum Deluxe is perfect for those times. What makes it unique is the addition of lavender and a hint of vanilla. All of Plum Deluxe’s teas are organic and made in small batches.
I love a pot of Delightful Morning served with milk and sugar on a lazy Sunday. Today was not-so-lazy, but this lovely blend gave me the perfect boost for the start of a busy day. It is equally amazing on ice!
Plum Deluxe is a mail order tea company based in Portland, Oregon. I discovered them on Instagram last year and joined their tea of the month club. Every month, members receive a purple envelope with a new surprise blend of tea! They also have a members-only Facebook page with some of the nicest people you will meet. However, one does not have to be a member to order from the wonderful selection of teas and accessories on their website.
I wasn’t a fan of Earl Grey until I started to try good-quality, loose leaf varieties. Now it is one of my favorites. For anyone who may have similar misgivings about Earl Grey, try a cup of Plum Deluxe’s Delightful Morning Blend and you may start to think differently about Earl Grey.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Originally we created this tweak of our Mindful Morning earl grey with a pinch of Oregon lavender for the many flower festivals we visit during the spring and summer – and lucky day, it’s now available online.
The fresh lavender adds a softness and balance to the astringency of the bergamot, accented by the vanilla notes in the base black tea. It is truly wonderful iced or hot.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
TeaEqualBliss’s Top FLAVORED Earl Grey’s of the Moment
- Winter Morning Earl Grey from Sunshine Cottage
- French No.7 from Blue Hour Tea
- Green of London – Earl Grey Mao Feng from Le Palais des Thes
- Girlie Grey Tea from Jeeves & Jericho
- Rose Earl Grey from Red Leaf Tea
- William Shakespeare’s Black Tea Blend from Simpson and Vail
- Sir Stuart Black & Green Tea from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee
- Persian Rose from Tay Tea
- Luna Tea from Moongleam Tea
- London Fog from Harlow Tea
LiberTeas will forever be the reigning champion of Earl Greys but I decided to take a stab at naming my Top Ten FLAVORED Earl Greys of the Moment – just for kicks! These Earl Greys are FLAVORED and when I mean FLAVORED I mean they have additional or more-than-just-your-regular-Earl-Grey-flavorings going on! They have additional or unique flavors that you wouldn’t find in a straight-up EG. Some mentioned above even have a non-black tea base but have EG flavors so those also qualified for my FLAVORED list. Of course MY taste buds differ from everyone elses and yours differ from mine. These are just 10 of them that really stood out to me and I thought deserved an additional mention. A few even went back a year or two in the archives. If you do not see your favorites on this list – let us know in comments and we will try and locate them – and try them – if possible.
The 2017 Valentine’s Day Collection from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
Valentine’s Day, the Hallmark holiday. A wonderful time to celebrate those you love with flowers and cards and chocolates and gifts. Red and pink hearts abound. All the while, intelligent companies bank on this commercial goldmine, like Lindt which sells the same Milk Chocolate Lindor Balls you can get year-round but in a heart-shaped box and with an inflated price tag. DAVIDsTEA is no stranger to the Valentine’s Day game and lucky for us that means new Valentine’-inspired teas to try. That and cute heart-shaped tea tins for those hoping to impress their tea-loving sweethearts.
The Earl’s Valentine is a returning Valentine’s Day blend that was sold last year to a great deal of popularity. It is branded as a black early grey based tea, but there are more chocolate curls and rosebuds in the dry mix than actual tea leaf. It is made with roasted carob, black tea, chocolate pieces, rose buds, cornflower petals, natural and artificial bergamot, chocolate and cocoa flavouring. It brews up a caramel brown color and looks rather oily on top, probably due to the chocolate pieces. Thankfully the slickness of that oil goes unnoticed unless you are focusing on it. As for the flavor, the earl grey base, though it appears minimal compared to the other ingredients in the dry leaf, is quite present. The bottom of the sip is brisk and citrusy while the silky milk chocolate floats on top. Sandwiched in between is the rose which acts as a nice segue between the other flavors that might seem out of sync without its presence. Sweet yet floral, this blend delivers on what it promises and should be enjoyable if you enjoy bergamot and can look past the sheen on the top of your mug.
Berry Romantic, one of the new blends introduced this year, is a strawberries-and-cream tea made with apple, oolong tea, cane sugar, blackberry leaf, gomphrena petals, jasmine buds, strawberries, rose buds, natural strawberry flavouring and artificial cream flavouring. The dry leaf looks quite lovely and smells like a bouquet of flowers. The blend steeps up almost golden and has an unexpectedly thick mouthfeel that compliments the “cream” flavor. Unfortunately, the berry doesn’t remind me of the fruit so much as a generic berry flavoring. Also, I do pick up on the apple more than I would like, though I suppose that would make sense since it is the first ingredient. On the plus side though, despite the various floral ingredients, it is not a particularly floral-tasting tea and the blackberry leaf and cane sugar do not make this overly sweet. It is better than expected but still more synthetic and processed tasting than I normally like.
White Chocolate Rose, the other new blend for 2017’s Valentine’s Day, is probably the one I was most excited about. I don’t usually love floral teas so the rose should be more off putting to me but something about the simplicity of this blend just called to me. Black tea, white chocolate , rose buds, and natural and artificial flavouring make up this offering – no added sweeteners which DAVIDs has become so found of and no mile-long list of ingredients. The dry leaf is beautiful with its large pink rosebuds and its bright white chocolate pieces amidst the black tea base. Brewed up it is very similar in appearance to The Earl’s Valentine, caramel brown and with a slickness on top which, again like The Earl’s Valentine, is inoffensive in regards to the texture. Scent-wise this is all rose and that translates into the flavor as well. I saw white chocolate so I know it is in here but I just can’t find where. Nevertheless, I think this is my favorite of the three as it is the most natural in the mix. It is also the prettiest/most romantic looking blend, though all would make for an aesthetically pleasing present.
If your Valentine like chocolate teas or floral blends, these might be worth taking a look at. If not, I would recommend going with teaware instead…or flowers or chocolate or jewelry or any other classic Valentine’s Day present.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Various
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
truly, madly, steeply
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
The Picture of Earl Grey from Novel Teas. . . . . .
I may not be the best person to review this tea as I don’t read piles and piles of books like some people do. I do, however, appreciate the literary connection with this tea. The tea at hand is The Picture of Earl Grey™ from Novel Teas which features their WILDE’S ROSY EARL GREY Blend.
To be honest I had to do a double take with this one. I really and truly thought I was drinking a heavily flavored ROSE Earl Grey Black Tea but I was mistaken. It seems The Picture of Earl Grey™ from Novel Teas is actually a combination of organic jasmine green tea and a rose-blended bergamot radiate hedonism and reflect your eternal beauty as you sip…of so the product description on the website says.
I will say the rose petals were very large, very floral in both aroma and taste, and were quite colorful! The rose was the primary flavor in this tea…hands-down! Then I could pick out a fairly solid Earl Grey likeness to the tastes on the tongue.
The Picture of Earl Grey™ from Novel Teas was inspired by Irish author Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray and goes perfectly with THE PICTURE OF EARL GREY TIN that is also sold by Novel Teas.
This is a highly flavored twist on an Earl and I have to say I enjoyed it! I can’t wait for another cuppa
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green Tea
Where to Buy: Novel Teas
Description
“The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”
– Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray
The delicate flavorings and novel-inspired decorations of The Picture of Earl Grey™ may deceive you at first. This tin and tea provide for an exquisitely deceptive and Wildely elegant experience for any new collector. Organic jasmine green tea and a rose-blended bergamot radiate hedonism and reflect your eternal beauty as you sip.
Inspired by Irish author Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ it makes a great gift for the book lover in your life.
Caffeine: Moderate
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey from Clipper Teas. . . . . .
I haven’t had Earl Grey tea in quite awhile. I’m not sure why, I guess usually when I buy a tea that isn’t green, I go for the splashy, spicy Chai. Well, I’ve been reminded that splashy isn’t always best.
This Earl Grey was nice and smooth and delicious. I love how Earl Grey tea manages to be both floral-y, and citrus-y but not overbearingly so. The first thing I smell is a slight floral-y smell which is very inviting. When I take a sip, it’s the same. I taste the floral notes, and then I get the slight citrus taste. I prefer my Earl Grey with a little sweetener and a splash of plant milk.
Earl Grey reminds me of cozy, rainy days curled up with a good book, and maybe some great conversation. I enjoyed this tea myself on a cool, rainy morning curled up reading my favorite vegan blogs, and my cats curled up against my legs. It was perfect. Clipper tea is fair trade and organic, and it is reasonably priced on their website.
If you’re a fan of Earl Grey tea, you should definitely try this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Clipper Teas
Description
A high quality tea which is both light & refreshing with the distinctive citrus flavour of bergamot.