Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Luhse Tea
Tea Description:
Story: Queen Song is clearly not your typical gorilla. She’s a risk taker and norm-breaker. She couldn’t just leave traditional Earl Grey alone.
Tea Description: Earl Grey’s flamboyant brother. Added vanilla takes average Earl to a whole new level.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah, this is nice! I love Earl Grey – as I’ve mentioned many times! – and I love it when I find a delicious creamy Earl Grey like this Dorian Grey Tea from Luhse Tea. The traditional bergamot flavored black tea with a touch of sweet, creamy vanilla makes this Dorian Grey different from the classic Earl.
It would seem that I’ve tasted almost as many Earl Grey “Creme” blends as I have the traditional Earl Grey teas … because it would seem that for every Earl grey tea that there is out there, there is the creamy counterpart. But please do not read that as a complaint … just a statement of observation. I love Earl Grey, and I’m certainly not going to complain that there are too many Earl Grey teas out there – all the more for me to sample, my dear!
And I’m really enjoying this Dorian Grey Tea. I wasn’t too sure about it when I first opened my sampling of this tea, because the aroma was rather muted. I didn’t smell a whole lot of bergamot, or vanilla … or well, anything. I was worried that either my olfactory nerves were not operating properly, or maybe the tea was a stale sampling. However, once, I brewed the tea, the aroma came forward! Beautiful citrus-y notes, hints of flower, and a lovely vanilla overtone. My taste buds started to jump for joy.
The flavor is really quite delightful. The vanilla is just a tad stronger than the bergamot … but it doesn’t overpower it. It mellows out the bergamot – as I expected it to – but I still taste the tangy citrus notes. The cream adds a lovely sweet note to the cup … and the thing I love about creamy Earl Grey teas is that it’s a built-in “latte” – no dairy required!
This is a smooth, wonderful tea. A great choice for those who find the traditional bergamot tea to be a bit too much … this is softer, creamier, and more decadent! I love it!
Mount Gray Tea (Earl Grey Tea) from Damn Fine Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Damn Fine Tea
Tea Description:
Long a cherished landmark, Mount Gray is truly monumental. Since its discovery in the early 19th century, generations of adventure-seekers have been drawn to the dense woods which blanket its gentle slopes. Breathtaking heights abound with lush, fragrant vegetation, and scenic trails offer surprises for even the most frequent visitors. Mount Gray was formed by a geological process involving black tea from Asia and citrus oil from southern Europe, a remarkable combination which continues to delight visitors of all ages.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Whenever Andrews & Dunham Damn Fine Tea comes out with a new blend, you know I’ve got to have it. Like GOT to have it! I love receiving tea from Damn Fine Teas, it’s always an adventure! The delivery is super fast, and the tins are beautiful, and there always seems to be something a little extra. Something that goes along with the theme of the tea. For example, with the Double Knit Blend, there was a little plastic, black comb … kind of like you might find in the pocket of the nerdy types that would wear double knit shirts.
In the package with this Mount Gray Tea from Damn Fine Tea (an Earl Grey Tea!), there was a souvenir magnet that says “I survived Mount Gray.” Now, see, these little extras … they might not seem like a big deal, right? But I like these little extra touches. It’s just that little bit of fun and cleverness that makes it so much fun to receive a package from Damn Fine Tea. I don’t buy the tea for the extra – of course! – but it makes the receiving of the package all that much more enjoyable.
But what really sold me on Damn Fine Tea is their quality tea! Their teas always prove to be top notch. And I’m loving Mount Gray! This is a subtle take on Earl Grey. The bergamot is on the softer side here, and I’m tasting the fruitier quality of the bergamot. Yes, of course I know that bergamot IS a fruit, however, it tends to have some floral qualities to it that make it taste somewhat “perfume-ish” sometimes. But with this particular Earl Grey, the bergamot is on the citrus fruit side … not the soapy/perfume-y side! BONUS!
The black tea is right on par with the bergamot here – with this tea, I can’t say that the bergamot is the strongest flavor … the black tea definitely plays its part well here. It’s a good, strong black tea … rich and flavorful, and the bergamot brightens the cup, giving it a sweet, acidic taste that is very lively!
Normally, my favorite Earl Grey teas tend to be those that have a hefty bergamot presence … a strong bergamot flavor that manages to taste strongly of bergamot without tasting strongly of Uncle Arnold’s Cologne. This Mount Gray is different … I like it because the flavors are so well balanced. It doesn’t taste off or chemical-y or perfume-ish, it just tastes like tea and citrus! (And yes … this one is definitely right up there with my favorite Earl Grey teas!)
If you’re a lover of Earl Grey teas … this one should be next on your list to try!
Organic Creamy Earl Grey Black Tea from Fashionista Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Fashionista Tea
Tea Description:
Organic, high grown estate black tea hand blended with cornflowers, fragrant oil of bergamot and a touch of French Vanilla.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Well, this is it, folks! This is the last tea that I have to try from the Fashionista Tea collection! And I saved (one of) the best for last! Organic Creamy Earl Grey Black Tea!
If you’ve been reading my reviews for any length of time, you are probably pretty aware of my love affair with the smooth Mr. Grey. I’ve never made it any secret of how much I adore the combination of rich black tea and the tangy bergamot fruit. And I’m always excited to try variations of the classic combination of bergamot and black tea … like this Creamy Earl Grey from Fashionista Tea.
They combined the delicious flavor of the traditional favorite and added a touch of French Vanilla, which adds a smooth, creamy note … eliminating the need to add milk or cream to get that delicious latte flavor! This has that flavor built right in!
But that’s not the reason I love it so much (because I rarely add milk or cream to my Earl Grey tea … make that VERY rarely … as in nearly never!) I love this because the creaminess of the vanilla gives the Earl Grey a really different kind of flavor. It is smooth and creamy, of course, and sweeter than the standard Earl Grey, but it is the play between those sweet, creamy notes and the bergamot that I really enjoy. It gives it an almost “creamsicle” kind of taste … only more interesting because the orange notes here are bergamot orange! It tastes like an exotic creamsicle.
The bergamot is markedly toned down here, it is not as sharp or tangy as it is in the classic version of Earl Grey. But don’t mistake that as meaning that there is less flavor – because this cup is definitely a full-flavored tea. It has a rich, solid flavor that offers a creamy overtone, tangy mid-notes and a strong, black tea base that supports it all. It is not overly astringent (it’s quite mild as far as astringency goes!) and not at all bitter. Just … really enjoyable!
After having tried all of the teas in the Fashionista Tea collection, I really must say that this company has some MUST TRY teas in their collection … and this one is among them. I’d also recommend their Fashionista Blend and their White Tip Jasmine Tea. Of course, you can’t go wrong with the Basic Black Blend, either. And you’ll LOVE getting a package in the mail from them – the packaging is as much fun as the tea!
Citrus Earl Grey Black Tea Blend from Naked Teas Galore
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Amoda Tea
Tea Description:
There’s a whole lot of tang in this tea: orange peel, lemongrass, bergamot oil. The Ceylon (Sri Lankan) base tea can also have a tangy character. This is a smooth, medium-bodied cup. Obviously, the citrus in this tea is bold, but it’s not aggressive or bergamot-heavy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn how to subscribe to Amoda’s Monthly Tea Tasting Box here.
Taster’s Review:
This Citrus Earl Grey Black Tea Blend from Naked Teas Galore is the second of the three teas I received in this month’s Tea Tasting Box from Amoda Tea. I really do enjoy these boxes, and this month, they did things a little different. Instead of providing three different teas/tisanes from three different tea vendors, they chose just one vendor to focus on, and selected three different teas from them.
I kind of like this change … it gives me the opportunity to try not just one tea from a tea company, but, three! Let’s just hope that the company they choose will be a new-to-me company – like this month’s vendor, Naked Teas Galore.
I am very happy with this particular selection – Citrus Earl Grey. Of course, Bergamot is already a citrus, but Naked Teas Galore really zoomed in on the citrus notes by adding Lemongrass and Orange Peel. These additional citrus flavors soften the sometimes sharp bergamot flavor and create a sort of “medley” of citrus-y flavor … sort of like a citrus punch, if you can imagine that. The bergamot is still distinct, of course, but just … more mellow. Smoother. Sweeter! The orange peel and lemongrass do not offer a strong, specific flavor of their own in the brewed cup; instead, these ingredients contribute to the aforementioned “citrus punch” like taste.
The black tea is sort of a mellow-tasting black tea that sits off in the background, content to let the citrus-y flavors play. It is a solid black tea flavor, but it is definitely off in the background. It is not an aggressive flavor, but I think a stronger black tea flavor would have interrupted the citrus-y notes that I think Naked Teas Galore was trying to hone in on with this blend. It might be interesting to see how a stronger black tea base would have tasted here, but as it it, I find this to be a really tasty tea, perfect for one of those lazy afternoons, when you just want to sit and contemplate the joy of tea!
Victorian Earl Grey Black Tea Blend from Tiesta Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiesta Tea
Tea Description:
We’re still trying to figure out how this Earl Grey tastes better than any other Earl Grey we’ve ever had. We’ve combined the classic bergamot taste, with a flowery lavender finish that even a non-tea drinker can enjoy.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
Ah … Earl Grey! There is something about the combination of bergamot and black tea that makes my palate happy. And I like the way this Victorian Earl Grey Black Tea Blend from Tiesta Tea infuses the great classic flavor of Earl Grey with the floral notes of lavender and rose.
The lavender and rose seems to soften the bergamot notes here … either that, or the blenders at Tiesta Tea prefer to flavor with a lighter hand when it comes to oil of bergamot. Either way, I’m finding this to be a softer bergamot flavor … but there is certainly enough of the exotic orange to please this bergamot lover. Tangy and distinct! Very nice.
One thing that the lavender does do is appear at the finish. I love the way it comes through here. It barely insinuates itself throughout the sip, offering mere hints of its presence, and then when the sip is nearly finished, the lavender comes through. It is sweet but not overdone. It doesn’t taste soapy or perfume-y.
The rose is a little less discernible … but it is still definitely there. It’s a very soft rose taste, and it melds beautifully with the other components of this tea. The black tea is also not to be forgotten here, it is a pleasant tasting black tea base – I suspect this is a Ceylon, because it is a moderate, even-tempered kind of tea – not overpowering, but still strong enough to say “hey, I’m here too.”
Overall, this is a well-composed variation of the traditional Earl Grey, and I enjoyed it immensely. It is smooth, sweet, tangy, and floral. A very enjoyable cuppa from Tiesta Tea.