Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
If you love Earl Grey you will adore our Earl Grey Creme. It has the classic Earl Grey flavoring matched with a delicious creme.
Ingredients: Black tea, bergamot orange oil, cream flavor
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As most of you know and have read numerous times, I love Earl Grey. I also enjoy Earl Grey Creme blends. I especially love their aroma, and I might even prefer the aroma of an Earl Grey Creme to an Earl Grey without the cream. The soft, creamy notes together with the sharp bergamot creates a very euphoric fragrance.
But, when it comes down to flavor, I usually prefer Earl Grey without the cream. However, when they’re crafted just right, an Earl Grey Creme can be just as magical. Sometimes tea artists can go a little overboard on either flavoring and offset the balance that’s needed for this blend, so it can be even more difficult to find a really good Earl Grey Creme than to find a really good Earl Grey.
Fortunately for this taster… this is an Earl Grey Creme that has been well-crafted. There is a very pleasing balance between the bergamot and the cream flavor. The soft – almost fluffy! – vanilla notes of the cream flavor are in step with the bergamot. The bergamot has a pleasant citrus-y, tangy taste, and the sharpness of the bergamot has been curbed by the cream. The result is a very flavorful brew that’s a little bit citrus-y and tart, and a little bit sweet and very delicious.
And the black tea base is not to be overlooked here. It does play more of a background note, but, it really fills in the backdrop very well. It is good and solid. It isn’t an aggressive black tea. It allows these flavors to take center stage, but there is enough of a pleasant black tea taste to satisfy this taster.
An excellent Earl Grey Creme. I’m very pleased with this.
Earl Grey from The Tea Merchant
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Tea Merchant
Tea Description:
Our blend of hand picked organic black teas from only choice gardens in Sri Lanka. Precious oil of bergamot is then blended with full-bodied leaves to create an excellent citrus bouquet with a great finish.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m guessing that by now my adoration for Earl Grey is no secret. I love Earl Grey. This love of Earl Grey and specifically bergamot makes me eager to try an Earl Grey from a new-to-me source. When I come across a tea company that I’ve not heard of before, one of the teas that I go hunting for in their selections is Earl Grey. (Others include yellow teas, chocolate teas and unusual flavor combinations)
So when The Tea Merchant approached me about reviewing some of their teas and asked me which of their teas I’d most like to try, Earl Grey was a the top of my list!
This is a lovely Earl Grey. The flavors are a bit more mellow than some of the Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. I like how the flavors come together: a full-flavored black tea and a mild intonation of bergamot that enlivens not just the cup but my senses! (One of the reasons I love Earl Grey so much is that bright aroma from the bergamot. It has a way of perking me up. I smell it and I can’t help but smile and from that point on, I feel a little more alert.)
What I’m really enjoying about this particular Earl Grey is that the bergamot has a smoother quality to it – it isn’t sharp or in-your-face strong. As a result, it has a delicious, natural citrus taste that is deliciously smooth and sweet with just enough of a tart, tangy taste to keep the taste buds happy.
The black tea is deliciously brisk with a nice roundness to it. It is not bitter, and the astringency is at a pleasing level. It is not too astringent, but there is some … I’d categorize it as a medium level of astringency. Those that fear astringency might find this to be a bit too astringent for them, but, for those that realize that astringency is a good thing – they just might agree with me that this tea has the perfect amount of astringency here.
There is a delightful balance struck between the flavor of the tea and the flavor of the bergamot. I’m not knocked over the head with the flavor, rather, I get to enjoy both flavors in each sip, and enjoy the complexity of this delicious cup of tea.
I’d recommend this Earl Grey to those who think they do not like bergamot as you have a totally different way to experience the fruit with this tea. If you’re looking for a strong dose of bergamot, this tea might not be for you, but those who are looking for very well balanced Earl Grey need not look any further than this one!
Cheers!
Earl Black from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Tea Description:
It’s another hot day in Doo-Dah (I have no idea why Wichitans refer to the city as “Doo-Dah” but it feels right; feel free to enlighten me if you know where this comes from). I’m pretty sure that the global warming people were right. I’m just hoping we can fix it before we all turn into puddles of goo.
In the meantime, I’m relaxing with a big glass tumbler full of our new tea of the week. It’s a blend of shou mei white teas, dried black currants, organic bergamot flavor and natural black currant flavor. And it is seriously hitting the spot. I got some really nice shou mei for this blend: it’s light and sweet, but very much a presence in a cup that is otherwise a perfect balance of tart and sweet. I have always loved our black currant bai mu dan, and if you like that and like earl grey, I don’t think you can possibly go wrong with this blend. It is delicious!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
By the sound of the name, you might think: oh, this is just another Earl Grey with a black tea base. But it isn’t! This is truly an unusual tea – exactly the kind of tea that 52Teas is known for creating!
What makes this so unusual is that despite the name of this tea … it isn’t a black tea. It’s a white tea! Specifically, a Shou Mei. The black in the title refers not to the type of tea, but the fact that this tea is flavored with the essence of black currant. And, of course, bergamot (that’s where the Earl comes in!)
And wow! How is it that no other tea company has thought to combine the flavors of bergamot and black currant before? (0r, if they have, how is it that I haven’t yet discovered it?) This is really tasty. The flavor is sweet, tangy, tart and deliciously fruity.
The Shou Mei is a nice choice as a base for this tea. It gives the tea a bit more body and flavor than a typical Bai Mu Dan might while still managing to maintain a lightness to the cup. I think that a softer tea might have gotten lost in this blend, but a stronger tea might have overwhelmed the gentle balance tht exists between the two fruit flavors.
As it is, though, there seems a really pleasant balance between tea and fruit tastes. The tea has a pleasant texture – soft and silky … creamy even! This creaminess melds so nicely with the bergamot and black currant. The sweetness of the tea offers a nice contrast to the tart and tangy tastes of these two fruits, and also offers a slight nutty taste to the background.
The bergamot and black currant seem pretty evenly matched. The black currant gives a slight raisin-y, grape-y, wine-y kind of taste to the cup, sweet and just a little tart. The citrus-y bergamot matches that tartness with some of its own – giving it just enough tartness without causing me to pucker.
A very pleasant cup of tea – delicious hot, but even nicer as an iced tea! I can’t wait to try it cold-brewed with my Steep & Go!
Breakfast Earl Grey from Whittard of Chelsea 1886
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Whittard of Chelsea 1886
Tea Description:
Earl Grey has become a defining flavor of Britain, distinguished by its fragrant taste. Traditionally an afternoon tea, our customers wanted a version strong enough for breakfast. So we created a fine blend of black tea with malty Assam, crisp Ceylon and mellow Kenyan. It is a vigorous blend with a beautiful, delicate bergamot taste.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There is just something about Earl Grey that … when I encounter a new-to-me Earl Grey (one that I’ve not yet tried), I get all giddy, quite unlike any other flavor of tea. There’s just something about that bergamot that makes me happy.
Occasionally, I’ve been disappointed. Occasionally, I’ll come across one that just doesn’t do the name “Earl Grey” justice. But it is a rare occasion, indeed, and fortunately, today is not such a rare occasion. This Breakfast Earl Grey from Whittard of Chelsea 1886 is lovely!
The aroma is beautiful – although, I must admit that it did scare me just a bit. It is a strong bergamot fragrance, but there is just a hint of … something … there that made it smell a bit more like perfume than like tea. It scared me momentarily, but once the tea was brewed, that worry was over. The aroma of the dry leaf is a tad perfume-y, but the brewed tea smells much more like a proper Earl Grey. Sweet, bergamot-y (which is much now much lighter here in the brewed tea), and possessing a pleasing earthiness from the black tea base.
The black tea base of this Earl Grey is a blend of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan tea. I know I’ve tasted a lot of Earl Grey teas, and I can’t possibly be expected to remember all the Earl Grey bases I’ve tried up until now (can I? … hope not, because I can’t!) but I don’t remember a blend of these three particular teas used as a base for an Earl Grey. The result is a robust background with malty intonations and a really rich, solid, well-rounded flavor.
The bergamot is rather soft in the presence of this powerful black tea base, but I still find it rather pleasant. Usually, I like my bergamot bold and in-your-face, but, I have also quite enjoyed the softer side of bergamot on occasion. I find that with these particular teas, the citrus-y tones are much more bright and sweet … it’s almost juicy!
There is much more of a fruit note than an “exotic” note, if that makes sense. Yes, I’m aware that bergamot IS a fruit, so indeed it should not be unusual that it actually tastes like fruit, but, bergamot is quite unlike any other fruit that flavors teas that I’ve encountered. Here, it is mellowed somewhat, allowing the distinct fruit tones to express themselves in a different way. As I continue to sip, I notice some floral notes begin to reveal themselves … a taste that becomes more dominate as I reach mid-cup.
What a lovely bergamot experience I’m having with this Breakfast Earl Grey. This is one that all Earl Grey lovers out there should try!
Mint Earl Grey from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
Ignite your nostrils with the amazing and captivating aroma of organic mint earl grey tea. The mix of Indian inspired black tea with an Asian inspired mint flair will keep you wanting more of this fabulous tea. Made from bergamot oil, earl grey’s fruit-like flavor blends splendidly with the aromatic and tasteful qualities of mint leaves. With a greenish-blue hue, mint earl grey pleases the eyes as well as the taste buds. The mint stimulates your senses and offers not only its naturally grown freshness but an abundance of essential vitamins. Mint’s satisfying aroma will welcome you and your guests and provide an inviting atmosphere fit for new acquaintances and old friends.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is a very interesting blend, I don’t think I’ve seen another mint flavored Earl Grey before. But then, I shouldn’t be surprised that the one place TO find a Mint Earl Grey is Red Leaf Tea, as they have the most splendid collection of Earl Grey teas I’ve ever seen. If you like Earl Grey and enjoy a different twist on bergamot now and again, you really should check out Red Leaf Tea!
The black tea base is very pleasant and smooth. It has a richness to it and it’s very flavorful, but as black tea bases go, I find it to be pretty mellow. It isn’t trying to overpower the flavors – which in this case is a really good thing because both mint and bergamot tend to be very aggressive flavors – this tea blend is content to sit back in the background and provide a nice base of flavor while the flavors get all the time in the spotlight.
What I’m finding most interesting about this blend is how well the mint and the bergamot play together. They can both be very strong and sometimes selfish flavors – as I eluded to before – but, here they were flavored with an expert hand and neither ingredient seems to be attempting to overthrow the other. It’s a very harmonious combination of flavors.
The mint is not overly minty. The bergamot is not overdone either – this doesn’t taste soapy or perfume-y. The two ingredients seem to soften the sharper tones of each other to create a softer minty tone and a smooth bergamot taste. The result is a very pleasing taste that is just a little bit different. In this case, different is definitely good!