It’s hard to pin down exactly what makes a tea a Lady Grey blend. I believe Twinings tea company first coined the term, making a citrusy earl grey tea without powerful bergamot oil. Either way, Lady Grey blends tend to be earl-grey-inspired teas blended to be a bit more gentle or ladylike. Lady Grey from India Teas certainly fits into that category.
While this blend has bergamot oil in it, it is at much lower levels than your average earl grey. Instead of the intense bergamot, this tea is accented with lemon peel and orange peel, making for milder and gentler citrus tones.
The leaves and the brewed tea had a fragrance of lemon-vanilla, reminding me of lemon poppyseed muffins. The tea is bright and pleasant, but not overly sweet, still preserving some of the citrus pop of traditional earl grey.
Brewed, the leaves appear much greener than when they are dry. I’m not sure exactly what type of tea leaves are used as a base, but the flavor and color lead me to believe it is a darjeeling, or less oxidized tea. The more delicate leaves suit the airy lemon peel flavors and ladylike theme.
Lemon is the star player in this blend since there is no black tea tannin richness to overpower it. This Lady Grey is light and drinkable, a sunny lemon brew with just a little grounding to distinguish it from an herbal tea.
This is a delectable alternative to powerful earl greys, and might just be your new favorite citrus tea for cold brewing as the weather gets warmer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: black
Where to Buy: Indias Tea
Description:
Not to go by its name, Ladygrey Tea is a modern creation so as to appeal to every age groups with its distinctly citrus fragrance.
Ladygrey Tea is a Tea blend which has been flavored with the addition of oil of bergamot to provide a relaxing and calming effect by taking you on a only-me journey.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peppermint Rooibos (and bergamot!) from Rishi Tea
Sometimes you need a clean and fresh cup of tea to help you relax or clear your mind. When I needed something like that, I reached for Peppermint Roobios from Rishi Tea. This was a new tea for me, though it didn’t feel out of my comfort zone. Peppermint and roobios: I know both of these ingredients and I know they make a fine combination.
When I brewed this tea, I read the packaging and noticed that there was another flavor in the blend as well: bergamot oil. Bergamot is what provides the citrus flavor in earl grey blends. This little citrus pop is what makes this blend appealing for me. It adds a brightness to the earthy red rooibos and a nice counterpoint to the cool peppermint.
This is a great naturally caffeine-free flavor for a day when you need something soothing. The citrus-mint combination makes this much more complex and enjoyable, with lots mouthfeel sensations from the sharp citrus, cool mint, and sour rooibos. This is a great all-purpose blend to brighten a grey day or help bring some cooling inspiration to a busy day.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Rishi Tea
Description:
Peppermint Rooibos makes a deep red infusion with a smooth, rich mouthfeel and fresh minty sweetness that underlines the finer points of peppermint. The slightest touch of bergamot harmonizes these herbs, highlighting the soothing aroma of peppermint with the sweet and silky character of rooibos.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Palas Supreme from BOH Teas. . . .
Orange pekoe teas tend to get that name due to some quality grading and inspections that take place, rating the size and quality of the tea leaf and so on. I once had a colleague who only drank orange pekoe tea, they wouldn’t settle for anything else. So when I find out the tea I’m tasking is an orange pekoe, I already feel fancy before opening the bag.
This time, I brewed Palas Supreme from BOH Teas. Billed as an orange pekoe tea, the leaves looked to be good quality, long and dark and curly that unfurled in shape and flavor as I brewed.
This tea tasted bright and sweet, not too sharp or tart. There were slight citrus flavors and some gentle floral flavors, but main taste of the the brew was driven by a smooth and bright black tea taste.
BOH Teas describes Palas Supreme as a flowery pekoe. While it does have floral accents, it is not the blooming garden of flower flavors and scents that I would expect from a “flowery pekoe.” This tea stands out because it isn’t all about the tart sharpness of the black tea. It actually has a smooth mouthfeel and while there are orange notes, they aren’t biting citrus, instead tasting much more like sweet mandarin oranges.
As the tea cools there are more date and raisin after tones beneath the sweet citrus and smooth black tea.
This is is part of the BOH Teas garden collection and it even ships in a butterfly-and-blossom-themed canister. I didn’t get as much floral flavor as I expected, but this tea is still a delicious orange pekoe fit to brighten any day.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: BOH Teas
Description:
When you savour the taste of this tea, the first thing you experience is its aroma. This fine garden tea is cultivated on the cool tropical slopes of Sungei Palas. The Flowery Pekoe of Ceylon and Assam varieties imparts an exquisite and delicate aroma. With its pure and delicate fragrance, this large-leafed amber tea is best enjoyed plain throughout the day.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Orange Spice from PaperBoxGoodies. . . .
One of my favorite things with the cold weather is being able to add spice to everything: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, the more the merrier! One of the best partners to all this spice, is juicy orange and citrus flavors. I love the idea of decorating my home with clove-studded oranges for the holidays to release their sweet and spicy aromas throughout the house. Not to mention, a nice slice of orange is the perfect garnish for a chai-based hot-toddy, with honey and lemon.
These are all the delicious orange and spice combinations I think of when brewing a cup of Orange Spice from PaperBoxGoodies. I’m not entirely sure what all is in this brew, since it’s not currently active on the PBG Etsy shop, but I believe it is an herbal blend from its amber color and sweet taste.
The best part of this blend is that the dry leaf does not contain hibiscus, so the tangy, pink herb can’t take over the blend. The orange is the main ingredient, adding plenty of sweet and tart flavor. This fruity, juiciness is balanced by a large helping of cinnamon, adding its warm, herbal tones. I think I see bits of ginger in the dry leaf, but the flavor is very gentle in the actual brew.
Juicy orange is the main flavor, closely followed by warm cinnamon. Neither ingredient gets too tart or too spicy, and they don’t overpower each other. It’s hard to go wrong with a classic taste combination like orange and cinnamon, so support a special tea Etsy shop and give one of the PaperBoxGoodies teas a try today.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: PaperBoxGoodies Etsy shop
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cacao Shell Trio from Oliver Pluff. . . . .
The Oliver Pluff tea company focuses on colonial-styled teas, like those leaves thrown into Boston Harbor during the Boston Tea party. But is also has a variety of other products like mulling spices, pressed tea cakes, and more. Being both an American history-lover and a tea-fanatic, I’ve had my eye on Oliver Pluff products for a little while, and this post-holiday shopping season seemed like the time to give them a try.
I ordered the Cacao Shell Trio from Oliver Pluff and it arrived promptly at my doorstep. The tins were as sleek and stylish as they appeared online, with nicely embossed, heavy paper labels, and dark metal lids. Careful when opening– these tins were filled to the brim!
According to Oliver Pluff, cacao shell tea was a big hit with our first First Lady, Martha Washington. Neither black tea nor coffee, cacao shells make for a roasty blend with chocolate overtones. I’ve reviewed other cacao shell tea on SororiTea Sisters before, and I’ll reiterate that I think they taste like chocolate-drizzled popcorn. The cacao shells are surprisingly more buttery and savory than you would expect. (Also, be aware that while the cacao shells don’t contain caffeine, they are technically stimulants, so make sure you brew this at a time that works around your sleep schedule).
The Cacao Shell Trio has three different blends, plan cacao shells, cacao and mint, and cacao citrus. The plan cacao shells were comparable to other cacao teas I’ve tried in the past, a nice change of pace for the coffee-lover, or a lower-calorie take on a warm, chocolate beverage.
In the cacao mint blend the mint was very strong, like a less-sweet peppermint mocha. It was a great blend to drink around christmas time, when everything is flavored like candy canes. I would advise not over-steeping this blend, or else the mint really takes over. Keep the steep times short to let the cacao shine through.
The cacao citrus blend had both cacao shells and orange peels. This was my favorite blend of the trio. The orange peels were mild, but helped add dimension to the chocolate cacao. This reminded me a bit of those chocolate oranges that come out around this time of year, or like some chocolate and orange pu erh teas I’ve tried in the past. The buttery cacao shells were a nice pair with the tart and fruity orange peels.
Overall this trio was a great purchase and I’ll have to give more Oliver Pluff products a try in the future.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Oliver Pluff
Description: Martha Washington enjoyed steeping the shells of roasted cocoa nuts from the cacao tree for the interesting flavor and health benefits.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!