Have you ever had a cup of tea that made you sigh and whisper “thank you” to no one in particular?
No? Prepare to.
This tea is a buttery, creamy, decadent romp through Earl Grey’s castle. You walk barefoot on lush, oriental carpets. You admire vibrant paintings of rosy-cheeked angels. You wear a robe of crushed velvet.
You taste bergamot, you taste flowers, and good heavens, you taste cream.
You are fancy. No, more than fancy. You are reckless in your bourgeois ways. You are DECADENT.
I don’t really have any complaints about this tea. I almost want a drawback, so I look like an Objective Journalist. Alas, I am not a Serious Writer or a Great Thinker. I am a girl who wears mostly slippers. I pet every dog I see on the street. I want to live in a Rococo painting. And I like this tea. So there.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tigerlily Teas
Description
A remarkably heady Earl Grey tempered with wickedly delicious cream flavour. One cup is not enough!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
all photo credits/logo credits: Tigerlily Teas
This tea was purchased for personal use and was not recieved to review.
Earl Grey Sun AKA Earl Grey Mandarin from TeaLeafs
Earl Grey Sun – or Earl Grey Mandarin – I believe they are one in the same – but I could be mistaken.
When I last bought this tea it was labeled Earl Grey Sun but the only one I can currently find on their website is Earl Grey Mandarin but I think they are the same tea because I can distinctly remember the lovely orange notes of the flavored Earl. But it was more than just your standard Bergamot. And more than your common Orange. I’m pretty sure the glorious ray of sunshine in the flavored black tea – flavored Earl Grey (more specifically) was that of the might mandarin.
Regardless – this was a fantastic cup! One of the more impressive flavored Earl Grey’s I’ve had to date. And probably in my Top 5 teas offered at TeaLeafs.
The black tea base itself is that of a High grown Ceylon tea and it’s sturdy and tasty in its own right.
This is surely a tea that has brightened my day and I hope you are able to try it at some point because I think you will, too, be a fan!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Leafs
Description
Ingredients: Black Tea, Bergamot, flavoring from Germany, Mandarin
High grown Ceylon tea with Bergamot and Mandarin
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey Cupcake from 52Teas. . . .
A tea friend won this in a contest and was very kind and shared with me. I am really grateful given it is a tea that immediately called to me but also one that gave me pause before I would consider purchasing. The issue with this tea, Earl Grey Cupcake by 52 Teas, is that I can almost never resist cupcake teas and yet I almost always avoid Earl Greys. Hence the conundrum here but luckily my problem was resolved by the generosity of a friend.
As much as I don’t always love the flavor of Earl Greys, the smell really is quite relaxing and this tea in particular smells mouth-wateringly delicious.
It also tastes delicious. The bergamot of the earl grey is strong but smooth and it is kept in check by the vanilla beans which add a gentle cream note.The base teas contribute a breadiness and body that combines with the rest of the tea to help really capture the cupcake concept. The cute little star sprinkles also give this tea a festive touch and just a hint of cupcake sweetness.
Despite my unease with bergamot, I did enjoy this one. I can see Earl fans really loving this and for those that maybe aren’t as familiar with the Earl, this could be a nice tea to make his acquaintance. I could also see this being one yummy latte.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lady Grey from IndiasTea. . . .
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!
Earl Grey Manhattan from Aromatica Fine Teas. . . . . .
This morning’s pick, Earl Grey Manhattan, has won awards, guys. Awards. And not just “whoops!” awards where the award went to them accidentally. (Oscar joke! Timely!) A real “best earl grey” at the North American Tea Championship.
The competition looked like this
(Original Artwork by Super Starling!)
And I can see why it did such a great job. The tea is obviously really high quality — it has deep earth, flower, and chocolate/raisin notes, a complexity that you just can’t get from a cheap-o tea bag off the street. (Or, I guess, in a supermarket. There probably aren’t a lot of black market tea vendors.) The bergamot is more relaxed and less shrill than bergamot can be. The texture is really silky, with a light tongue coating.
Smooth.
If you have a friend or loved one who is a bit of an Earl Grey snob, I recommend sending them this to try. It’s… a winner.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Aromatica Fine Teas
Description
North American Tea Championship: 1st Place – Earl Greys category – 2013 Fall – Hot Teas Division
Also known as “Manhattan Earl Grey” yields a bright taste and extremely fragrant cup. Black tea, sunflower blossoms, flavour, mallow blossoms.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!