I got this tea on sale at TJ Maxx, of all places, because I couldn’t resist its tagline: “Uncle Grey: The smoother cousin of the pretentious Earl.”
I’m just imagining Earl, at Thanksgiving, talking about making partner at his law firm. Then in breezes Uncle Grey, who wants to talk about windsurfing off Thailand. Everyone wants to hear about that instead, OBVIOUSLY. Sorry, Earl. You old stuffbucket, you.
In addition to bergamot, the Uncle throws some apple, pineapple, and vanilla in there. Let me tell you, this blend is a sweetheart. It definitely slides in there and woos you with those sweet words. It smells great, like a man who knows how to wear just a little bit of cologne instead of dousing himself in it. If this were a suit, it’d be a perfectly fitted slim-fit suit on a guy who looks like a professional swimmer. If it were a rap musician, its nickname would be “Mr Steal Your Girl.”
Watch out, Earl. The Uncle is on his way into town, and he’s going to make you look frumpy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Squared
Description
The smoother cousin of the pretentious Earl. High grown Ceylon black tea, infused with the oil of bergamot and finished with a hint of vanilla. This creamy delightful tea is one of our best sellers.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Vanilla Bergamot from DAVIDs Tea. . .
“An elegant white tea…” is how DAVIDsTEA describes this Vanilla Bergamot tea but personally I wouldn’t describe the scum ring and oil drops on the surface of my mugs as “elegant”. That’s just me but maybe the flavor will show some of its elegance as opposed to the look.
I made this white tea mixed with apple, white chocolate, rose petals, vanilla, bergamot peel, and flavoring as a strawberry milk latte and a plain tea.
Despite the clearly visible drops of oil in the strawberry milk latte, the tea is creamy and smooth. The mouthfeel is soft, not slick and the sweetness of the strawberry milk really compliments the velvety vanilla and bright bergamot of the cup. At times the citrus of the bergamot gets so crisp it borders on bitter but between the prep method, the white chocolate and the gentle rose, it is kept in check. Though for those that tend to fear the blerg, this might still be too much for your tastes.
The plain hot cup is where I found the scum ring from the white chocolate, I’m assuming. Though the mouthfeel isn’t oily, it’s not really creamy either and since it doesn’t seem that the white chocolate contributes much, I don’t see why it is needed. What is contributing a lot is the bergamot, the brisk bergamot. Vanilla whisps float through but it’s the bergamot that’s hogging the limelight. The rose and apple also get their brief shot in the spotlight, adding a floral note that is a bit drying on top of the bergamot and the signature apple sweetness that so many DAVIDsTEA blends have, respectively.
Well, it seems the elegance comes through when made as a strawberry milk latte but the beauty is lost when the tea is made plain. Lose the white chocolate and perhaps tone down the bergamot and this could be a winner but as it is, I would say latte, preferably with strawberry milk, is the only way to go. It gives this tea just a little boost to take it from “meh” to “mmm”.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: White Tea
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for white teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lady Grey from Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea. . .
Ah, Lady Grey: the Earl’s stalwart, silky wife. It was with this vixen that I first fell in love, I’ll have you know. It wasn’t a loose leaf; it was some big brand boxed tea in bags, but it occurred to me that wow, tea was BECOMING MY THING.
So thank you, Lady Grey. You were my first love and I will always be indebted to you.
This particular Lady comes from PrestoGeorge, a HUUUUUGE tea and coffee shop in Pittsburgh, PA. It’s so grand one might call it an emporium. They have ENORMOUS glass jars of tea that you can pop open and sniff. Customers and staff are constantly popping around, grabbing tea off the massive shelves and replacing it. The turnover, chaos, and lovely smells make it almost a magical Harry Potter type of experience. (To be fair, if you went on a weekday, the experience would probably be calmer. Pittsburgh’s historic Strip District on a nice, warm Saturday is always crowded.)
Prestogeorge’s take on Lady Grey is, true to form, a more delicate Earl Grey. Lady Greys are typically more flowery and has less bergamot and more lemon/orange.
This Lady carries off her title with aplomb. The mouthfeel (ew, gross word) is EXTREMELY silky. This is some QUALITY stuff. The base tea is rich, a little bit malty and maybe a smidge woodsy. It feels like the Lady has put on a nice dress and is taking a stroll around the flowers and the grounds with her husband’s hunting beagles. It’s the last of late summer. They’ve wandered a bit afar, but she knows that the beagles will lead her home. She’ll let their noses lead the way back to her Earl’s arms.
If you’re interested in acquiring this tea for yourself, you can shop online and have it shipped to you. If, however, you’re anywhere near Pittsburgh, you should go check this place out in person. It’s enchanting.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Prestogeorge Coffee & Tea
Description
Whole Leaf black tea, blue mallow blossoms and begamot and citrus flavors. The bergamot flavor is more delicate than the Earl Grey Tea. Also a hint of citrus flavor is added to Lady Grey. Enjoyed the world over.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey Le Creme from The NecessiTeas. . . .
I know lots of people hate bergamot. They are easy to spot. They almost always refer to it as “blergamot.” You know who you are!
But lots of novice tea drinkers start with Earl Grey and its variations and consider it to be the pinnacle of fine English tea. It is often associated with crumpets and scones and clotted cream, with fine china and linen napkins and lofty classical music playing. Civilized and refined.
My opinion is somewhere in between. A good cup of Earl Grey is very relaxing to me. Citrus scents do seem to lift my spirits and make me smile, but if a cup of tea goes TOO lemon-y or sour, I am not a happy camper and the blerg gets tossed.
This Earl is essenced with bergamot, vanilla, and cream flavors, all on an organic black tea base. It is a very pretty tea with the blue cornflowers mixed in with the deep, rich looking tea leaves. It would be lovely to display on the table in a tea scoop, tea boat, or dainty cup.
Will it get tossed? Not on your life! It has a lovely, smooth, sweet flavor even with no sugar added, though if you like sugar in your tea, a little sprinkle would do no harm to this cup. The bergamot flavor is pretty mild, and the cream scent is right on top and very noticeable even while it is steeping. The vanilla adds sweetness and body.
And get this! I like the resteep even better! Woohoo!
Advertised as an afternoon tea, I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to have this for breakfast, as well. I think the only people who would object to that would be folks who like ultrastrength builder’s tea in the morning, but I can’t take that sort of manhandling in the a.m.
Though out of stock at the time of this writing, hopefully it will be back in stock soon. Otherwise, I might feel guilty about making you want some.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Description
Our Earl Grey Le Creme is a forgiving indulgence essenced with bergamot, vanilla and cream. Go ahead, treat yourself!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl’s Garden from DAVIDs Tea. . . .
Earl Grey blends can be a little bit bitter/sour. The bergamot sometimes comes on a bit strong. That’s why you see a lot of Earl Grey Cream blends (or people say it’s perfect with milk). Putting in the strawberry is a great solution to the problem. Boom! Sweetness! Plus a little bit MORE zest!
For this tea, Earl channeled his feminine side by adding a bit of strawberry. His strawberry garden is heavily fortified to keep the bunnies out — but the bunnies keep digging.
On one side, you have Earl, adding in traps and building layer after layer of elaborate, Tim-Burton-style wraught-iron fences.
On the other, you have the bunnies, each charmingly spotted and plump. Some of them probably wear hats. They have charts of where Earl’s improvements will be built, and a bunch of Rube Goldstein-style workarounds.
This premise should be a claymation film.
I’d watch it.
So would you.
Unfortunately, this tea is currently sold out at David’s Tea. But I imagine it’ll come back. I’ve seen this tea in their selection several times. If you’re dying to try it, it’s available on Amazon, but it’ll be less expensive if you want for it to return to David’s Tea. Add it to your wish list and keep an eye out!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: DAVIDs Tea
Description
This tea is not currently available but click below for teas that are.