Early Grey Organic Tea from Care Tea infuses to a nice, solid, dark brown and smells like a stronger black tea base especially for it being in a bag! The aroma of the Earl Grey scents are not as strong as I have smelled with other teas but it is present.
The taste of this Early Grey Organic Tea from Care Tea is an eye-opener! The black tea base is sturdy and prominent. Then the Earl Grey flavor pops in. There are astringent punches at the end of the sip. The hint of bergamot pops in and out throughout your sipping experience. I can tell that Early Grey Organic Tea from Care Tea is a HIGH Caffeine Tea and today I can certainly use that!
I wanted to dig in a little deeper to this tea company. Why was it named Care Tea? Very simply… From the earth to your cup… We care about your health We care about the community We care about the planet It all leads to purity in every sip. Good taste, good health, good tea. That’s certainly something I can side with! And Early Grey Organic Tea from Care Tea is certainly a bagged tea I can see myself drinking again! It’s a stronger cuppa in a bag that’s perfect for those rushed mornings and while you are on the go!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type:
Where to Buy: Care Tea
Description:
A hint of bergamot orange shines through the deep tones of black tea for a truly refined cup.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Pique Tea
Tea Description:
Citrusy. Cherry-infused. Your day just got fancier.
Polyphenol Antioxidant Level: 245mg
- 14 sachets (servings) per carton
- Organic, premium tea leaves brewed and crystallized for a perfect cup of tea
- Simply open, pour in cup, and add water
- Free of artificial flavors, preservatives and sugar
Our delicious Earl Grey is made from the finest Organic and Fair Trade certified leaves from the world-renowned Idulgashinna Estate in the Uva region in eastern Sri Lanka. A really special area, at 3,300-6,500 feet in elevation, the Uva region receives tons of rain in winter very strong, dry winds in late summer. This garden produces a very smooth cup with light fruity hints and delicate pungency. The finish is long and clean, with a hint of fresh-cut pine and a nice accent of orange zest.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Boy do I have a product for you – Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea – is something I will tell EVERYONE about today! Pique Tea takes LEAF to crystal! Pique Tea Crystals are the intersection of modern science and ancient tradition—a proprietary process that slow brews and extracts the fresh flavor and nutrients of whole leaf tea at optimal levels and locks it in a crystal form.
This in itself made me categorize this product in with the black tea rather than only putting them in with tea products. I have tried other products that are crystals for your tea which would be specifically a tea product but Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea are crystals that are ACTUALLY made from tea leaves. That is the most important and deciding factor here, I think.
Another thing I want to point out about Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea is that the crystals that you pour in your cup – heat up – and enjoy – are just that – crystals – or what may look to many – as powder. After closer examination you will see that the ‘dust’ varies in size and the more sizable crystals may (or may not) have a glimmer to them.
Now…let’s talk about the more sizable glimmery crystals – shall we? I’ve had other products that you pour into a cup and have had minimal tea in them but have been completely overpowered by sugar and other additives. I have had novelTEA products that have been a groovy concept but not that great in flavor. I have had MANY ‘convenient’ pour-in-and-go packaged tea or tea-like drink mixes that have collected grit in the bottom of my cup. But let me be clear when I say that Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea blows all of these other product away! Sure…the directions say stir but I have to tell you I didn’t even have to do that! As soon as my hot water splashed these fine crystals they dissolved! Nothing was found at the bottom of the cup! The liquid looked like PURE and clean black tea!
And I rejoiced when I tasted NO sugar in this cuppa! If you have been reading this blog for a while you may know that I do NOT add ANYTHING to my teas! I drink them straight up! No sugars or other additives – no milk or milk alternatives! I really think this little packet of wonder was made for me!
Another comparison I would like to point out here is the trendy and mainstream K-Cups that we’ve all seen on the shelves! I have a problem with these. I have tried just about every tea based K-cup out there HOPING that I can find one at least acceptable but I haven’t yet. (If you know of one – or are from a company that uses quality tea in K-cup form please leave a comment and/or contact us). Anyhow…enough about my Tea Based K-Cup rant – I was going somewhere with this! And that is that Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea shines brighter than ANY K-Cup or drop-and-heat product out there!
Now…on to the actual smell and taste! As for aroma – Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea – isn’t an in-your-face Earl Grey punch to the nose but I am ok with that. The taste, however, is pretty good! It DOES taste like Earl Grey! It’s not an overdone Earl Grey flavor but it’s not underdone either. The one thing that I seemed to have missed is the cherry infusion that the product description mentioned but I’m not worried about that. I would put this on the ‘just right’ flavor scale! I bet if I wanted it stronger I could probably just use a little less water. I have yet to experiment with this. This Earl Grey Organic Black Tea Crystals from Pique Tea is a real winner!
I was quite surprised with this product and will be mentioning it to MANY. I was able to sneak one of their other flavors and will be doing a review of that in the neat future, too, and let me tell you that was impressive as well! Pique Tea is a game changer! There…I said it!
Earl Grey Black from Camellia Sinensis
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Camellia Sinensis
Tea Description:
From Dooars, in northern India, this quality black tea is scented with a natural flavouring extracted from organic Italian bergamot, a highly aromatic citrus fruit. You’ll be spellbound after one sip of this English classic.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Recently I made an order with Camellia Sinensis for some teaware and they included several free teas such as this tea. Personally, I’ve never really sought to purchase an EG blend from Camellia Sinensis; I do enjoy Earl Grey but not enough to need more than one good kind on hand (and currently I’m loving the Liquid Proust’s Peach vs. Bergamot twist on the traditional Earl Grey) and when I’m ordering from Camellia Sinensis, which I frequently do, it’s more for the interesting and often unique straight/pure teas they carry or for the teaware.
That said, I’m grateful for the inclusion: I love the fact this Earl Grey is both organic and fair trade as those as aspects of tea I look to support as often as possible. This sample was a sachet style tea bag, and I ended up making it early in the morning before work. I have to say, I thought the dry leaf smelled fairly mild and quite floral and even as it was steeping up I was noticing more floral traits than anything overwhelmingly bergamot-heavy. However, the taste wasn’t bad! I enjoyed how smooth and clean the overall flavour was in addition to the light floral notes and medium concentration of bergamot flavour. There was also a very natural sweetness which I was fond of. That said, I wouldn’t have minded if the bergamot was a little stronger. For people who really LOVE Earl Grey and drink it on a more daily basis this could be perceived as a little light handed.
Overall, not a ‘stand out’ Earl Grey but a solid choice if you’re already placing a Camellia Sinensis order and want to do all your shopping in one place. And like I pointed out, the fact it’s Organic and Fair Trade (and still reasonably priced) makes it a tea easy to get behind.
Red Grey Rooibos from Piper’s Loose Leaf
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Roiboos
Where to Buy: Piper’s Loose Leaf
Tea Description:
A caffeine free version of Earl Grey using the finest Rooibos enhanced with organic Sicilian bergamot oil. Resulting in an absolutely deliciously rich, flowery tea with bright citrus notes.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m not sure that I’ve ever tried a rooibos earl grey before, so this is probably a first for me. The dry leaf looks pretty much like a standard rooibos, except with the addition of a few marigold petals that I assume are there to help carry the flavouring. There’s the definite scent of bergamot, so I’m curious to see how this one works out. I used 1 tsp of leaf for my cup, and gave it 3.5 minutes in boiling water. The resulting liquor is a bright red-brown. The scent is quite “brassy”, so I added a splash of milk.
I wasn’t sure about this one when I took my first sip. It seemed to taste mostly of rooibos, with little room for anything else. It’s true to say that it’s quite a potent rooibos, tasting of dry wood shavings with a slight metallic tang reminiscent of brasso. There aren’t many things that can overpower bergamot, but I think I might have found one here. The milk I added does help to temper things a little, and after a few sips I can taste the mild beginnings of an earl grey. The bergamot here is fairly smooth and not as sharply citrusy as some I’ve come across. Ordinarily I’d be praising a bergamot with these qualities, but here it’s just a little too mellow to make much of an impression. There’s a hint – an impression – of earl grey, but it never really moves much beyond that point.
I’m torn as to how I feel about this one. In general, I’m a fan of milder earl greys. I don’t like sharp, strong, over-powering bergamot. At the same time, I dislike flavoured rooibos blends where the only real flavour is rooibos, because it’s overpowered everything else. There’s definitely a balance to be struck. This tea is almost there. Yes, the rooibos is the dominant flavour, but I can tell it’s supposed to be an earl grey. I can taste a little bergamot, although in this case I wish it were just a touch stronger. Ultimately, I did enjoy my cup. It’s not perfect, but I enjoyed the novelty of a caffeine free earl grey and I appreciated the attempt to be light handed with the bergamot. It’s definitely worth a look, if you’re a fan of milder earl greys in general, or if you’re looking for a caffeine free option with a difference.
Duke of Earl from Blackbird Tea Co.
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Blackbird Tea Co.
Tea Description:
Unstoppably smooth, much more so than his cousin, that stuffy 19th century aristocrat. Our organic black tea is infused with Italian bergamot oil and a little bit of swagger. Drink up for inspiration.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Blackbird Tea Co makes some tasty teas and this one is no exception to that rule.
I brewed this tea up to treat myself to a hot beverage to warm me up from the cold office. I swear our office is an ice box!
But this, that, and the other got in the way of my tea drinking experience so by the time I got around to this tea, it was cold. I went ahead and took a sip and this tea is such a forgiving loving tea!
As an iced tea, this tea was perfect for the fans that like a light earl grey touch to their teas. This wasn’t an overwhelming earl grey/bergamot oil flavor, but more of a kiss. The black tea was subtle and didn’t become astringent. Such a smooth iced earl tea to keep me going thru the day.
When I first started steeping this, the tea had a pretty strong earl grey flavor. I’m curious now if this has a really strong earl grey flavor when hot but cooled the flavors are muted. So nice to end my day with at the office.
And if you are keeping up with my sipdown adventures this is #15. Woohoo!
