Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tiger Spring Tea
Tea Description:
Bergamot oil from the citrus fruit grown in the Calabria district in Italy had become popular in the 18th and 19th centuries as a flavouring for gin and snuff. It was brought to Joseph Banks attention who is known to have experimented with flavourings. He is credited with adding it to tea, and it was most likely given the name Earl Grey, since he was the popular Prime Minister of the time. Our Real Earl Grey is scented using natural bergamot oil, rather than the synthetic scents commonly used. As a result it has a more citrusy nose and palate.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
As most of our regular readers are probably well aware of by now, I am a HUGE fan of Earl Grey. So whenever I get a new Earl Grey to try, I’m excited. And whenever I find an Earl Grey that I absolutely love … I find myself not only elated, but also somewhat confused. Why? Because I have a few “favorite” Earl Grey teas, and it seems that this list of favorites is expanding at a continual rate!
This Real Earl Grey from Tiger Spring Tea has earned a spot in my ever-growing list of favorite Earl Grey teas. From what I can glean from the Tiger Spring Tea website, the tea seems to be one that was grown in Kenya, which explains the robust black tea flavor that I taste. It is rich and well-rounded, providing a taste that is strong and smooth, with hints of smokiness in the background that offer an interesting dimension to the overall cup.
But as with any Earl Grey, the important factor is not the tea (although a high quality black tea base IS essential, and Tiger Spring certainly has not overlooked this) but the BERGAMOT. Here, the bergamot tastes very natural. There is a freshness to it, like freshly squeezed citrus juice. It is sweet … it seems to be sweeter than I usually notice with bergamot, and this sweetness offers a pleasing contrast with the tangy notes of the Italian fruit. I also notice that the natural floral notes of the bergamot are different here too.
I usually also notice floral notes with bergamot as well, and I do taste them here too, but, again, it’s different with this Earl Grey. The floral tones are not as noteworthy during the sip, which seems to focus on the sweet yet sour notes of the fruit, but in the aftertaste, which has a lingering floral note that is quite lovely. No soapy/perfume-y tastes here, just vibrant bergamot flavor.
Another favorite for the list!
Earl Grey de la Crème from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
It is amazing what just a touch of vanilla flavor can do for the taste buds! This Earl Grey tea includes the classic combination of oil of bergamot with whole leaf premium black tea but takes the traditional blend one step further. With the addition of a touch of vanilla the character of Earl Grey gets a touch of softness that produces a tea that is both sweet and fruity for a perfect taste combination. While the crème smooths out the traditional Earl Grey taste making a cup of tea that can be served for just about any occasion.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When it comes to Earl Grey, one of my favorite tea purveyors is Red Leaf Tea. They have a HUGE selection of bergamot flavored teas, from the classic Earl Grey black tea to some modern twists on this traditional favorite like Honeybush Earl Grey. It’s a dizzying array of Earl Grey teas!
This Earl Grey de la Crème is a bit closer to the classic than some of the “modern twists” that I mentioned. It has a robust black tea base providing a delicious, rich flavor. The tea is strong and full-bodied, and is a substantial tea that doesn’t allow itself to be masked or obscured by the strong bergamot flavor. And this is, indeed, strongly flavored with the bergamot, which is the way I like it!
The bergamot is tangy and sharp, but to help soften those sharp edges is a touch of vanilla, which adds a sweet creaminess to the overall cup without mellowing the bergamot out to the point of tasting more like a creamsicle than an Earl Grey tea. It is sweet and smooth, but, it still has some of the tangy bergamot qualities that I love in an Earl Grey!
One of the better Earl Grey with creme teas I’ve tried in a long while.
Lady Grey Tea from Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Description:
Our Lady Grey tea is an afternoon tea classic. It offers a delightful taste with our French lavender flowers, gently blended with bergamot and blue cornflowers.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
There are several different variations of “Lady Grey” teas, most (including this one) are Earl Grey teas blended with lavender. Nothing wrong with that, because I LOVE lavender, and I love Earl Grey.
I was a little worried, though, when I first opened the package and saw that there weren’t very many lavender blossoms in the blend. There were a few, but I could smell the lavender more than I could see it. I worried that maybe there really wouldn’t be enough lavender in this to satisfy me.
But, after I brewed the tea, the aroma of lavender filled the kitchen! YES! It smelled so amazing.
And this tea TASTES amazing too! It is perfectly blended. The black tea is robust and flavorful, and provides a solid background of flavor. It tastes very rich and smooth, and it doesn’t attempt to overpower the bergamot and lavender notes.
I like a lot of bergamot flavor in my Earl Grey, but, I do recognize that too much bergamot can come off as kind of soapy tasting, and I don’t like to drink soap. And with the addition of lavender, which can also come off as tasting soap-ish, it is important to capture the right balance of flavor between these two ingredients so that both can be tasted without tasting like it had been blended in a soap factory.
And Tealicious Tea Company did just that, and they did it with flourish! This tastes remarkable! The bergamot is the strongest note, with the lavender coming in softly, sweetly and offering just the right feminine touch to make this a very memorable Lady Grey tea.
Another big WIN for Tealicious Tea Company!
Royal Wedding Commemorative Tea from Capital Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & White Teas
Where to Buy: Capital Teas
Tea Description:
A commemorative union of our bold Cream Earl Grey Black and our light and refreshing Cream Earl Grey White, enhanced with the essence of roses.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
One year ago today, there was a wedding that captured the attention of millions around the world. This tea was created to commemorate that occasion, and what a lovely tea it is!
Because the tea base is a blend of both black and white teas, I opted for a fairly low brewing temperature (175°F) and a brewing time of 4 minutes in my Breville one-touch. The results is a tea that is rich and creamy in flavor, where I can taste both types of tea as well as the tangy bergamot, the touches of cream and even the hint of rose.
The black tea flavor is much softer than one might expect from a black tea … a consequence from not only the lower brewing temperature, but also from the addition of white tea leaves in the blend. The black tea doesn’t taste bold or strong, exactly, but the black tea does offer a certain richness to the blend that is quite nice.
The white tea is a less distinguishable flavor than the black tea, which is to be expected as white tea tends to be a more delicate tasting tea to begin with. What I notice more than the fresh flavor of the Pai Mu Tan is the lightness in flavor its presence offers as well as a soft, creamy texture that is quite “white tea like.”
Each sip is enchanted with a sweet, vanilla cream taste that when brought together with the other components of this tea end up tasting a bit like delicious vanilla caramel. YUM!
The bergamot is a mellow yet tangy citrus flavor that has hints of flower within its bright, sunny flavor. These floral notes are further highlighted by the addition of roses to the blend. The rose is sweet and pleasant, giving the cup a distinct feminine overtone – an enjoyable contrast to the somewhat masculine undertone of the bergamot.
What a beautiful tribute to the wedding that captured the imagination of so many, and gave little girls hope that anyone – no matter their status in life – could one day marry their prince.
Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea from Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealicious Tea Company
Tea Description:
Our Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea is a blend of our high quality Ceylon tea mixed with fresh jasmine blossoms, natural bergamot and blue cornflowers. A perfect tea to entertain with.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
How lovely! The first time I tried this tea – a few days ago – I had wrongly compared it to the incredible Earl Grey Excelsior (also from Tealicious Tea Company) which was a little unfair … yes, the Earl Grey Excelsior is amazing but, these are two different teas and should be treated that way.
Now that I’ve have a few days time since my last tasting, I recognize this tea for the delight that it is. The bergamot flavoring here is a softer bergamot. Still quite noticeable, but, not as vibrant as you would find in a standard Earl Grey, but then, this isn’t a standard Earl Grey but an excellent spin-off from that classic.
What makes this Kensington Palace Afternoon Tea so unique to me is the addition of the jasmine blossoms which adds just a hint of floral taste to the cup, not enough to make it taste overtly flowery but just enough to make my taste buds perk up and say “hey … what was that? Take another taste so I can explore that flavor more.” The addition of jasmine not only brings its own lovely floral notes to the party but also highlights some of the natural floral tones of the bergamot.
The black tea here is a smooth, delicious Ceylon tea which gives it an overall mellower flavor, which makes it a perfect choice for the cup, as both the tangy bergamot and jasmine flavors are milder flavors as well. This tea is a wonderful afternoon tea. This is the kind of tea that would be ideal to serve at a luncheon or a afternoon tea party.
Another lovely tea from Tealicious Tea Company … so far, I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from them!