Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Upton Tea Imports
Product Description:
A premium black tea combining the popular tastes of bergamot and chocolate with a hint of lemon. Decorated with flower petals and lemon peel for a delightful presentation.
Ingredients: black tea, chocolate pieces (sugar, cocoa, soy lecithin), cacao beans, lemongrass, lemon peel, corn flowers, jasmine flowers, sunflower blossoms, natural & artificial flavor
Taster’s Review:
When I saw this Chocolate Earl Grey on Upton’s website, I knew I had to try it. A chocolate flavored Earl Grey? Of course I had to try it! Fortunately, Upton Tea Imports offers their teas in sampler sizes that are very affordable.
The aroma of the dry leaf is very interesting – the combination of bergamot and chocolate creates a very unique scent, making it very difficult to describe. I mean, usually, when I take a whiff of a bergamot flavored tea, I *know* it! The scent is very distinctive – usually overwhelmingly so – but in a very good way! But when sharing the stage with the also distinctive fragrance of chocolate, the bergamot becomes a bit subdued, smelling a bit less like citrus and a bit more like the floral note that makes gives bergamot it’s “not just any citrus-y” scent. Combine that with an oh-so-subtle hint of jasmine as well as some lemon-y notes from lemongrass and lemon peel. The jasmine and lemon are very subtle, but there, and it adds a sense of intrigue to this blend. I could not wait to taste it!
The chocolate is the dominant flavor of this blend. The bergamot becomes more like “wallpaper” in this tea – you know it’s there, and sometimes it catches your attention, but, for the most part, it kind of blends in with the rest of flavors. It is the lemon essence that really adds some definition to the citrus flavor of the bergamot and helps to bring it out. I can even taste a pleasant lemon-y tang on the tip of my tongue in the finish.
There is no bitterness to this tea: just a deliciously sweet chocolate note at the start, a beautiful floral note in the middle, and a sweet-and-tangy citrus note at the finish with a slight astringency that lingers on the palate. The second infusion is quite different. The bergamot emerges with the second infusion, and the chocolate flavor has become more of a savory cacao flavor. Still very delicious – just different.
This is one of my all time favorite blends from Upton Tea Imports. It combines my top three favorite tea flavors – chocolate, Earl Grey and even jasmine! – in one exciting flavor.
Blueberry Earl Grey from Ovation Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Ovation Teas
Be sure to check out Daily Gourmet’s Special Offer on this tea!
Product Description:
Blend of Assam and Ceylon loose leaf black teas with blueberries, orange peel, marigold petals, and cornflowers with blueberry and bergamot flavoring.
Taster’s Review:
Wow! This is great!
I generally approach variations of Earl Grey with great enthusiasm. As most of you know, I love Earl Grey, and it’s always exciting to try a “twisted” classic. Unfortunately, not all variations have been a success with this Earl Grey enthusiast, but I am happy to say that this is definitely a successful change-up for Earl Grey.
The black tea base is a blend of Ceylon and Assam. It is a strong, lively tasting tea and it is a good, solid background for these flavors. Because of the Assam, I recommend not steeping this too long. I steeped for just 2 1/2 minutes and the flavor is perfect. However, the first time I tried this tea, I steeped it for 3 minutes and it was a little bitter. So, take care not to oversteep.
The blueberry is prominent in this blend. At first, it was difficult to taste the bergamot, but as the tea cools slightly the flavor of the bergamot begins to pop. The combination of the blueberry, orange and bergamot orange is deliciously fruity: sweet, tart and tangy. There is just a hint of floral sharpness to the bergamot.
This tea is absolutely delicious when served hot, but I think I actually like it better iced! This is probably one of the reasons that Ovation Teas has decided to include it in their “Summer Set of Teas!”
Be sure to watch the Daily Gourmet website for a limited-time offer of 50% savings on the Ovation Teas Summer Set of Teas – starting tomorrow!
Buckingham Palace from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
A special blend served at Buckingham Palace, flavorful with brightness and body. An exotic character with soft hints of Earl Grey and Jasmine. Superb for afternoon tea settings.
Taster’s Review:
I was rummaging through my tea stash, looking for a “different” black tea to drink this morning, and I came up with this one. Interestingly enough, when I visited the Culinary Teas website, this one just happened to be the tea of the week! Along with that distinction comes a 20% discount! (But hurry! I don’t know when this offer expires)
This is a great blend. There are so many different tastes going on … one moment, I taste the tangy bergamot from the Earl Grey, the next, I notice the malty tones from the Assam. Then I notice the lingering essence of jasmine. And somehow, all these dynamic flavors work together quite harmoniously.
The black tea base is well-rounded. It is comprised of Assam, Ceylon and Kenyan teas … as well as several others. This blend is full-flav0red with a fair amount of astringency. I taste hints of sweetness as well as a bitter tone that arrives just before mid-sip. There is a nice malty tone to this tea, as well as a biscuit-y kind of flavor … you know that freshly baked bread kind of note that is experienced every once in a while with a good black tea? Yeah, that’s in there too.
And then there are the notes of bergamot and jasmine. The bergamot is a sweet, tart-y kind of taste that plays off of the astringency from the tea very well. It is at the moment that the astringency is recognized that the bergamot comes through the strongest. The jasmine is more like an insinuation. I will take a sip, considering it as my palate explores the flavors it offers, and all of the sudden, my mind says “wait… was that jasmine just now?” I love it when I find a tea that keeps my taste buds guessing.
Such a beautiful, contemplative cup of tea, this Buckingham Palace. And now that my cup is empty, I want more!
Rosie Earl Grey from Tea Licious
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Licious
Product Description:
Whole leaf tea with oil of bergamot and rose petals
Taster’s Review:
Oh, this is nice. It’s no secret how I feel about Earl Grey, but, I was a little unsure about a rose scented Earl Grey. I’ve tried some that I’ve absolutely loved, and others that have left me feeling disappointed. This one just might be my favorite rose scented Earl Grey that I’ve yet to taste.
What I like about this is that the rose flavor is well-defined. It isn’t just sprinkled with a few rose petals. The tea leaves have absorbed the essence of rose and that is apparent in the taste. It is a strong rose presence. It tastes sweet and floral and very pleasant.
The black tea is a mild black tea. It isn’t what I’d consider to be strong or bold in flavor. It is crisp and astringent. It works well with the flavors of bergamot and rose, providing a solid background of flavor without overpowering the delicious rose and bergamot notes.
The bergamot is a bit softer than I expected. The bergamot is definitely there in the scent, but, the flavor is a little more about the rose than the bergamot, especially in the first couple of sips. As I continue sipping, though, I find that the bergamot develops and by about mid-cup, I can really notice the bergamot. The tangy citrus and the sweet taste of rose contrast each other well.
A very pleasant cuppa … it certainly IS Tea-Licious!
Earl Grey White Tip from Tea Source
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Source
Product Description:
Made from fine Chinese teas with a large portion of white tips (the most prized leaf of the plant) and blended with the finest oil of bergamot available. Incredibly aromatic and flavorful.
Taster’s Review:
This is a fantastic Earl Grey. Incredibly rich and flavorful!
The aroma of the dry leaf seduced me immediately – there is just something about that bergamot fragrance that captivates me. The scent of the brewed tea is a bit softer, but, it is still quite enjoyable.
The bergamot flavor of this Earl Grey is very crisp and clear. Very bright and tangy, and not overwhelmingly floral. This does not have that perfume-y aftertaste. It’s very smooth.
The black tea is a strong, brisk tea and there are several white tips. I don’t experience much of anything that the white tips contribute to the cup, but at the same time, I can’t say that this would be the same tea without them in there. The black tea has a very pleasing flavor. It is moderately astringent, but it is not an overly dry astringency. The aftertaste is tangy yet sweet.
A very enjoyable Earl Grey from start to finish!