Grand Earl Grey from Caraway Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & White
Where to Buy: Caraway Tea Company
Product Description:
You’ve not tasted an Earl Grey like this before, unless of course, you’ve tasted this one. One of our top teas, this Earl Grey starts with top quality Keemun tea, adds just the right amount of bergamot, and tops it all off with a sprinkle of Yin Zhen white tea.
Ingredients: Keemun Tea, bergamot, Yin Zhen.
Taster’s Review:
I love me some Earl Grey, so I was very happy for this opportunity to try this one from Caraway Tea Company.
And this is a superb Earl Grey! The black tea base is a Keemun tea which lends a more robust background flavor than is often found in Earl Grey teas. There is a strong, smooth flavor to the black tea. It tastes rustic, like freshly baked biscuits. There are even some vague hints of wood and a touch of smokiness to the cup. A very pleasantly complex Keemun.
All of these interesting features of the Keemun offer a very beautiful backdrop for the bergamot flavoring. It tastes vibrant and authentic – like real fruit without a chemical aftertaste. There is very little of the floral note that is often associated with bergamot. Not at all soapy or perfume-y, this Earl Grey.
And then there is the “sprinkle of Yin Zhen white tea” and I can’t say that the white tea is a particularly profound flavor in this blend, but I will say that it does influence the flavor. There is a delicate … almost creaminess to the taste of this cup.
Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t taste like an “Earl Grey Creme” at all. But there is a certain sweetness that mingles perfectly with the tangy bergamot flavor that almost portrays itself as a creamy note without tasting like cream. A smooth, supple flavor that I don’t think I’ve ever experienced with an Earl Grey tea before. It’s quite lovely.
There is no bitterness to this tea, and very little astringency. What little astringency there is seems to hit just after swallowing the tea, as I begin to contemplate the aftertaste, I notice the very faint puckering sensation on my tongue from the astringency. It dries the palate only slightly.
This tea can be re-steeped with similar results. The flavor is a little lighter and smoother. Not quite as rustic tasting. But still very delicious.
This is one of the most amazing Earl Grey teas I’ve yet to encounter. It is right up there, in my top five, at least! I love this one, and I am going to have to order some soon so that I keep it in my permanent collection!
Achieve Clarity – Vanilla Earl Grey from Teamotions
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teamotions
Product Description:
Flavor Profile Rich and robust black tea with notes of citrus and vanilla.
Ingredients Earl Grey Black Tea, Black Congu Tea, Black Breakfast Blend, Neem leaf, Tulsi, Lavender, Cornflowers, Natural Flavors.
Emotional Benefit Improves mental function. Calms a racing mind. Helps restore one’s ability to think clearly under stress and emerge from denial or confusion.
Taster’s Review:
This is a remarkable and deliciously different variation on the classic Earl Grey, and I’m enjoying it quite a lot!
The black tea is quite bold, and no wonder! This is a blend of an Earl Grey black tea, a Black Congu, and a Breakfast Blend (Assam and Ceylon?) With that many different black teas forming the base of this blend, it made me wonder if the bergamot might get lost in the mix. But one sniff of the dry leaf assured me that the bergamot is definitely there.
The aroma of the brewed tea is quite delightful. I love the way the various black teas, bergamot, vanilla, tulsi, neem and lavender mingle together to create one very intriguing and nose-pleasing fragrance. This is a tea that you want to inhale deeply before taking a sip to get full effect from the scent as well as the flavor.
The black tea is bold and robust, and there is a fairly strong astringency to this cup – it is slightly drying and leaves the palate feeling clean so that the aftertaste of vanilla, bergamot and the slightest whisper of mint can be enjoyed.
The bergamot flavor is considerably softer than in a typical Earl Grey tea, or even in a typical Earl Grey Creme for that matter. In fact, it is the vanilla that reaches the palate first. Smooth and creamy – and beautifully sweet! The bergamot is more of a sneaky flavor in this blend – peeking in and out of the sip. While I do love my bergamot strong and bold, it is also nice to come across one that is more mysterious like this.
The Neem, Tulsi and lavender do not contribute a lot of flavor to the cup, but I can taste a very subtle mint-like tone from the Tulsi. The lavender presents a VERY delicate yet distinct note that develops as I continue to sip, but it never becomes a strong presence in the cup.
Neem is not a taste that I’m very familiar with, I only remember trying it once or maybe twice. So, I can’t really tell you that I’m tasting Neem or not, but, what I can say is that I am familiar with the other flavors of this blend. I do detect a rather unusual sweetness – I want to describe it as an almost “wild” tasting sweetness – that is quite enjoyable.
This tea is a myriad of delicious flavors that makes for a very contemplative tea. It is aptly named “Achieve Clarity” as it does seem to recharge the mind and readies it to do what it does best – think! What a perfectly brilliant blend!
Grand Earl Grey from Mhai Diva
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Mhai Diva
About Mhai Diva Tea:
Mhaidiva is pure quality tea. In general the following applies: the higher the tea is cultivated, the better the quality. Mhaidiva comes straight from the plateaus of Sri Lanka, the Nuwara-Eliya district, known as the ‘champagne area’ of Sri Lanka.
99% of the Mhaidiva tea is picked by women at the tea plantations, the women control the picking of the tea leaves with the fingertips in perfection. Mhaidiva is made by 100% Orthodox picked tea, qualitative the best way of picking.
Taster’s Review:
In her review of this tea, TeaEqualsBliss aka Jennifer states that this doesn’t taste like a bagged tea. And I must concur … this is a very full-flavored, robust Earl Grey and if I hadn’t brewed it myself, I wouldn’t have guessed it was a bagged tea.
The black tea is brisk and energizing. It has a remarkably smooth flavor without bitterness and very little astringency. There is a hint of sweetness to the black tea – slightly caramel-ish. This is a black tea that would be delicious on its own, made even tastier with the addition of the flavor of the bergamot orange.
The bergamot is citrus-y and lightly floral. It doesn’t taste overly floral or perfume-y, just enough of a flowery note to add dimension to the overall cup. The flavor is bright and slightly sweet with a nice tangy finish.
I can’t get over the fact that this is a bagged tea. This is a bagged tea that will win over the loose leaf purists out there! Yes it’s that good!
Earl Grey Lavender from Tea Addiction
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Addiction
Product Description:
Ingredients: Blended black tea, lavender, jasmine, and flavoring.
Is the stress of life getting to you?
Enjoy a cup of Earl Grey Lavender with its relaxing lavender scent and flavor. The beautiful purple flowers are said to ease headaches, insomnia, and stress. The addition of jasmine flowers is thought to relieve stress, elevate the mood, and aid in digestion. This steep is definitely not the typical Earl Grey!
Taster’s Review:
As the above description suggests, this is not the typical Earl Grey – but it is an excellent Earl Grey! Superb!
When I opened the package, my nose was greeted with the beautiful fragrance of bergamot, lavender and a hint of jasmine. I did not expect to see so many flower blossoms and petals in the tin – this is definitely a tea that you need to shake gently before opening to redistribute the flowers evenly throughout the tea. A small amount of effort to exert for one of the very best lavender flavored Earl Grey teas I’ve ever tasted!
The black tea flavor is pleasantly brisk and offers a nice background flavor. While it lends its strong flavor to the cup, it seems perfectly content to allow the flavors to really come through and express themselves fully.
The lavender is strong, but it doesn’t overpower the blend. Instead, it is masterfully balanced with the bergamot, giving just enough of its flavor to the bergamot to accent some of the flowery notes of the fruit. I can also taste a hint of the jasmine. It isn’t a strong jasmine presence but that little note of jasmine adds a very interesting dimension to the cup.
As I’ve already eluded to, this is a well-balanced cup. The bergamot does not try to overwhelm the lavender just as the lavender does not overpower the bergamot. And somehow, the addition of the flowery flavors not only enhances the flowery taste of the bergamot, but, it also allows the citrus flavors to shine through.
The overall cup is sweet, feminine and juicy! I love this!