I’m not normally a bergamot fan, but my high school partner-in-crime, code-named Tiny Salutations is, so welcome her along on today’s adventure!
This is a delightful blend that ignites the romance at first sight, and pictures don’t do it justice. Beautiful blue corn flowers are sprinkled throughout, which is a special flower that she would grow and send to husband back when they first dated. She says she’s kind of in love with this tea before even drinking it. The dry leaves need to be cross-marketed as an air freshener!
The corn flowers float to the top as it brews and lose their color becoming translucent and elegant like dragonfly wings. That initial carmel smell mellows out as well, and the brew just smells like standard Earl Grey. The combination of small tea leaves and delicate flowers mean the brew time is quick and more caffeine is released into the light amber infusion.
There is not as much flavor as color implies, so it’s great way to get caffeine if you don’t like the bitterness of the tannins. There’s a slight milky aftertaste. It tastes like a Standard cuppa black tea, but you don’t need to add any cream or sugar! (Unless you’re an absolute sugar fiend)
Upon resteeping, the tea still has some oils to give off and it has a good earthy taste but not as much caramel flavor.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Flavored Black Tea
Where to Buy: The NecessiTeas
Our Earl Grey Le Creme is a forgiving indulgence essenced with bergamot, vanilla and cream. Go ahead, treat yourself!
Your tea is hand packaged in an airtight tin at no additional charge.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Always a Classic: Earl Grey from Kent and Sussex
In some ways, it doesn’t get more traditional than Earl Grey tea. Next to English Breakfast black tea, it’s the flavor most people think of when brewing a cup of tea. Earl Grey from Kent and Sussex brews up strong and tart, a full-bodied black tea with a touch of tart bergamot citrus.
Earl Grey is one of those teas that you customize as much or as little as you want, a lot like coffee. Everyone had their preferred blend and balance. You can brew this Earl Grey black without any additives, or brew it with honey and lemon, or add your preferred mix of milk and sugar. Drink it hot, drink it iced, the smooth, crisp taste of Earl Grey works well with them all.
I brewed this tea hot, in my favorite teacup and saucer, and tired the brew black (no additives), and then with a splash of milk. On its own, this tea is a bit too bold for me, with a strong dry, tart mouthfeel that made me pucker. Sometimes I prefer Earl Grey to be tart, especially when the leaves are blended with extra strong bergamot orange flavors, or when you want to top off your cup with a wedge of lemon and sugar. This Earl Grey didn’t have as much citrus in the blend on its own, so I took the cup in a different direction, adding a swirl of milk to help boost the creaminess of the tea.
This is a solid standard to have in your tea cupboard, to brew up in whatever style suits your fancy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kent and Sussex
Description:
Delicious Earl Grey! THE GREAT TASTE AWARDS 2007 Award winning Earl Grey. The History of Earl Grey Tea dates back to 1833 the then Earl Grey of Howick Hall the British Prime Minister suspended the price monopoly which the East India Company had until that point enjoyed with its Chinese trading. Originally pure chinese teas were flavoured with fine oils from the Bergamot fruit in an attempt to preserve the tea during the difficult clipper journeys by sea. It was thought that lengthy times at sea could result in tastes of mould and tar. That is how the tea was named and to this day Earl Grey is regarded as one of the very finest flavoured infusions.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Delightful Morning Blend from Plum Deluxe. . . .
There are times when I simply need a good, strong Earl Grey. The Delightful Morning Blend from Plum Deluxe is perfect for those times. What makes it unique is the addition of lavender and a hint of vanilla. All of Plum Deluxe’s teas are organic and made in small batches.
I love a pot of Delightful Morning served with milk and sugar on a lazy Sunday. Today was not-so-lazy, but this lovely blend gave me the perfect boost for the start of a busy day. It is equally amazing on ice!
Plum Deluxe is a mail order tea company based in Portland, Oregon. I discovered them on Instagram last year and joined their tea of the month club. Every month, members receive a purple envelope with a new surprise blend of tea! They also have a members-only Facebook page with some of the nicest people you will meet. However, one does not have to be a member to order from the wonderful selection of teas and accessories on their website.
I wasn’t a fan of Earl Grey until I started to try good-quality, loose leaf varieties. Now it is one of my favorites. For anyone who may have similar misgivings about Earl Grey, try a cup of Plum Deluxe’s Delightful Morning Blend and you may start to think differently about Earl Grey.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Description
Originally we created this tweak of our Mindful Morning earl grey with a pinch of Oregon lavender for the many flower festivals we visit during the spring and summer – and lucky day, it’s now available online.
The fresh lavender adds a softness and balance to the astringency of the bergamot, accented by the vanilla notes in the base black tea. It is truly wonderful iced or hot.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Organic Earl Grey Black Tea from Waterfalls Tea Company. . . . .
Waterfall Tea Company (AKA Waterfall Teas) is one of the companies I haven’t been able to dive into much thus far and I’m not really sure why!? I guess I just haven’t seen it around much and haven’t ordered it online yet.
About a month or two ago I re-visited Tea Leafs in Williamsville, NY, and came across a few of their teas that were available for sale and individually wrapped. I decided to buy a single bag just to try it out. The one I grabbed first was the one I decided to buy and that was their Organic Earl Grey.
Organic Earl Grey from Waterfall Tea Company is loose leaf in a biodegradable sachet. It’s what you would expect from an Earl Grey. Medium strength black tea and bergamot oil. The bergamot isn’t over the top nor is it whispering. It’s a nice middle-of-the road flavor. A nice SAFE tea to share with the masses!
I also appreciate the crisp and clean packaging, design, and presentation of Waterfall Teas. Everything is clearly marked and stated. They have the recognizable USDA Organic label along with Orthodox Union and Oregon Tilth labels.
In case you are not as familiar with the latter two labels…The OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher is the world’s largest and most widely recognized kosher certification agency, certifying over 800,000 products produced in more than 8,500 plants located in 100 countries around the world.
Oregon Tilth is a leading nonprofit certifier, educator, and advocate for organic agriculture and products since 1974. Over the past 40 years, Oregon Tilth has helped lead the way on moving organic agriculture from a “fringe alternative” movement into a research-based approach to sustainable food production. They played an integral role in the formation of the USDA National Organic Program, helped found the Organic Materials Research Institute and pushed to expand organic sustainability beyond agriculture to textiles and other products.
So there is a little education with your daily tea. I enjoyed the cuppa and the research while preparing this post for today. Organic Earl Grey from The Waterfall Tea Company is a good one to have on hand if you are short on time or want a pleasing cup to share with a group of friends!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Waterfall Tea Company
Description
This tea doesn’t appear to be available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Mediterranean Grey from Balcony Teas. . . . .
Mediterranean Grey by Balcony Teas, is a variation on the Earl Grey theme that includes orange blossom and calendula petals. This gives it a sweetness that feels pastel to me. It’s springy! It’s joyous!
If you do a Google Image Search for “Pride and Prejudice picnic,” that’s the exact aesthetic I’d give this tea.
If I were naming this, I’d name it Cute Grey.
(This is why I don’t get to name anything.)
(I am permitted no responsibility in almost any aspect of my life.)
(Why is there a term for “man-child” but no corresponding “woman-child”?Women can be JUST as ill-suited to adulthood as men. #feminism)
If you love that bergamot, but there are days when it feels a little too SERIOUS, come romp with me in the land of Cute Grey. You will not regret it!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Balcony Teas
Description
We love this version of traditional Earl Grey with a Mediterranean twist. We have blended light and refreshing Ceylon black tea with zesty bergamot oil, fragrant orange blossom and sunny calendula petals.
Ingredients:
Black Tea – Finest Ceylon black tea to set off this blend perfectly. Orange Blossom – Deliciously fragrant with delicate floral honeyed aroma. Calendula Petals – A beautiful splash of sunshine yellow. Bergamot Flavour – The best quality Bergamot, a distinctively zesty citrus fruit of which the oil is used to flavour this tea, is grown in the Mediterranean.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
