Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
We’ve created this special blend of organic black teas, and bergamot. This blend differs from our other Earl Grey #1 offering. A much mellower blend of ingredients but with the same characteristic Earl Grey flavoring we all love.
Wonderful hot or iced!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
From the moment I opened the pouch of this Organic Earl Grey Black Tea from Kally Tea … there was no mistaking that this was an Earl Grey tea! The bergamot aroma is strong with this one. I also noticed the bergamot is *different* with this Earl Grey selection as well, offering more of a floral bergamot than I’ve noticed in other recent Earl Grey tea experiences.
The brewed tea has a slightly softer fragrance than the dry leaf, but it is still very definitely bergamot: bold, citrus-y with notes of flower.
This is a very flavorful Earl Grey! The black tea is robust and rich, with a nicely round, smooth flavor. A deliciously full-flavored black tea base! The bergamot is a tart, citrus-y taste with a distinct flowery note. This is a more floral bergamot. Perhaps I am noticing more of the floral tones in this bergamot because it’s an organic flavoring? Or perhaps it’s a combination of the organic flavoring plus the organic tea and how these two ingredients play with one another.
It’s a sharp note, but – thankfully! – not quite what I’d call perfume-y or soap-like. There’s nothing wrong with a sharp bergamot tone … in fact, some of the best Earl Grey teas that I’ve tasted have a sharpness to them. And this has distinct floral tones but it maintains an enjoyable taste. For the record, soap-like and/or perfume-y tastes are not enjoyable. On the contrary, it’s what I’d call off-putting. This tea, on the other hand, is not at all off-putting. In fact, it’s really quite wonderful … just the right amount of sharp floral tones and snappy sweet-tart citrus-y notes to offer an appealing contrast for the palate.
I’ve been really pleased with Kally Tea’s organic line! These are some very flavorful teas … certainly worth exploring.
Top Earl Black Tea from J-Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: J-Tea
Tea Description:
The Top Earl is the fusion of two distinct elements. A high grade, tippy Assam black tea is scented with an ultra pure oil of bergamot to create our favorite earl grey tea.
Learn more about this tea here.
You can also try some of J-Tea’s teas at Medley Tea House Café
Taster’s Review:
The other day, I went to afternoon tea with my oldest daughter. I had heard about a place called Medley Tea House Café, and she and I were both anxious to try a new place for afternoon tea. Well, lunch was lovely, the food was delicious! But the most memorable thing for me – aside from my wonderful tea-time companion! – was the Earl Grey tea that I drank! I liked the “Top Earl” so much that I bought an ounce to take home with me.
After looking at the Tea Menu at Medley I learned that their Top Earl Black Tea came from a local company called J-Tea. This is an outstanding Earl Grey. If you’ve read very many of my reviews, you’re probably well aware of my love affair with the Earl. I’m always on the lookout for a stunning Earl Grey and this one is definitely STUNNING!
The black tea base is an Assam tea, and I love the difference a rich, malty Assam makes here. The background notes are full flavored and satisfying. Smooth with a sweet, caramel-y undertone, this is an Earl Grey that not only tastes great for an afternoon tea, but, it is robust and bold enough to serve as your first cup of the day too. It is somewhat astringent but not bitter (but don’t oversteep it!)
The bergamot is strongly flavored and is a good match for the strength of the Assam. The Assam tea is strong but the bergamot is on at an even pace with the Assam. Two strong flavors … but they don’t attempt to compete with each other, instead they just work beautifully together. The bergamot tastes tangy and bright and citrus-y. Just like bergamot should. It doesn’t taste like a man’s cologne.
A really outstanding Earl Grey tea, this Top Earl … this one definitely is in my top five … although I’m not sure yet which one it would displace! If you love Earl Grey like I do – you must try this one!
Kathryne Kenyan Earl Grey Black Tea from Justea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Justea
Tea Description:
Our Kathryne Earl Grey tea is whole leaf Kenyan black tea leaves cold-pressed with organic Mediterranean bergamot oil.
Learn more about this tea here.
Learn more about Justea’s fundraising effort to support Kenyan farmers here.
Taster’s Review:
I was very excited to try this Kathryne Kenyan Earl Grey Black Tea from Justea. I know you’ve heard me say it before: I love Earl Grey … and I’m always excited to try variations on the traditional blend … even with the variation has to do with the black tea base. In this case, a rich black tea from Kenya is flavored with my beloved bergamot.
The dry leaf aroma is superb. STRONG bergamot … and that’s just the way I like it! Here’s hoping it tastes as good as it smells!
My very first impression was that with this Earl Grey … I am noticing more of the bitterness from the bergamot. That’s not a bad thing (although generally when people say “bitter” people think of it as a bad thing), because bergamot is a bitter tasting fruit. After the first couple of sips, the bitterness subsides and I notice the tangy citrus notes.
The black tea base is smooth and well-rounded, and I like the way it works with the bergamot. This is the first time (at least to my recollection) that I’ve tried an Earl Grey made with a Kenyan black tea … and I’m very impressed with what I’m tasting … this is definitely one of the finest Earl Grey offerings that I’ve tried.
The bergamot is one of the best bergamot representations that I’ve tasted in any Earl Grey tea … I like that I tasted the bitterness. I like that I now taste the tart citrus. I like that there are underlying notes of juicy sweetness from the fruit. I like that I don’t taste anything remotely similar to perfume here. I like the way the black tea and the fruit are balanced. THIS is the way Earl Grey should taste!
Kathryne Kenyan Earl Grey tea is a stellar Earl Grey … I’d recommend this to all those who are Earl Grey enthusiasts! This one should be on your “I’ve GOTTA try that” list!
Baroness Grey Black Tea from Tea For All Reasons
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea for All Reasons
Tea Description:
Legend has it that one Baroness Grey, who lived sometime in the 16th or 17th century, was married to a man who was a Ship’s Captain in the Royal Navy. As the story goes, his ship never returned from a trading voyage to China. Refusing to believe that her husband would never return, the Baroness would walk to the port lands every morning to greet each ship hoping for news of her husband. Sadly, she continued this practice until the day she died. In honor of this loyal Baroness Grey, our Earl Grey blend, with the traditional bergamot and the addition of lemon represent the bitter tears shed over her beloved.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I was excited to try this Baroness Grey Black Tea from Tea For All Reasons. I love me some bergamot! This blend combines the great taste of a traditional Earl Grey tea together with additional notes of lemon and hints of rose … and I’m loving every sip.
The bergamot is not quite as strong as you might experience in a straightforward Earl Grey. The additional lemon adds sweetness … believe it or not! It’s as if someone liquefied a dollop of sweet, creamy lemon curd and added to a cup of Earl Grey black tea.
I don’t get a lot of tart from the lemon notes, just a sweet, smooth flavor that rounds out the tangy bergamot notes. I was expecting more of a tart or even a bitter note from the lemon … but, I am not getting that as much as I expected. There is some tartness here, certainly, but, what I’m noticing is the sweeter side of lemon here, and I like it. The combination of bergamot and lemon is very nice … they go together very well.
At the finish and into the aftertaste is where I start to notice the lemon’s impact on the tea. The flavor becomes slightly more tarty, and those tart notes tickle the palate in the aftertaste.
The black tea base is a robust, well-rounded black tea. It’s not overly strong, but there is an invigorating astringency to this that leaves the palate feeling clean. The floral notes of rose is very soft and subtle and really, barely noticeable unless you slurp to aerate the sip.
Overall, this is a very pleasant take on the classic Earl Grey. I really enjoyed this cuppa, and I’d recommend this to those who enjoy a gentle bergamot flavor in their Earl Grey style teas.
Raspberry Earl Grey Black Tea from Shanti Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Shanti Tea
Tea Description:
One of our most popular Earl Grey variations, with pleasantly fruity berry notes mingled with an underlying bergamot profile, you’ll find it impossible to put this cup down. The aromas are so enticing, you’ll have at least 3 cups before you finally decide it’s time to get back to work… or you might just take the day off to spend with your new tea-love.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf aroma of this Raspberry Earl Grey Black Tea from Shanti Tea is lovely! Strong notes of raspberry and bergamot, with hints of the black tea in the background. It smells like something I’d want to bathe in!
And … the flavor is YUM! You know me, I love Earl Grey and the many variations of the classic bergamot tea, so I was confident that I’d enjoy this Raspberry Earl Grey. I’ve actually tried a few Raspberry Earl Grey teas from other companies … but I think that this one might be the best one I’ve tried thus far.
Why? Because the raspberry notes are so distinct without overpowering the citrus-y bergamot … and the bergamot is strong without overwhelming the black tea notes. There is a really nice balance of flavors here, and I’m enjoying that a lot. With some of the Raspberry flavored Earl Grey teas that I’ve tried in the past … the raspberry seems a little “out of place” or even sometimes a little indistinguishable … but here, the raspberry fits right in. It is a little sweet and a little tart and has a fresh, juicy taste.
The black tea base is smooth yet invigorating. It has a pleasing, rich flavor that melds wonderfully with the flavors of tangy bergamot and sweet-tart raspberry. Delicious hot or iced (it’s SUPER refreshing served iced!)
