Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
Tea Description:
The mindful morning blend is the Plum Deluxe take on classic Earl Grey.
Everyone loves Earl Grey, but we found a way to make it even better so that we can start every day with a tea blend that is truly luxurious. We began with our absolute favorite black tea, Ceylon – it is a tea from Sri Lanka that has a gentle vanilla flavor to it. We then added a tiny pinch of sweet honey, a bit of flavor and color with the cornflowers, and topped it off with the bergamot oil that makes earl grey so famous. The orange peels give it a final flavor boost.
All Plum Deluxe teas are hand-blended and infused with love in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I’m enjoying my second cup of this tea. With the first cup, I neglected to “shake” the pouch and this is one tea where you want to do that. There are honey crystals in the tea and they tend to settle to the bottom of the package so you want to mix it up a little before you scoop out the tea.
I wasn’t too sure about having honey crystals in my tea. I have often said that I prefer it when tea companies don’t put sugar, honey crystals, stevia or other sweeteners in my tea because I like to decide if I want to have a sweeter tea. I like to make that decision for myself and not have it made for me. But, I like the honey in this. I like the touch of honey flavor.
To brew this, I used my Kati Tumbler. I decided to use the tumbler rather than the tea maker because I didn’t want to put honey in the tea maker. I don’t know why, but, I made the catastrophic mistake of attempting to heat milk in an electric tea kettle a long time ago, (before there was a Breville One-Touch) and since that time, I have been very careful about what I’ll put in my kettles.
Learn from my mistake and don’t ever heat anything except water in tea kettles. Just say no.
After shaking the pouch and getting some of those honey crystals to the surface, I measured 1 bamboo scoop of tea into the basket of my Kati and added 12 ounces of boiling water to the tumbler. I steeped the tea for 3 minutes and removed the basket. Now I have a tumbler full of Earl Grey yumminess.
This is actually a spin on an Earl Grey Creme tea. And it’s quite lovely.
The black tea base is a smooth, medium-bodied Ceylon. It has a pleasant flavor that’s a little earthy and a wee bit malty. It has a slightly dry finish, indicating some astringency. I would say it’s mildly astringent and it doesn’t detract from the enjoyment of the cup or the smoothness of the sip.
The bergamot is not exceptionally strong in this blend, but I think that’s probably because the vanilla notes have softened the bergamot, creating a lovely citrus-y, creamy flavor that hints at caramel tones. Bring in the light honey notes from the honey crystals and that’s where this tea really “hits the sweet spot.” The honey plus the caramel is delightfully delicious.
I do get a bright, tangy note of bergamot that’s softer than a typical Earl Grey. Then again, this isn’t a typical Earl Grey and it’s not meant to be. The vanilla adds a touch creamy. The orange peel highlights the brightness of the bergamot. And these flavors mingle in a really beautiful way with the aforementioned honeyed caramel. Mmm!
This is the first tea that I’ve tried from Plum Deluxe, and I’m so pleased with it! I really like what I’ve seen (and tasted!) from this company thus far. I love that they’re a company based locally (Portland, Oregon) and I was touched by the story that inspired the company. And I just LOVED getting a purple bubble envelope in the mail the other day! What fun! (Get it? Plum Deluxe? Purple Envelope? Loved it!)
Malibu Beach Beauty Tea from Newport Skinny Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black, Green & White Teas
Where to Buy: Newport Skinny Tea
Tea Description:
Malibu Beach Beauty Tea has ingredients that soothe inflammation in your body, especially your tissues, and regulate the hormones that cause acne and skin irritation to show up on the surface. Ingredients in it strengthen collagen production, eliminate excess water trapped in your tissues and reduce the look of cellulite. After using the tea bags, you can place them on your external skin to reduce redness and inflammation of acne, keep away from your eye area.
Learn more about this tea blend here.
Enter to win a Newport Skinny Tea 21 Day “TeaTox” Pack!
Taster’s Review:
Before I even brewed this tea, I read through the description card that came with my sample of this Malibu Beach Beauty Tea and browsed the ingredient list and this tea has a lot going on! Check it out:
Ingredients: Earl Grey Tea, Young Hysson Green Tea, White Tea, Calendula, Lavender Flowers, Red Clover Blossoms, Peppermint Leaves, Rose Flowers & Hips, Linden Leaf & Flower, Elder Flower, Chamomile, Lemon Peel & Oil, Gota Cola, Honeysuckle Flower, Blackberry Leaf, Privet Fruit, Stevia Leaf, Mangosteen Peel, Natural Flavors.
See what I mean? There’s a lot going on. I hope that it’s not too much going on! But I won’t know until I try it. So, I’m off to go brew it in my Kati Tumbler. I’ll use 2 teaspoons of tea in the Kati basket and add 12 ounces of hot water (but not boiling). The parameters on this description card suggest boiling water but with that many herbs plus green and white teas, I feel that boiling water is going to be too hot. I’ll opt for a lower temperature: 180°F, and steep it for 4 minutes. Let’s see how it goes!
Hmm … interesting. It’s an interesting flavor – in a good way! And as I said, there IS a lot going on. Because of that, the result is a flavor that’s a bit more like an herbal tisane than a tea. But that isn’t a bad thing. I like that I’m tasting the lavender and lemon and honeysuckle! I like that I am picking up on the flavors of peppermint and elder flower and rose! And I can still taste notes of bergamot (which are highlighted by the lemon notes) and the black, green and white teas.
I like that there is a lot going on but it all seems to work together in a way that pleases my palate. When I take a sip, my palate is intrigued and interested in what its experiencing. I find myself wanting to sip more rather than push the cup aside – which is, quite frankly, what I feared! I thought I’d take one sip of this and say NO! No like! But that’s not what’s happening. Yeah, it’s different. Yeah it’s a busy tea. But I like it!
The prevailing note here is floral. The lavender and honeysuckle and rose and linden and elder flowers give this a very floral flavor, but it doesn’t cross the line into perfume-y. It doesn’t even really toe the line because there’s other flavors going on to help it take a couple of steps back and keep it tasting floral/herbaceous without going into the icky area of floral/perfume-ish.
This is something I can see myself wanting to drink on a regular basis. It’s a got a really interesting flavor that compels me to continue drinking.
If the idea of beauty from the inside out interests you, check out Newport Skinny Tea’s complete line of teas. You can even enter their raffle – they’re currently giving away a 21 Day TeaTox package!
Earl Grey Tea from Tea of Life
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Learn more about Tea of Life and Amazon Teas here.
Taster’s Review:
When it comes to Earl Grey teas, there are a couple of things that I consider “standard” … that is, things that I expect from an Earl Grey. The first thing I expect is a distinct dry leaf aroma. I should smell the bergamot! The second thing I want is for that aroma to carry over into the brewed tea. I still want to smell the bergamot! Finally, and most importantly, I want a great taste: I want a good black tea base and I want to taste the bergamot. I love a good strong flavor of bergamot but I’ve also found many teas that have a softer flavor of bergamot and I have enjoyed those as well. As long as I get GOOD bergamot – not soapy or cologne-ish – then I’m a happy sipper.
Well, when I opened the pouch that held the tea bag of this Earl Grey Tea from Tea of Life, I didn’t get a strong, distinct bergamot aroma. Needless to say, I was disappointed.
The brewed tea has a stronger bergamot fragrance (although when compared to next to no bergamot aroma, it shouldn’t be difficult to have a stronger fragrance, right?) so I’m happy about that. It’s that unmistakable scent of bergamot. I love it.
The flavor: It’s good. The bergamot flavor is definitely there, and it doesn’t taste soapy or like I’m drinking fragrance de Uncle Albert. It’s not as strong as some Earl Grey teas I’ve tasted, but it’s a clear, well-defined bergamot note.
And the black tea is brisk and smooth. I’m really liking the black tea base because it’s not astringent. It’s really quite smooth and it’s a good, solid flavor. Nicely round.
Overall, this Earl Grey is a winner. I’m quite impressed with it, really, especially considering that A) this is a bagged tea; and B) I was rather disappointed with it when I took that first whiff and didn’t smell bergamot; and C) did I mention that this is a bagged tea? Like I said, impressive!
Balancing Ayurvedic Tea from TeaVeda
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Veda Company
Tea Description:
Organic decaffeinated black tea lovingly mixed with delicate flavors of jasmine and bergamot blissfully soothe and stimulate with our “Balancing” tea.
Learn more about the teas from TeaVeda here.
Taster’s Review:
Of the different teas that I received from The Veda Company, this was the one I was timid to try. I mean, you know that I love bergamot and jasmine, however, I can recall a couple of bergamot/jasmine blends that have been less than successful as far as I’m concerned. And this blend has a decaffeinated black tea base and I’ve had a few decaffeinated black teas that I’ve not been crazy about. So, a few of my ‘red flags’ popped up when I read the description for this tea.
But it’s actually alright. Maybe even a little better than alright. Yeah, this is definitely better than alright. It isn’t the best tea that I’ve ever tried but I am enjoying it.
The bergamot here is on the subtle side. It’s a little citrus-y, but not really a distinctly crisp, tangy bergamot note that I’d usually expect from a typical Earl Grey. Perhaps the presence of jasmine softens it a little. The jasmine offers a delicate floral note to the cup.
I am noticing a slightly ‘thinner’ flavor from the black tea which is a typical “side effect” from the process that decaffeinates the tea. It doesn’t taste as rich or robust as a typical black tea would. But I don’t taste that “chemical” aftertaste from the decaffeinated tea and that earns this tea big points.
It’s not my favorite from TeaVeda/The Veda Company, but I enjoyed it. It’s a tea that I’d drink again if it were offered to me. It’s pleasant and has a nice balance of flavors. It tastes good served hot and it’s also nice as it cools.
Avalon Blend Black Tea from The Secret Garden Tea Company
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Secret Garden Tea Co.
Tea Description:
A lovely mix of Vanilla, Bergamot, and Rose Petals in honor of Avalon Centre!
Ingredients: Black tea, rose petals, natural flavors.
Learn more about this blend here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea smells heavenly! The dry leaf has a strong bergamot fragrance that is tempered slightly by the presence of sweet vanilla. I don’t smell much from the rose in the blend, but then, with the bergamot as strong as it is, I wasn’t surprised.
The dry leaf is as pretty to the eye as it is to the nose too. Black tea leaves with cornflower petals and rose petals strewn throughout the blend. To brew this tea, I used my Breville One Touch Tea Maker. I measured 2 bamboo scoops into the basket of the tea maker and then poured in 500ml of water and set the temperature for boiling (212°F) and the timer for 2 1/2 minutes.
The brewed tea smells like a delightful combination of vanilla and bergamot with notes of black tea. Yummy!
And it is yummy. This is a tasty Earl Grey Creme type tea but with a hint of rose that weaves its way in and out of the sip. The rose is quite delicate, but, it is discernible (especially if you slurp the sip to aerate the tea over your palate).
The black tea is a brisk flavor in the background. It isn’t too aggressive a flavor, but it is strong enough to hold its own with the other flavors that are playing in the foreground. I would categorize this as a medium-bodied black tea base, I suspect it’s a Ceylon. It’s flavorful and supports the bergamot and vanilla nicely. It has a dry, moderate astringency toward the tail.
There is a good balance between the flavors of bergamot and vanilla. The bergamot is tangy and bright. The vanilla softens the sharpness of the bergamot and the two flavors together create a delightful caramel-y flavor. It is sweet, a little tart and tangy and absolutely lovely.
This is the first tea that I’ve tried from The Secret Garden and I think we’re off to a good start with this blend. I really pleasant twist on an Earl Grey Creme! And when I saw that this was a blend created in honor of the Avalon Centre, I decided to google Avalon Centre … and I hope I got the right place! I have great respect for a company when it takes the time to recognize services like the Avalon Centre. It makes me appreciate this tea and this company even more!
Correction: This appears to be the right place! And it certainly is another worthy service to recognize through a lovely tea such as this.