Nearly everyone has heard of Earl Grey, and I find a lot of people either love it or absolutely hate it. I am somewhere in between. I can really fall for the RIGHT Earl Grey. The trademark flavor of Earl Grey is bergamot, which is a type of sour orange. Most Earl blends are Ceylon black tea with bergamot oil, but Ceylon tea can already be very lemony and when you add sour orange…well, it just isn’t for me. It would be more palatable with milk and sugar but I don’t usually do additions. When you put a quality bergamot oil on Keemun or an a smoky base…now, that’s a different story. Or if you add cream flavor to counter the sour citrus, again, I can get on board. This one puts lavender second in the name, but I am finding it first in the flavoring, right after tea base. There is orange oil here as well, and I think that further gives a real roundness to the cup, as opposed to a punch in the tastebuds. The sweet floral lavender and cheerful orange takes the hard punch out of the bergamot and softens it into a very nice cup of tea, strong enough for breakfast (for me), yet smooth and sweet enough to be thoroughly enjoyable even without additions. As baby bear would say, this is “just right.”
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Teageschwendner
Description
Heady bergamot flavor meets the sweetly floral aroma of Lavender. A wonderful reinvention of a beloved classic!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Lavender Cream/Tea Sparrow. . . .
When it comes to lattes, there are two different types of tea that tend to work best: Chai and Earl Greys (London Fogs, anyone?!). I have found that any variation of these kinds of tea tend to take to the latte method beautifully, whether that be plain or flavored versions or even just heavily spiced teas inspired by Chai. I usually reach for the spiced teas/chai blends but today I went for something different: Lavender Cream by Tea Sparrow.
Lavender Cream is an Earl Grey black tea made with lavender petals, vanilla pieces, lavender extract, and vanilla extract. The ingredients leave me torn since I love vanilla in teas and I really don’t love lavender and it is that lavender that has had me putting off trying this tea for months.
The tea smells delightful, both dry and after steeping thanks to the bergamot. Unfortunately that lovely scent does not translate to the taste of the tea which I am not loving. It is creamy but then a soapy taste takes over. I blame the lavender for that one. There is also an underlying astringency that Earl Grey teas often have, though here it is tampered by the milk.
Many people love this type of tea and for those people, this may be a nice blend to try. However, for me, the lavender was a deal breaker. It is always nice to try something new but I am happy with the one latte.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tea Sparrow
Description
This tea is no longer available but click below for teas that are.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Cottage Cozy Earl Grey from A Quarter To Tea. . .
TODAY SIMPLY ISN’T HAPPENING, GUYS. THE PARTS ARE NOT COMING TOGETHER TO CAUSE A PLEASING WHOLE.
You know what that calls for? A pleasing new flavor. It’s time to BREAK OUT A NEWBIE.
I’ve opted for “Cottage Cozy Earl Grey” due to its name. “Cozy” is exactly where I’d like to be right now, spiritually. I want that mellow, hygge lifestyle. I want thick socks and a novel.
This blend is a very sweet earl grey, leaning heavily on lavender, which jingles lightly on a smoky assam base. It’s a playful duo.
I’m not getting a lot of the bargamot or the rooibos flavor here, but that might just be the Luck Of The Scoop. (It’s like the luck of the Irish, but for loose leaf tea enthusiasts. Not every scoop has every ingredient in a faithful representation of the whole. This keeps things exciting.)
That said, the lavender and the base are a good duo. They remind me of any classic comedy, with one goof and one straight man. If this were Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, the assam would be our straightforward Steve Martin and the lavender would be the loose cannon John Candy. (Am I old? Is this a hip reference?)
And honestly, I do feel better now. Even a little bit cozy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black/Rooibos blend
Where to Buy: A Quarter To Tea
Description
Sweeter and more floral than a normal Earl Grey, this is the perfect companion to rainy days and long books. Mellow but brisk.
Like all Earl Grey, takes milk and sugar well.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
