Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
An original blend of our Earl Grey Tea with Rose Petals and Lavender flowers. An excellent after dinner tea!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I know, I know … I’ve said it at least a hundred times before, and I’ll probably say it another hundred (or more) times. I love Earl Grey teas. Well, most of them, anyway. I have actually come across a few – maybe a handful or more – of Earl Grey teas that weren’t worthy of the praise I usually lavish on the bergamot tea. And I also adore most of the variations on the Earl Grey concept: bergamot teas that are just a little different from the classic Earl Grey.
This is another twist on that classic favorite: Princess Grey Tea from MarketSpice. This tea took the bergamot black tea and added rose petals and lavender buds.
I like it! This Princess Grey offers a softer bergamot flavor, reminding me just a bit of the softer flavor you might experience with an Earl Grey creme but without the vanilla overtones. The bergamot here isn’t edgy or bold or in your face, it’s a gentle citrus-y presence that mingles well with a subtle lavender undertone and hints of rose in the distance.
Normally, I prefer a stronger bergamot flavor, but, I like this softer presentation. I think that a softer bergamot flavor works best with teas where there is a lavender or other assertive floral flavor (the blue cornflowers are not included in this statement as these are added primarily for a touch of color to the blend, not because they offer a strong flavor profile to the cup).
I believe that a stronger bergamot note might have made this come off as perfume-ish and nobody (at least, nobody that I know of!) wants to drink a cup full of perfume! This tea offers a nice balance between bergamot and floral notes: there is contrast between the flavors without too much competition.
As it is, the floral notes are pleasant and accent the bergamot well. The black tea is a what I’d call a moderately mild tea, it doesn’t become too assertive in this blend, but it is strong enough to stand up and be tasted behind the flavors of citrus and flower.
A really enjoyable cuppa – I’m glad I had this opportunity to try yet another Earl Grey variation! It’s one of the joys of this “job” … and one I can’t imagine of which I’ll ever tire!
Princess Blend from 52Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Honeybush
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
My little girl LOVES tea. I know this is a big shock to everyone that the apple wouldn’t fall far from the tree there, but she really does love tea. Since we closed our retail shop, she keeps asking when we are going to Zoomdweebie’s for tea. Since I can’t help her out with that, I thought the next best thing would be to create a blend just for her. So here is our Princess Blend for my little fairy princess, Amelia. It’s caffeine-free African honeybush, so you can share it with your little ones too (if you feel like sharing this bubble-gummy-goodness).
Taster’s Review:
This was the tea of the week for November 15, 2010. I didn’t buy it right away, in fact, I really hadn’t planned on buying it at all. A bubblegum tea doesn’t really sound all that appealing to me. Not that it sounds horrible or anything, it just wasn’t there at the top of my list of favorite flavors, you know what I mean?
Anyway, on Steepster, I kept hearing good things about this tisane. So I decided that I really had to try it to see if it lived up to all the hype. And while I don’t think it is quite as good as everyone else who reviewed it on Steepster does, it is a tasty blend, and certainly much better than I would have thought. I can’t say that it’s my favorite 52Teas blend, because it isn’t, but, they can’t all be my favorite, can they?
The dry leaf smells like bubblegum. Make that bubblegum and honeybush, because there is that distinct honeybush aroma in the background. The brewed liquor possesses a more delicate fragrance, but it still smells like bubblegum and honeybush.
And that’s what it tastes like, too. The bubblegum flavor is sweet and tastes like pink bubblegum. You know, like the original Hubba Bubba bubblegum, or an even more precise comparison would be the Double Bubble bubblegum (or Dubble Bubble bubblegum for those of you who can remember that!)
The honeybush is what sets this apart from a wad of bubblegum, though. The nutty, somewhat woody background and sweet, honey-like tones of the honeybush give this bubblegum a flavor unlike anything you’d find in the candy store.
This is tasty hot or iced, but I prefer it chilled. It doesn’t need additional sweetener, but, I don’t think it would really disrupt the flavor if you do add sugar or some other sweetener – it would just give you a sweeter bubblegum taste! I know my two Princesses are going to love this blend!
