Favorite Earl Grey & EG Cream Loose Teas?

I’ve read positive comments about zentealife in general, but am not familiar with their Earl Grey Cream.

I’m not as familiar with theteamerchant.net. However, I did notice their French Earl Grey had the highest current steepster rating for EG.

How do these two compare?

I’d say they are very similar! Both equally delicious, though Zen did have more of a vanilla flavor like I mentioned. Both are REALLY good. Since you’re asking about EGCs you should just try both. :D

Thanks for the Zen Tea recommendation. I agree it’s excellent. (See the most recent post in this topic.)

Given your fondness for EGC, my wife will be very interested in your recommendations! Is there an EG that’s currently an excellent value?

I think Upton’s pricing is fantastic considering the quality, they have several nice standard EGs too—and they also have samples that are between $1 and $1.50 so you could just sample their whole EG line and see what you like best!

whoa,now I really need to try the Upton EGC. :D

" … they also have samples that are between $1 and $1.50 so you could just sample their whole EG line and see what you like best!" That’s an excellent idea! Thanks!

So i don’t like EG, but i second the shout out to upton with their samples. They’re decent sized (several cups worth), reasonably priced and since they have 1239081203982103821908 teas, you could spend forever trying them all :)

Also, if their brew baskets are still on sale they are damn cheap!

Alphakitty, Is Upton’s Earl Grey Creme Vanilla astringent?

I would say no, it’s got a strong base but it’s quite smooth.

Does the Earl Grey creme have dairy?

ok, upton’s EG creme vanilla is 6.60 for 250 g… or is that like an error? that seems ridiculously cheap.

Artp,
Yes, that’s correct – not an error. The reason it’s so cost-effective is because Upton’s EG creme vanilla is part of their:

“*Season’s Pick – Special Values of the Season*
Our Season’s Pick line consists of teas that we have purchased in large volume for our wholesale customers and the food service industry. These teas are normally sold in full chests or kilogram bags, and represent great value for everday consumption. We now offer these teas to our retail customers who seek an economical tea at a cup price of approximately five cents!.

These teas are packaged in double-sized (generally 250 grams) for individual purchase, as well as the normal wholesale/food service K-size (generally 1 kilogram). All Season’s Pick teas are guaranteed fresh, and our unconditional warranty applies. Please note: these teas are not available in tins."

Understandably, this tea appears to be very popular. Also see
SimplyJenW tastings observations below about this tea & my follow-up posts re: their flavorings.

Loosetman, you’re very helpful! Thanks

You’re welcome. I’m happy to pass along what I’ve just learned from several other helpful Steepsters.

ive been wanting to try that ^^’

El Monstro, Is The Tea Merchant’s French Earl Grey astringent?

Hmmm I don’t think so, but I usually only do 1 or 2 short infusions. First steep is pretty strong on vanilla, second is more of a classic earl grey taste. If I recall it’s not too expensive, definitely give it a try if you like vanilla. My sister always demands I make her some when she comes over haha.

Thanks!

Upton Tea Imports: Extra Bergamot English Earl Grey
“Specially blended for those who prefer a richly scented Earl Grey. Our most popular Earl Grey. Rated “best overall” by the Wall Street Journal’s Catalog Critic.”

Ingredients: black tea, artificial flavor

Twinnings Earl Grey was my “gateway tea.” I think I’ll drink it forever!

Did Twinnings draw some heat a few years’ back for changing the ingredients or ratio of ingredients in their EG? If so, did they change back, or is this just not true?

Kim, Have you also tried Earl Grey Moonlight (organic) by Tealux?
(Not to be confused with Tealuxe or Tea Lux.)

I wanted to add….the best deal in tea is the best quality you can afford. You know you will drink all of it and none will go to waste. If I had to live with one (thank goodness I do not, and this is a very personal choice depending on your favorite form of EG) it would be Harney Earl Grey Supreme or Lupicia Earl Grey….see, I can’t even pick one!

Wow! You know EG!

My wife is not too fond of light EG. She likes Rishi EG and she also enjoys EG cream. What do you suggest that’s not astringent? Perhaps an EG with a Chinese black base instead of Ceylon?

Based on what you are telling me, the Earl Grey at Lupicia will be a total winner. It has a Keemun base, and is the only one like it I have found.

Thanks Jen! We’ll check it out. :-)
Is there an EG cream you’d also recommend for my wife? Thank you.

I find most of them the same except the Upton. Do you have a Teavana nearby (and are you willing to go in :) I often am not!) Otherwise, just see if the place you are ordering this week has some, especially if you want more than a few ounces. (like Culinary Teas, the Whistling Kettle, Della Terra, New Mexico Tea Company, maybe even Amazon)

Yes if she likes a strong bergamot the Lupicia Earl Grey would be great. It is my favorite, and I have tried a lot of Earls!

For a LOT of bergamot, you could try Todd & Holland Double Bergamot Earl Grey. Lots of bergamot, no bitterness. That was my fave until I had the Lupicia one.

“I did find the one at Upton to be on the creamsicle side of earl grey cream…I guess that means the bergamot was kind of artificial tasting to me….like orange candy.”

Jen, Could this taste difference be due to the addition of vanilla to Upton’s Earl Grey Crème Vanilla? Or, do you think it’s due to their inclusion of both natural & artificial flavors?

I am not sure what it is, but the flavoring just tasted more candy like rather than bergamot and real vanilla. I know there are tons of fans of the one from Upton, though. It is definitely something you should sample at some point because it is a bargain if you like it!

“…the Earl Grey at Lupicia will be a total winner. It has a Keemun base, and is the only one like it I have found.”

Sounds good! However, it’s 1.76oz (50g)/$5.50 = $49.50/lb. Do they offer larger quantity discounts? I emailed them on Wed. to inquire – no reply yet.

Update: 2/15/13 – Still no reply from Lupicia.

Jen, Any thoughts on Red Leaf Tea’s line of EG?

I have not tried theirs. Eventually, you get to a place where you realize you have your favorites and you just stick to them.

Understood. I inquired due to your extensive EG experience & because RLT has a line of 20 EG teas.

Dinosara,
Thanks for suggesting the Todd & Holland EG Double Bergamot. A bold EG sounds good. At $35/4oz (114g), it’s a bit too much for for an every day tea. We buy 2 lbs of EG at a time.

Hi Jen, If interested, I’ve now reviewed 13 EG teas – http://steepster.com/discuss/4693-favorite-earl-grey-and-eg-cream-loose-teas?post_id=87667#forum_post_87667
I would welcome your comments. Thanks!

NMTC has a TON of Earl Greys—rose, lavender, a smokey one, mint (Casablanca), jasmine green, regular, cream and vintage EG which has rose and rosemary. They sell in 1 ounce sizes and have free shipping, so like with Upton it’d be worthwhile to make a sample order and experiment.

Milord’s Grey from Kally tea – Very Intriguing!

“… we’ve taken Earl Grey and moved it up to another level. Adding dried apple pieces, calendula petals, and delicate elder blossoms and a touch of caramel.”

Ingredients: Black Tea, Apple Pieces, Mallow & Linden Blossoms, Cornflower Petals, Natural Flavors.

http://steepster.com/teas/kally-tea/26008-milords-grey

Your passion for Stargazer is clearly evident:
“Was very excited to get this because I knew it is a special EG and oh how I waited for it!”
“wonderful enough to top my love for Twinings Earl Grey”
“lingeringly seductive”
“The flavor gently spreads in your mouth with increasing complexity and delights the tastebuds nonchalantly and surprises with a sweet floral finish.”
“bergamot strong enough to touch my heart, soft enough to make me sigh”
-————
You’ve captured my curiosity … Is it a little warm here?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEAN5Mjgjr0

lol. my review shook you up? it’s supposed to be the tea, the tea!

My apologies, I must have been distracted by your prose. ;-D How do you propose I understand your passion for Stargazer?

well, i would suggest that you try it but we have already agreed to swap :)

Not to rain on anyone’s parade but as I understand it Yssah is selling that tea (and others). I see she hasn’t given it a numerical rating (thumbs up!) but when selling a tea it is only fair to be very clear on that point in your reviews/profile, as you clearly have an interest in bragging it up. :)

Uniquity, thanks for the feedback. sorry for not providing ratings.

im not really confident enough to give numerical ratings to any tea since i havent undergone formal tea tasting/rating training. sellers are also discouraged from rating their own teas so i can only put tasting notes. i do appreciate those who are able to give ratings as they have helped me a lot in finding nice teas here on steepster and hope that you guys would be kind enough to try a bit and rate them if it pleases you :)

on my tasting notes:
i do try not to say negative stuff about anybody’s tea (thumper-style) for fear of offending the ones who worked to make them and also not wishing the same treatment upon myself.

but i also strive to be honest in my tasting notes. i will not say a tea is good or ok (for me) if i didnt truly believe so :)

love insights from fellow tea lovers!

Sorry to be confusing – as you are selling the tea, you definitely should not provide numerical ratings. My quibble is just that you should make it clear in your notes that you are the seller, otherwise it can seem a bit dishonest. Good luck with your tea shop!

ah i see! well i have been posting about them but yea it would be better to indicate with my review for my own products. thanks Uniquity! so many Steepsterites are so nice and helpful, am very happy to grow with you :)

Have you tasted any other EG Cream teas? If yes, please share your observations of how these EGC teas compared. Thanks!

I found the EGC from Teavana to be cloying and artificial, and the EGC from David’s to lack punch but taste more natural.

I see NMTC offers an Organic Earl Grey? Have you tried it?
Do they also offer an Organic Cream Earl Grey?

It looks like the only organic EG they offer is the one you mentioned; I have not tried that. When I placed my order I was looking specifically for cream teas.