A new release as part of DT’s Spring Wellness collection!
In some ways, this tea is a very literal reflection of its name. At its most simplified, it’s an Earl Grey with Yerba Mate. However, there’s just a bit more to it than that. I really like the idea of “functionally boosted” versions of more classic cupboard staple teas like chai, chamomile, and in this case Earl Grey. Those tend to be the types of teas people build routines around and drink habitually so they’re just natural marriages when you’re trying to address recurring wellness needs like sleep, energy, digestion, etc…
DT technically already has a couple functional Earl Grey variants: Earl Grey Rooibos is caffeine free and so could be viewed as an EG option for evenings to help with sleep, and Lavender Earl Grey has both lavender and ashwagandha root which can aid in relaxation/stress management. In this case, I wanted to build an EG blend that is more focused around, well, focus. Specifically mental clarity/brain fog.
So aside from the bold bergamot and brisk, malty black tea base we added yerba mate and ginseng root to this tea. Yerba Mate is naturally stimulating and has a long history of being consumed for mental clarity and focus – it’s great for “brain fog” and has been getting a lot of attention lately in the RTD space as a clean source of natural energy/stimulation. It’s something that I personally drink a lot of in the mornings because I do find it helpful in keeping me alert and on task while at work. I know a lot of people who also drink yerba mate when they’re studying, as well.
Ginseng root (in this case panax ginseng) is an adaptogen that has been used similarly as an aid in focus and cognition – one of the reasons you’ll see it so much in energy drinks like Rockstar/Monster or even newer, more healthy/clean energy brands. I really, really love the combo of ginseng and mate. It’s a bit like a benefit buddy system.
The other thing about this blend that differentiates it from a standard Earl Grey is the addition of lemon. We thought the added citrusy brightness was very fresh feeling and I think there’s a lot of subconscious association with lemon (and citrus in general) as energizing/stimulating flavours. However, more than anything else, we thought it just really complimented the sweeter and more earthy notes of the ginseng. So, it acts a bit as a bridge flavour keeping all of our key ingredients a little more balanced!
I’m not personally a big Earl Grey drinker, but as I’ve already mentioned I do drink a fair amount of yerba mate in the mornings and this tea has definitely found its way into my yerba mate blend rotation. I certainly reach for it more than other EG in my stash, that’s for sure. So far I like it best hot and plain, but I’ve had it with honey too and I thought that complimented really nicely. No surprise, though – honey, lemon, and ginseng are a pretty iconic/popular flavour trio. It’s also still pretty solid iced and though I’ve yet to try it as a tea pop I can see that working well, too!
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s
