I just ordered this from the Tea District, using up a groupon, and based on recommendations from Earl Grey fans. Lavender has always been a favorite of mine – usually as a fragrance but more recently as a tea!
This pairing seems to be popular – lavender with bergamot/Earl Grey – and with good reason. I’m not usually an EG fan, but this is the gateway tea that is easing me into EG waters.
Enough babbling, let’s talk tea. This is one of the more tastier versions of this pairing, but that could be due to steeping. I was at work, called away from my desk, you know how it goes. (I won’t rate it this time; I’ll pay better attention and put tea before my work (ha!) next time. There is something very warming and comforting about pairing lavender and citrus, almost like relaxing on a summer’s evening.
I am currently in a Quest to Find a Tasty Earl Grey: http://keenteathyme.blogspot.com/2011/04/quest-for-earl-grey.html
Got any other suggestions?
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I’ll be following your quest with interest, because I too have been looking for my favorite EG. Although I love traditional EGs, I like all the different permutations as well.
Did I send you Metro’s Earl Grey Cream? That has been one of my top sellers.
Per the spelling, The British Earl IS “Grey” and Gray is a color.US. or Grey is a colour. British.
The Best Earl Grey tea however is a "Greyt’ quest. I have several yet to try. But Steven Smith’s Earl Grey, which I tasted at his booth at the food show, is right up there, In my opinion.
It is not canonical, but my favorite earl grey is Lady Grey. Many companies do versions (bergamot, with other citrus particularly orange) many much fancier (Kusmi makes Anastasia for example) but for my money the best I have tried yet is plain old Twinings original Lady Grey. Have you tried yet?
@ColumbiaKate – yep, that’s actually my next tea to try today. Thanks for the input on the spelling debacle. I always thought it was “Grey” for the same reasons…
@cteresa – Lady Grey is quite nice! A friend of mine who loves EG recommended I try it and I liked it. I’ve only had it once though. I liked the name “Lady Grey” because it reminded me of one of my favorite ghost stories! :)
I’m also a non-fan of EG but I’ve found that a rather strange ordinary enough brand, NUMI, has this “Aged Earl Grey” with aged bergamot… and I delight in it. The aroma knocks me out, and drinking it is actually a pleasure instead of a polite thing I tolerate when somewhere they are serving whatever random “fabulous” grey they think I’ll find irresistable :) Funny thing about lavender, which I’m allergic to in terms of the flowers being airborne (but can consume in creme brulee—my favorite use for it—or other foodstuff), I LOVE places that take a few fresh buds and put them on top of packed fresh ground espresso just before brewing. Makes a kick butt cup o’ joe (when the espresso is good, which is rare by my snootier-on-coffee-than-tea standards… and most consider me snooty on tea except for “candy teas” that are not real “tea” persay :D)
I’ll be following your quest with interest, because I too have been looking for my favorite EG. Although I love traditional EGs, I like all the different permutations as well.
Did I send you Metro’s Earl Grey Cream? That has been one of my top sellers.
Per the spelling, The British Earl IS “Grey” and Gray is a color.US. or Grey is a colour. British.
The Best Earl Grey tea however is a "Greyt’ quest. I have several yet to try. But Steven Smith’s Earl Grey, which I tasted at his booth at the food show, is right up there, In my opinion.
It is not canonical, but my favorite earl grey is Lady Grey. Many companies do versions (bergamot, with other citrus particularly orange) many much fancier (Kusmi makes Anastasia for example) but for my money the best I have tried yet is plain old Twinings original Lady Grey. Have you tried yet?
@ColumbiaKate – yep, that’s actually my next tea to try today. Thanks for the input on the spelling debacle. I always thought it was “Grey” for the same reasons…
@cteresa – Lady Grey is quite nice! A friend of mine who loves EG recommended I try it and I liked it. I’ve only had it once though. I liked the name “Lady Grey” because it reminded me of one of my favorite ghost stories! :)
I’m also a non-fan of EG but I’ve found that a rather strange ordinary enough brand, NUMI, has this “Aged Earl Grey” with aged bergamot… and I delight in it. The aroma knocks me out, and drinking it is actually a pleasure instead of a polite thing I tolerate when somewhere they are serving whatever random “fabulous” grey they think I’ll find irresistable :) Funny thing about lavender, which I’m allergic to in terms of the flowers being airborne (but can consume in creme brulee—my favorite use for it—or other foodstuff), I LOVE places that take a few fresh buds and put them on top of packed fresh ground espresso just before brewing. Makes a kick butt cup o’ joe (when the espresso is good, which is rare by my snootier-on-coffee-than-tea standards… and most consider me snooty on tea except for “candy teas” that are not real “tea” persay :D)