Earl Grey De La Creme

Solid Earl Grey- not bitter, pleasant bergamot taste, smells amazing! I like it…ALOT

Thanks so much for this sample, Tiesta Tea!  I’m always up for trying any Earl Grey Cream I can get my hands on!  Those blue flowers in the blend were really making me nostalgic for my favorite Earls from the past.  It seems like good ones are hard to find these days. This one is middle of the pack of my favorites – not the best I’ve had but not the worst!  The short leaves make a robust base, which is necessary for any Earl I gravitate towards.  The bergamot is fine – not strong enough for me and also not the preferred flavor type.  I wish there was more cream.  It seems any EG that is supposed to be cream is just so very faint with the cream now.  I’m talking about every tea company.  I wonder if companies had to switch to a more natural flavor these days… I don’t prefer it.  I like the obvious thick cream notes of older blends.  To be fair, I have had this tea for almost eight months now and the flavor of the bergamot did seem stronger before… but still no cream either way.  Got to have that cream.  It is odd however, when a tea has bergamot I cannot usually pick out any flavors from the actual base.  I like this, but still on the hunt for a GREAT Earl Cream.  Especially in these sad times.
Steep #1  // 1 1/2 teaspoons for full mug // 15 minutes after boiling  // 2 minute steep
Steep #2  // just boiled //  3 min
2020 Sipdowns: 30 (Bird &Blend – TEA Wells)

This is a pleasant mix of bergamot and vanilla over a pretty standard black base. I feel like the black base could be a bit stronger. I don’t find it unpleasant, but it isn’t nearly as bold as I prefer my Earl Grey. On the plus side, the more subdued flavor doesn’t leave me with a case of dry-mouth like some of the other Earl Grey teas I’ve sampled. This tea strikes a nice balance, with the vanilla being the strongest of the flavors. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable cup of tea and just what I needed after a long trip.

You can read the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2015/3/31/tuesday-tea-earl-grey-de-la-crme-tiesta-tea

This is a tasty but pretty run of the mill Earl Grey creme. There’s a good balance of bergamot and creamy vanilla on a decent black base. Easy to drink, but nothing to write home about.

Thank you Lindsay for the sample!

WHY IS THIS TEA’S NAME IN ALL CAPS? (oh, I bet someone was copy-pasting from their website in order to preseve the (wrong) accent in crème. ok, nevermind, carry on.)

I decided to get this one out to compare with the Herbal Republic Earl Grey Cream. Compared to that one, this has a much more distinct vanilla/cream flavour, it’s like BAM, right there alongside the bergamot. It also adds a bit of sweetness. They’re both good, but I think I actually prefer the other one. Interesting.

Mm. This stuff is fantastic— when I saw it wasn’t already on the site, I was amazed!

I picked this tea up on a whim on clearance, mostly because I’ve never been impressed with earl grey cream teas in the past and would never have paid full price for it. This has, of course, a classic earl grey flavor, smooth black tea and bergamot, nothing particularly special but not sharp or overly citrusy as some can be. Where this tea shines above other teas, especially Earl Grey creams I’ve had from other companies is the fact that it tastes like earl grey tea crossed with crème brûlée. It doesn’t have a chemical vanilla flavor like other earl grey creams do, instead it’s simple, sweet cream over a darker base and it marries wonderfully.

Do be warned, however, that this tea will turn bitter and lose all that wonderful stuff I described above and fast if over steeped.

I’ll definitely be purchasing this little gem again!