Harney and Sons Paris Flavored Black Tea

 

So, I go on Reddit's /r/tea fairly often and one of the companies I see mentioned fairly often is Harney and Sons with the Paris blend being the blend I hear about the most.  I've seen some of their teas at Macy's but they are way too expensive and in bags anyway.  However, Amazon has a good selection of the loose-leaf tins and you can even buy by the pound if you like it.  Paris sounded particularly interesting because it's a blend of black currants, vanilla and bergamont.

Outsides:  This particular tea was in a 4 oz black tin, which is actually quite informative.  It tells you the caffeine level, how strong it should taste, what it really is supposed to do (relax or wake you up), so I thought that was really cool.  There's only the tin protecting the leaves.  The initial smell you get is very heavy on the berry and vanilla with an interesting tartness mixed with the sweetness.  I brewed 1.5 teaspoons on 8 oz of 95 degree Celsius water for about 4 minutes.  The brew is a darker black tea color and doesn't have as strong of a scent but is still strong.

Insides:  First off, I've tried drinking this with milk and sugar, but I prefer reducing the amount I add from 2 teaspoons to 1.5 and just drinking it plain.  There isn't a really pronounced bergamont flavor despite it being in the list of the ingredients.  Rather, it's a hint that brings a nice citrusy zest to the berry vanilla flavor that's going on.  I think this tea tastes a bit like a berry mouse or some kind of berry desert.  It's pretty naturally sweet so you can definitely drink without sugar.  The tea seems to be a blend of ceylon and is strong but not overpowering to the blend.

Tilt:  So, the tin it came in is really good quality and the label design is simple yet classy.  The tea is pretty unique and is hard to give a real food analog, but is also pretty drinkable and something that I personally reach for.  This would be nice to drink in the fall since the berry flavor is a bit reminiscent of summer but the vanilla flavor gives it a bit of extra richness that would be a bit more appropriate for this time.  I've heard people describe it as tasting like pipe tobacco, but since I don't know what it tastes like, I would still say some kind of berry desert.

Overall:  It's unique but still something you might grab for.  It's a unique bergamont blend and I'm really excited to try more from Harney and Sons.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Harney and Sons is a British tea company.

Zen Tea Earl Grey Blue Flower

 
So, I made a mistake.  For some reason, probably my own stupidity, I thought this was the same as Earl Grey Creme.  Well, it isn't.  It's just normal Earl Grey, which I'm ok with but I really love that Earl Grey Creme.  But, Prestogeorge seems to have something similar to that so I might not be out of luck.  Anyway, I'm sure this will be a perfectly good Earl Grey.

Outsides:  This tea contains black tea, bergamont orange and blue cornflowers, I feel as though the flowers are almost pointless because you can't really see them that well in the blue base, and they don't really change the color of the tea.  I brewed a teaspoon and a half of this in 8 oz of near boiling water for about 4 minutes.  The color is a medium orange like most Earl Grey teas are and smells strongly of bergamont. 

Insides:  I immediately added milk and sugar to this because the bergamont is too strong to drink on its own for me, but it goes great in milk.  The flavor is strong, citrusy and a bit spicy and floral, but there still is a noticeable tea flavor that pokes through so Zen Tea clearly didn't use the extreme bottom of the barrel when it comes to tea. I think this earl grey is actually well balanced, doesn't lose flavor in cream and yet doesn't taste like soap.  It's not quite as good as the Earl Grey Creme but it's pretty close to a perfect normal Earl Grey for me.

Overall:  If you like normal Earl Grey, you'll probably like this.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Zen Tea is a canadian tea retailer that specializes in mid to high quality tea and bringing the world of tea closer to your home.  

Bonus:  Lazy Christmas Mani

Zen Tea Earl Grey Creme

I've been craving Earl Grey lately, which is strange because I was never really into it before but it's become a regular part of my tea routine.  It's also a bit difficult finding a good earl grey; something that is strong enough to add milk to but not going into the soapy tasting category.  This particular Earl Grey was pretty cheap (50 grams for 2-something with the sale price) and the hint of vanilla sounded interesting.

  

Outsides:  Black tea with bergamont, vanilla and blue flowers.  I have to say, this stuff smells DIVINE!  Citrusy and spicy and sweet!  I brewed a tablespoon and a half in near boiling water for 4 minutes.  The tea is actually lighter than I expected but is that nice Ceylon color with brownish gold tones and smells sweet, spicy and citrusy.  

Insides:  First off, this is too strong for me so I had to add a bit of sugar and milk.  Second off, this is probably the most perfect cup of Earl Grey I have ever had.  The base black tea is very flavorful with little bitterness and a smooth body.  The amount of bergamont makes this tea slightly spicy and slightly citrusy, with a floral undertone here or there, but the thing that really makes this special is the vanilla, which transforms this into a relatively low calorie desert.  It's warm and fresh and uplifting and I am definately buying more of it before this sale ends.  Oh, it's good cold too although I added sugar to mine.

Overall:  I love it.  Seal of approval indeed.

My Rating:  Buy it!

Zen Tea is a Canadian online tea vendor that specializes in mid to high quality tea.  

TasTEA Time! Touch Organic Earl Grey Green Tea

It's no secret that I love this brand.  For the price you pay (I saw a 100c cube at Marshells for 5 bucks), you get a pretty good quality tea.  I, however, am not the biggest fan of Earl Grey.  It's not that I hate it, in fact I like a cup once in a while.  But the two key points there are cup and once in a while.

This tea is slightly unique in that it's a green tea base as opposed to a black tea.  

Outsides:  Each sachet is individually wrapped and I'm pretty sure they use recycled or biodegradable paper for the filter.  The tea looks like your generic Chinese green tea.  You can smell a hint of bergamot.

Insides:  This is an interesting one.  The bergamot flavor isn't the strongest, but it really is in perfect balance with the green tea.  The tea itself is of good quality, not bitter but still strong.  I think the unique thing about this is that it isn't strong, it probably wouldn't go well with milk and I'm not sure how traditional Earl Grey drinkers would think of it.  But I like it a lot actually as a refreshing summer take on something traditional.

Overall:  If I just reviewed things off my opinion (which I usually do anyway), I'd give this a buy.  It's a well-balanced tea and kind of an interesting take on traditional Earl Grey.  But some people have expectations that might be crushed by this so I can't, but I still think you should try it anyway.

My Rating:  Try it!  Here's the site.

TasTEA Time: Justin Lloyd Lavender Earl Grey.

First off, sorry for not writting any posts in a month.  It's been extremely hectic between the 50 hour workweeks, getting everything ready for school (OMGOMGOMGOMG) and me esentially being quarentined from my room.  Heck, I even have a couple half-written reviews but just didn't have time or forgot or whatever.  Anyway, I'm back.  I may not be as active as I was in November but I still will try to post more often.

What:  (another) Lavender Earl Grey tea

Where:  I'm assuming England.  There is no website for this tea and the box suggests England

Why Should I Care:  It's snowing here in Pittsburgh.  It's pretty substancial too which is great because I need to have at least one good snow in the winter (A personal story:  I used to live in Meadville PA, which is farther north and close to a late, meaning they would have snow from the end of October to the beginning of April.  There would be at least three feet of snow for about 4 months of the year.  Now, I love snow but it's like having your relatives over for the holidays:  it's great to see at first but it overstays its welcome fast).  This is the time of the year where I prefer drinking the heartier teas (black and herbal tea) so it was between this and the Fiery Rooibos Chai (I swear I'm going to review that soon).  

Packaging:  IFWS.  The outside packaging is nice too and makes it look more bohemian and adventurous.  

Non-Taste Senses:  It looks like normal black tea and smells like a slightly more floral Earl Grey.

Taste:  There are two types of Earl Grey (and Chai for that matter) that I like:  relatively mild and ridiculously strong.  This falls into the former category.  It's fresh and the spicy part does tingle your mouth a little, but i don't feel the need to add milk or sugar.  The tea itself is decent quality, not bitter but not strong either.  Like I said, I don't think this would really hold up well with milk, but I don't think it would completely fall flat either.

Overall:  I like it more than the Revolution one.  I mean, it's drinkable and the other one...wasn't.  I think there are better Earl Grey teas out there but this one was cheap and it's organic.  If you get this for a gift-basket, you won't be disappointed by the extras.  

My Rating:  Pass.  It's good, but there are better brands out there.  I really have not found an official website for this so just try your luck Googling it.  

TasTEA Time! Revolution Lavender Earl Grey Tea

What:  Earl Grey Black Tea with Lavender

Where:  I've looked everywhere on the site and I honestly don't know.  If I'd have to guess, USA.

Why Should I Care:  I really want to try pure Lavender tea.  I know it sounds weird, but floral tea is more often than not really good, with sweet notes and really complementing the tea taste.  Earl Grey is something I rarely crave for, but i do like it and I suppose that it could possibly make a good combination with this.

Packaging:  They use the pyramid-shaped tea bags, which is great but they're not wrapped in anything.  There's foil but you'd think a company that boasts about their quality and "bringing real tea taste back" would make their product taste fresher longer.

Non-Taste Senses:  It's a really dark brown color with a slight reddish tint.  It has a light lavender scent mixed in with the earl grey.

Taste:  First off, this needs milk for me.  The Bergamont is really strong and mixed in with the lavender, it has a little bit of a soupy taste to it.  It's not horrible and the tea isn't bitter, but it is really strong and for me, it is practically undrinkable without milk and sugar.

Overall:  My mom said she liked it so I'm sure this may be appealing to some people, but I'm not really that person.  Yes, it's better with milk but honestly, it's not worth it for me.  There are better, cheaper brands out there.

My Rating:  Pass.  I really don't want to dismiss people from trying their other teas since they sound a lot better so here's the site.