It’s hard to pin down exactly what makes a tea a Lady Grey blend. I believe Twinings tea company first coined the term, making a citrusy earl grey tea without powerful bergamot oil. Either way, Lady Grey blends tend to be earl-grey-inspired teas blended to be a bit more gentle or ladylike. Lady Grey from India Teas certainly fits into that category.
While this blend has bergamot oil in it, it is at much lower levels than your average earl grey. Instead of the intense bergamot, this tea is accented with lemon peel and orange peel, making for milder and gentler citrus tones.
The leaves and the brewed tea had a fragrance of lemon-vanilla, reminding me of lemon poppyseed muffins. The tea is bright and pleasant, but not overly sweet, still preserving some of the citrus pop of traditional earl grey.
Brewed, the leaves appear much greener than when they are dry. I’m not sure exactly what type of tea leaves are used as a base, but the flavor and color lead me to believe it is a darjeeling, or less oxidized tea. The more delicate leaves suit the airy lemon peel flavors and ladylike theme.
Lemon is the star player in this blend since there is no black tea tannin richness to overpower it. This Lady Grey is light and drinkable, a sunny lemon brew with just a little grounding to distinguish it from an herbal tea.
This is a delectable alternative to powerful earl greys, and might just be your new favorite citrus tea for cold brewing as the weather gets warmer.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: black
Where to Buy: Indias Tea
Description:
Not to go by its name, Ladygrey Tea is a modern creation so as to appeal to every age groups with its distinctly citrus fragrance.
Ladygrey Tea is a Tea blend which has been flavored with the addition of oil of bergamot to provide a relaxing and calming effect by taking you on a only-me journey.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Glenburn Estate Darjeeling, First Flush 2017 from Yatra Tea. . . . .
Darjeeling teas fall somewhere on the spectrum of black teas, green teas, and oolong teas, depending on their level of oxidation. This 2017 First Flush darjeeling is a high quality blend from Glenburn Estate and from the Yatra Tea Company.
The dry leaves are a very dark green, and tightly curled. I used the recommended brewing of 185 F water with a steep time of 3 minutes. Brewed, the tea was fragrant, green and fruity, and very much in the oolong-family of of scents.
The taste was driven by a muscatel stone-fruit flavors, a green and pleasantly tart, almost fermented, frutiness. This tea was bright and sunny, with notes of apricot and white grape, coupled with a lush green undertone. The mouthfeel was very smooth in texture, though I don’t taste as much buttery flavors as I might expect. The more I sipped, the more gentle lemon and citrus notes became apparent.
This is definitely a fruit-forward tea, perfect for springtime brewing. Even if flowers aren’t quite blooming in your garden, watch these tea leaves bloom in your mug and enjoy the sweet fragrance and experience.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Darjeeling
Where to Buy: Yatra Tea
Description:
High in the Himalayas, overlooking the intimidating Kanchenjunga mountain range, lie the rolling tea fields of the heavenly Glenburn Estate. Founded in 1859 by a Scottish tea company, Glenburn is one of the oldest Darjeeling estates and many of the laborious routines appear to be unchanged till date on this 750 hectare estate.
In addition to traditional Darjeeling black teas, Glenburn produces a superior green tea at specific times of the year. Yatra Tea Company proudly presents an April 2017 offering harvested exclusively for us.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush 2017 from Grey’s Teas. . . . .
Recently I enjoyed a smoky black tea from Grey’s Tea that was a delight but not necessarily my first choice in teas. But this second selection from Grey’s Teas definitely is.
Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush is an amazing smooth rich black tea that gives you all the tea feels from the very beginning. From the moment when you open the tea to get ready to steep, you now you have an instant best friend.
Brewed with freshly boiled water and allowed to steep for four minutes, you will have yourself an amazing perfect cuppa tea! Rich smooth waves of delicious rich slightly astringent tea encases each and every sip with the most gorgeously silky finish.
Simple yet so full of flavors that all combine so well. I’ve found that this tea is one of the more satisfying teas that I have had in a while and I can’t help but sit back and really immerse myself in the cuppa as I sip away.
This tea is a true gem and one that I have greedily sipped down in a few different sessions. Extremely appreciated to have been able to enjoy this delight and excited to hear what my other Sisters have to say about this tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Grey’s Tea
Description
Darjeeling Castleton Second Flush 2017 is from the Castleton garden established on the foothills between Darjeeling and Siliguri by Dr Charles Graham in 1885. In 1996 it became the first Indian tea garden to be awarded the ISO 9002 certificate of quality. This renown new season Darjeeling Castleton Second flush has a dark umber leaf. It is smooth, rich and has a distinct muscatel character with a long finish. Infuse one teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot with freshly drawn, boiling water for four minutes. Drink without milk. A most rewarding experience!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Goomtee FTGPOP 1 Muscatel 2nd Flush 2016 Darjeeling from Lochan Tea. . . .
I got in a car accident over the weekend. Just a little fender-bender in a parking lot. My friend and I were A-OK. Just jostled. The car had a dent in it near the driver door that prevented it from opening. I had to climb across the passenger seat to get in or out.
I tell you this to set the scene, because I had to abandon my precious morning gym party with my friends to go to the repair shop. And they only had coffee there, because they’re RUGGED. So I was sitting there, tea-less, tired, while I waited for the Dudely People Who Understand Cars to decree the price, which I would have no way to argue because That’s Not My Thing. ($41 USD, in case you were wondering. Manageable!)
So anyway, by the time I dragged my sad ass into work, I was hankering for something comforting, and I decided this darjeeling would be it.
And I was right.
I love the quirky, slightly-astringent/spicy flavor of a darjeeling, which this definitely is. Darjeeling is like a nurse in crazy scrubs who takes good care of you. It has an offhanded, odd nature, but it knows exactly how to comfort you and handle your situation.
Tired and reeling from a Scary Thing That Happened To You? Pour yourself a nice cuppa that’s vibrantly flavored, like India, and give you the pluck necessary to rise again!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lochan Tea
Description
Hand Rolled 1st Flush Whole Leaf tea from Goomtee Tea Estate in Darjeeling.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Pretty In Pink from Paper Box Goodies. . . . .
WELCOME TO THE UNIVERSE OF FEMININITY!
This tea is — to start off — super-pink. It’s got that awesome magenta that only shows up when hibiscus is in play. Then, when you sip, it’s extremely sweet. It’s loaded with strawberries, hibiscus, and delicious Darjeeling. Which — as you know — means caffeine. My favorite vice.
I drank the first half hot, which was like being embraced in dark pink satin sheets. A smoldering, you-go-girl type of experience.
Then I decided to try it iced, so I threw ice cubes in the remaining half of the tea to give it a whirl. And I’m SO GLAD that I did, because that totally makes the berries and sweetness up to 11. Iced is absolutely how I’d recommend this blend.
I can imagine serving this as an iced tea at a bridal or baby shower. It’s feminine, but in a three-dimensional, interesting way. And that sweet pink-ness is not to be denied.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Darjeeling
Where to Buy: Paper Box Goodies
Description
This Darjeeling tea is loaded with strawberry and hibiscus, giving it a lovely pink color when steeped. This is one of my favorite flavors, and it would be delicious iced! Steep for 2-3 minutes for the best flavor.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!