This lovely tea has been sitting on my tea shelf for a while, just waiting for the right day. Well today was the day. This darjeeling blend was created in honor of author Edith Wharton at the Simpson and Vail tea shop.
I don’t know what it is, but darjeeling and earl grey teas always make me think of ladylike tea parties with finger sandwiches and sugar cubes. This darjeeling blend is crisp and and could fit into the high tea setting, but it also has a lot more to bring to your cup.
In both scent and taste this blend is pleasantly bright and playful with plenty of grapefruit citrus. This tartness feels satisfying like having the perfect biting witty comment ready to go on your tongue. Beyond the grapefruit there is a bit of ginger heat, quickly followed by the smooth, vanilla tones of the mallow blossoms at the end.
Bold but ladylike, sharp but playful. This is a great tea for that favorite smart and sassy friend in your life, or for any literary tea aficionado.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson and Vail
Description:
For our Edith Wharton blend we pay homage to her descriptions of the undercurrents rippling through fashionable society. We have combined a refined, high-grown Darjeeling black tea with a little passionfruit and citrus flavor, a dash of spice and lovely flower petals to create a taste that is smooth and elegant. Perfect for an afternoon tête-à-tête.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Earl Grey Manhattan Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas
Earl Grey Manhattan Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas is one of those teas that I have been searching for and didn’t even know it! This eye-opening Earl Grey is much more than that – Earl Grey Manhattan Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas – is the 2015 1st Place Winner of the North American Tea Championship – and I can see why! It’s everything you want in an Earl Grey and more!
Earl Grey Manhattan Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas provides your stereotypical Earl Grey flavor at first sip but then morphs into a bit more floral and ends on a smoother note than most. Something that I noticed in the aroma but not-so-much in the taste was a speck of sweetness. This intrigued me. I appreciate that they not only used sunflower blossoms – but mallow blossoms, too! They were both a lovely addition.
Eventho Earl Grey Manhattan Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas is the first of their teas that I am reviewing here – I have tried their Walnut Green Tea, too, (and will be reviewing that soon) and have REALLY enjoyed both offers already! I’ve already had 2 glowingly-positive tea experiences with this company and I can’t wait to jump in to their other offerings! I know that their other teas have also received awards but after tasting 2 of them I think they need to get a bigger shelf for all of their awards they will start collecting! Earl Grey Manhattan Tea from Aromatica Fine Teas was FABULOUS! My morning my start the RIGHT WAY now!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black Tea
Where to Buy: Aromatica Fine Teas
Description:
North American Tea Championship: 1st Place – Earl Greys category – 2013 Fall – Hot Teas Division
Also known as “Manhattan Earl Grey” yields a bright taste and extremely fragrant cup. Black tea, sunflower blossoms, flavour, mallow blossoms.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Evening Indigo from Kally Tea
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal Tisane
Where to Buy: Kally Tea
Tea Description:
Ahhhh… Lavender! It is thought to help with a multitude of symptoms. Here are just a few of the many health benefits believed to be aided by lavender; analgesic, antibacterial, antiseptic, relaxant, and nerve tonic. Even though the health benefits are many, just sitting down in a comfy chair and sipping this delightful brew is a genuine pleasure in itself.
Ingredients: Blue Lavender, Cornflowers, Blue Mallow Blossoms, Rose Petals, Lemon Grass with a hint of Lemon and Mango.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I couldn’t help but chuckle a little when I read the above description. “Ahhhh… Lavender!” was exactly the words that I murmured when I first took a sip of this tisane! Sweet, beautiful, wonderful lavender!
Lavender is one of my very favorite culinary botanicals, but I find few companies who really know how to blend with it properly. It’s one of those herbs that if you use too little, it won’t be tasted … but if you use even a little too much, the flavor becomes soapy.
Fortunately, Kally Tea knew what they were doing with lavender when they set out to create this Evening Indigo tisane. Lavender is the strongest flavor, but it is nicely offset with lemongrass, rose petals, and the essence of mango and lemon. These additions allow the lavender to shine as the prominent flavor without allowing the lavender to taste like the perfume shop in the mall.
This tisane is citrus-y with hints of mango and rose, but mostly … this tisane showcases lavender at its very best!
The cup brews to a pretty lavender blue color, and the infusion smells amazing. (The dry leaf smells – and looks! – like potpourri! So lovely!) But even more amazing than the aroma or the appearance is just how delightful it tastes, and the calm it instills as I sip it.
I think I shall have sweet indigo dreams tonight, thanks to Kally Tea.
Manhattan Earl Grey from Sands of Thyme
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Sands of Thyme
Product Description:
www.sandsofthyme.artfire.com
Ingredients: black tea, sunflower blossoms, flavor, mallow blossoms
Tasters Review:
I’m always looking for something OTHER than run-of-the-mill Earl Grey and this one fits the bill. Sure, it’s floral, but that is the draw with this one! It’s strong but creamy. The Bergamot isn’t the focus here it’s very much in the background and contributes a little more than a hint of it in the overall taste of the tea. The stereotypical Earl Grey taste is a bit more subtle that most and the floral notes have stepped up to bat for this one.
This is a nice departure from your stereotypical Earl and I like it!