From coffee to tea

Even as I sit down to write this review, I can’t help but chuckle a little.  As an avid coffee drinker for years, I honestly haven’t been much of a tea snob.  However, when my husband and I purchased our K-Cup brewer a few months ago, I became fascinated with all sorts of hot beverages, including Earl Grey teas.  (That K-Cup brewer is as fun as a child’s toy!)  Just as with anything else in life, the more I tried tea, the more attuned I became to it.  Now, I like to pretend I’m a bit of a tea connoisseur.

So, what is Earl Grey?

Earl Grey is a classic, distinctive tea, with a unique flavor.  It is most often made with black tea, and is notable for its use of the oil extracted from the Bergamot orange, which helps to provide the distinguishable taste and aroma.  As I review each of the following five teas I sampled, I take note of the scent, taste, and overall quality of the tea.  I will rank them in ascending order, leaving the best for last!

The countdown!

5. That points me in the direction of starting in fifth place, which goes to Gloria Jean’s Earl Grey Tea.  Sorry, Gloria—I think you should stick to coffee, which I really love, by the way!  The Gloria Jean’s Earl Grey had only a slight aroma, and a very weak taste, which was actually sort of flowery.  While I did enjoy the tea, it was not a true Earl Grey.  It was just a light, sweet, flowery tea.  While pleasant, it is not a classic Earl Grey.

4. My fourth place tea surprised me.  I reluctantly ranked Twining’s Earl Grey Tea in this slot.  Frankly, I just assumed Twining’s tea would come in first place, simply because they are a 300 year-old British company.  Wouldn’t any silly American imagine that this company would create the best tea in any category?  I was so excited when I opened the box and brewed it the first time. While I would describe the scent as moderate, I was shocked at my own disappointment in the weak, bitter flavor of the tea.  I would like to suppose that perhaps their loose teas and tea bags, which would be brewed in more conventional ways, are better.  I honestly don’t know.  What I am hoping is that they are still refining the K-Cup technology itself.  I can see how the way in which the tea is brewed makes a tremendous difference.  I wonder what the Queen Mother thinks of K-Cup brewers!  Sorry, England!

3. Anyway, on to third place, which goes to Bigelow’s Earl Grey Tea.  This is an excellent tea, with a beautiful, balanced fragrance, and a light, but traditional Earl Grey flavor.  However, it does deserve its third place ranking.  While it is pleasant, it does not provide the bold taste that those teas in second and first place do.

2. Speaking of which, let’s move on.  Timothy’s Earl Grey Tea came in second for me.  To put it simply, Timothy’s is strong, so I think it’s perfect for a coffee drinker.  While it has a commanding flavor, I would not describe it as the customary Earl Grey flavor, though.  It just tastes like strong black tea, yet it is fine quality, with a rich, citrus-laced fragrance.

1. First place goes deservingly to… drum roll, please… Celestial Seasoning’s Early Grey Tea.  This is a balanced tea, in flavor and in fragrance.  Most importantly, it provides the distinctive Earl Grey taste, without being too bold or too weak.  This is my tea of choice.  With its zesty citrus aroma and its rich, layered flavor, with just the perfect amount of bitterness, it tops the competition.

Where to purchase

In our family, we purchase all of our Green Mountain and Celestial Seasonings K-Cups through GreenMountain.com.  For everything else, we highly recommend Shoffee.com.  In both cases, rates and service are exceptional.

One last plug

As a side note, for anyone who may be interested in brewing an outstanding quality, loose black tea, I would enthusiastically recommend Brooke Bond Taj Mahal Orange Pekoe.  It can be found on Amazon and at most multicultural grocers.  My husband and I affectionately refer to this as “the good tea” and we brew it several times a week with our K-Cup brewer by using My K-Cup.  This tea is complex and bold.  It has a soothing, medicinal effect, and is truly a multi-sensory experience.  Due to its strength, it stands up well to milk, sugar, and even spices, for anyone who may wish to add cinnamon, orange rind, etc.  My husband often uses Brooke Bond Taj Mahal to make chai tea lattes.  Yum!  I think I’ll go make some right now…