Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Golden Moon Tea
Company Description:
Smoooth. And Something Of A Paradox. You, too?
Mood: For the free spirit living in a proper society
Time: Traditionally taken in the morning or afternoon, but break free and enjoy anytime.
Cuisine: Delightful with toast and strawberry preserves. An excellent afternoon tea to serve to guests with cream cheese sandwiches, scones, and fresh or dried fruit.
Price Per Cup: .11-.20
Caffeine: MediumThis treasured Golden Moon recipe was hand-delivered (at great risk – but that’s another story for another day) by a Chinese tea trader to 19th Century British Prime Minister Earl Grey.
Taster’s Review:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (and probably again sometime in the not so distant future!): I LOVE Earl Grey tea. Something else that I’ve said before (and, I’m saying again) is that not all Earl Grey teas are created equal. Some tea purveyors skimp when it comes to the quality of the bergamot flavoring or the tea used in the blend – which results in a less than delightful cuppa Earl Grey.
That is NOT the case with Golden Moon Tea with their extraordinary Tippy Earl Grey tea. Which is fortunate for me as I sit here sipping on this delicious tea.
The black tea base is brisk, bold and bright. The leaves are large and tippy (hence the name), and their exceptional quality shines through in this blend. You can taste the quality here.
The pungent bergamot flavoring is a pleasant citrus flavor and is pleasantly accented with a touch of lavender. The lavender isn’t strong in this cup – but it is just enough to play upon the floral notes of the bergamot. Yes, I know that a bergamot is an orange, but there is a decidedly floral aspect about its flavor that makes it unlike any other citrus fruit I’ve ever encountered.
And yet, it doesn’t taste perfume-y, which can occasionally be the case when it comes to Earl Grey (remember that bit before about not all Earl Grey teas are created equal?) The flavor is floral, fruity, and very smooth. This is a very pleasant cup of Earl Grey tea.
I would recommend this Earl Grey to Earl Grey connoisseurs as well as those who think they dislike Earl Grey tea (probably because they’ve once tried one of those not-so-equal Earl Grey teas). This is a remarkable Earl Grey, definitely worth trying. I’m loving it!
June 14, 2010 at 7:50 am
Yum Yum!
June 14, 2010 at 9:43 am
Mmm…I would love to try this tea. Earl Grey is one of the few teas that my husband actually drinks with me (and on a semi-regular basis).
June 14, 2010 at 10:38 am
Ooh, I love Earl Grey but have yet to try this one. It sounds pretty awesome!
June 14, 2010 at 3:37 pm
The only Earl Grey I have had is from Twinings so this one looks so interesting for me. I love the name. Tippy Earl Grey. It makes me think of an older English gentleman trying to balance on a beach ball while pouring out his tea from a teapot.
June 14, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Earl Grey has not been my bestest friend through out my adventurous tea times. However I feel like I haven’t had the best of the earl grey smokey-caffeineness. Usually the earl’s I have are bagged so a loose earl somewhat entices me. Lavender is an interesting twist to it 🙂 I’m usually likely to detect lavender, and it’s not surprising that theres a lot of bergamot in this earl because most do have that.
On another note: I went to a dictionary to define the word tippy : tippy – (used of boats) inclined to heel over easily under sail. So i guess it defines unstability of boats interesting name for a tea however 🙂
June 16, 2010 at 9:25 pm
I love Earl Grey and your review sounds so delightful. I would love to try this.
June 17, 2010 at 2:59 pm
This is a yummy one! I am currently drying some lavender blossoms to put in my tea, but sheesh, a tin of this would be sooooo much easier! 🙂
June 17, 2010 at 6:53 pm
I would love to have my first, long-awaited Golden Moon tea to be an awesome free tin! Especially an Earl Gray which I’m sure to love. *crosses fingers and toes!*
June 18, 2010 at 1:20 pm
I love a GOOD cup of Earl grey tea, but have had far too many bad ones…may have to try this one if I don’t win the contest.
June 19, 2010 at 12:15 am
Sounds like Tippy is tip-top. (/bad pun) I love teas that balence floral and contrasting flavors.
June 14, 2011 at 1:07 pm
This sounds delightful. I haven’t been able to get my hands on any GM teas, so I’d love to try this!
June 14, 2011 at 4:48 pm
I hope I’m doing this right…I want to win free tea! : ) Plus, it’s about time I learned to get serious with an Earl Grey, we’ve got such a weird relationship.
June 14, 2011 at 4:49 pm
Haha…So, this is from last year. It was a current topic on Steepster and I didn’t check my dates very well. Disregard previous post!!