Earl Lavender

While I’ve had lots of Earl Grey in my life, I’ve only had two Earl Grey’s with lavendar. The other I thought to be a little wussy – I could barely tell the lavendar was there. No so with this tea. The first thing that hits you is lavendar. And this is not your grandmother’s closet sachets. This is a strong, self assertive lavendar. This lavendar has its own tools and can change a tire by itself.

The tea used in this blend is strong and tannin-y. The lavendar knows what it wants out of life. I’m not as fond of the bergamot in the blend. My first sips were very bergamot, but it did calm down later on in the cup.

Overall, this is a very good tea, and a very robust Earl Grey. Yum.

One more from the Samovar black tea sampler pack. I’ve been a little shy of lavender as a flavor rather than a scent, so I’m not expecting miracles from this blend. The dry leaf does have a noticeable proportion of lavender blossoms in it, and the aroma of the leaf and the tea reflects that – no mistaking that presence!

I think this works out better than Golden Moon’s Earl Grey/Lavender blend, as the herb portion tastes fresher, but I still don’t feel like I’m being won over to the ingestion of lavender. The two flavors work together well, but it’s not for the faint of heart; even after 3.5 minutes it is a strong drink that actually imparts a little bit of burn to the back of the throat.

Interesting to try, but I won’t be going back for more.

I have been starting my day with Tazo Earl Grey since I have a lot of bags of it left (not the full leaf sachets, which I plowed through already, but the other kind). The taste isn’t all bad, though it’s strong on the bergamot. But something about it can give me a tummy ache at times. I’m guessing it is the acidity of the citrus, mixed with the black tea. My other Earl Grey experiences are limited to bagged tea by Numi, Twinings and Bigelow, all of which were satisfactory enough to make me want to try loose Earl Grey. This is my first foray into that, though I have some other sample sets on order.

Let me just say that the difference between any of those I have tried and Samovar’s Earl Lavender is, to put it mildly, astonishing. In fact, I was tempted to start this entire note out with “so this is what a really really GOOD Earl Grey tastes like?” but I didn’t because I don’t have other loose leaf experience for comparison.

First, there’s the way it smells. I’m getting a brown sugary smell, which is delicious, mixed with a gentle lavender, and just a tiny bit of citrus. Then there’s the way it feels. Thick and silky, and it coats your mouth in a pleasing way. Then there’s the way it tastes. Here’s where the resemblance to other Earl Greys comes in most directly. It definitely has a flavor in the same ballpark as those; you’d recognize it if you drank it blindfolded. But there is so much more to it. A smooth black tea base that isn’t distracting and doesn’t overpower, nor is it overpowered by, the other flavors. A lavender floral scent/taste that takes the edge off the citrus, and a citrus that is present but not perfumy or oily.

This is my second Samovar sample, and I am rapidly reaching the conclusion that theirs are exceptionally well-blended teas. But that isn’t news to most of you here. :-)

I’ve been feeling sickish lately, so I don’t know how good my taste buds are, but I really wanted some samovar black tea :) sample time!

I can’t really say how it smells because I am completely congested. Added skim milk & equal.

Hmmm, this is kind of strange. I can’ really taste much of it but what I do it doesnt taste so good. I’m getting some sour notes which I’m pretty sure is from the citrus. The tea also has a weird grainy texture to it, or maybe thats just me. I’m going to chalk this up to my lack of taste buds right now and the fact that me and flower teas never really seem to get along and say this is not so good. I’ll hold off on a rating for now though.

Trying a sample sachet of this tea means I only have one shot (and a few infusions) for a taste test. Personally, I like Earl Grey but it’s not my favourite kind of tea since I’m more a fan of darker, less floral tasting teas. That said, trying Earl Lavender was an interesting experience for my taste buds.

You can tell that this mix was done very carefully as to not give one flavour too much power over the other. You can definitely taste the lavender, but it does not let you forget that the base is still earl grey. In terms of quality of tea, this is typical Samovar quality. The attention to detail that other tea shops consistently miss is there, and as such it makes drinking this tea an enjoyable experience even if it wouldn’t normally be in my list of favourites.

I have to say though, out of all the floral themed teas I have tried, this is probably the best one yet. As Samovar’s own description states, “The aftertaste is floral, full and lasting”. This cannot be understated.

Smells intensely lavender with a bergamot zing. Tastes smooth and sweet like honey with neither the lavender nor bergamot overpowering. A little more bergamot in the initial taste and more lavender in the finish. Brews up deep copper.

A very complex and fascinating blend. I’ve never been a huge fan of lavender, so my expectations for this tea were quite low. At first glance/smell, this tea seems to be pure lavender, with the little flowers dotting the tea. However, after a 5 min steep, the lavender is there but not as strong as I had expected. The flavors are very complex and rich. A very high quality Earl Grey with just a hint of lavender for a rich floral aftertaste.

Tea again