Name: Versailles Lavender Earl Grey

Brand: The English Tea Store

Type: Black tea, flavored

Form: Loose leaf

Review: Looking for an elegant, refined tea perfect for summer sipping? Try Versailles Lavender Earl Grey, a tea that is a pleasure to look at, sniff and sip. A very nice combination indeed!

The base tea appears to be a Ceylon, with surprisingly long, twisted leaves. These very dark leaves are blended with lavender and blue cornflowers,  creating a visually stunning blend. If you are looking to impress someone with your tea service, try presenting them with a bit of this tea before spooning it into your teapot! The nose, a blend of tangy bergamot and lavender is also quite nice, albeit strong.

I was concerned that the flavors may be too strong in the cup, so I infused my first pot of Versailles Lavender Earl Grey for only three minutes. The tea that resulted wasn’t bad, but not quite as flavorful as I hoped. Four minutes did the trick, though, and produced a lovely honey-colored liquor with moderate astringency. The base tea provided a hearty foundation for the citrus and floral flavors, making this tea a nice treat and a lovely, floral alternative to traditional Earl Grey.

Recommended, particularly as an inexpensive but delicious “special occasion” tea.

Preparation Tips: Be very careful about the amount of leaf you use when preparing this tea. Too much lavender can result in a strange-tasting tea. Stick with one teaspoon per cup and adjust the steep time if you like a stronger tea. I found that a four minute steep makes a very flavorful cup in which both bergamot and lavender flavors emerge without any harsh notes.

Serving Tips: Works fine when sipped on its own, but I confess to really enjoying this tea with a bit of dark chocolate. Nice on ice, too.

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