Earl Grey Cream

I have read so many great reviews for Earl Grey Cream teas from various companies that it made me curious. Why do people love it so much? When Zen Tea offered to let me pick three teas to sample, it was easy to decide to put this one on the list!

And WHOA! I tore open the pouch and the creamy vanilla swirled up and kissed me smack on the lips. I am pretty sure there is a puddle of drool where I was standing because it smelled so good.

I don’t know quite what I was expecting, but I can tell you what I got. This IS what it says it is – Earl Grey tea with cream. But not just cream…it is rich, homemade fresh-whipped vanilla-imbued cream that has been sitting on top of a hot and decadent dessert.

Yummy! No wonder people love it! Thank you, Zen Tea, for allowing me to finally experience this tea! If you like Earl Grey and you like vanilla, you really should try this.

Thank you zentealife.com for sending a sample of this with my order! With teas so good, it’s definitely a smart idea for zentealife.com to send out free samples. It is impossible not to order anything from them after you’ve tried their teas! I knew I would love this one, since it’s Earl Grey Cream and also from Zen. The dry leaves here just SMELL creamier than other EGCs. And the taste is creamier too! There is actually a creamy texture left on my tongue. The black tea isn’t too tough, so that may be why the cream flavor can stand out. The bergamot isn’t too strong… I would have liked it stronger anyway. This is definitely the one to replace my beloved SpecialTeas Earl Grey Cream when that one runs out! Any tea fan really needs to try an Earl Grey Cream, and this is certainly one to start with.

Oh dear, it looks like I might be ordering from Zen Tea after all…now I know why everybody’s abuzz about this! It has a very light note of coconut and a sweetness that is not in the other EGCs. What more can I say? I like this EGC a lot!

Thank you for sharing this tea with me, sweet Veronica ! (pretends to be visiting for afternoon tea) :D

This tea smells perfect dry—lusciously creamy earl grey without the harsh vanilla extract burn note some EGCs have. Just fresh, heady vanilla, flowers, and black tea. Brewed it just smells richer than many EGCs too. The flavor is strong but not too overwhelming, and with milk it’s so rich and creamy both texture and flavor-wise it’s almost shocking this is tea (looks and tastes almost like a vanilla coffee latte). Yum.

I think I finally am getting the excellent flavor from this tea! I’ve drank it a few times before and it was not doing it for me, it was too bland or too perfumy or something. It might be the dry smell that puts me off a bit too, my bag seems very bergamoty and not creamy at all, almost soapy and very perfumed. But I have been craving EGC, so I needed a cup tonight, hoping the caffeine doesn’t bug me like it did yesterday!

I steeped for 4 minutes, that might also be a different, I think I tried 2 in the past and it was just too weak. The steeped smell definitely has some cream and is a lot lighter than the smell from the bag.

As for flavor, yes, there definitely is creaminess in it this time! I am finding that it seems to diminish as it cools, so might have to drink it hot in the future, or my taste buds might be acting up from my allergies. Anyways, it is hitting the spot and satisfying my EGC craving perfectly! Definitely a nice light black tea, but the creaminess makes it seem richer and just lovely.

Overall, I am happy that this is starting to work for me. I have a big 2 oz bag of it and I was worried I preferred the DavidsTea version better, but this one might make the cut after all! I’ll potentially up the rating after a few more cups at a later date as well.

Thank you Zen Tea for this sample!

This tea is fabulous. When I opened the bag I was struck by the fact that the tea smelled creamy. There was the classic Earl Grey scent, of course, but the vanilla was present in a very pleasing way. The dry leaves with the blue cornflowers are also very pretty , which I appreciated.

I really like this tea because it is well balanced. The bergamot is not over done, and the vanilla blends in with the other flavors beautifully. In the past I have stayed away from Earl Grey Creams because the vanilla usually taste fake. Not here. It is smooth, and there is no weird artificial aftertaste. Yay! Half way through the cup I added a bit of sugar which intensified both the bergamot and the vanilla a little more. I expected it to play up the vanilla, but the flavors stayed in balance. The tea is exceptionally creamy and taste like a treat. A cup of this tea, a blanket, and good mystery novel would make me a very happy girl!

Thanks again Zen Tea. Your tea is lovely!

Sample package label:
“If you are a fan of Earl Grey and had not tried this, you are in for a treat. Cream Earl Grey has a taste that is smooth with vanilla overtones which stand out above the premium bergamot flavor the signature taste of Earl Grey. Our Earl Grey mellowed with a delicious creamy taste.

Ingredients: Ceylon Tea (Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula, Uva), cornflower petals, natural flavor.
Preparation: (1 cup) {6 or 8 oz.?} 1 heaping teaspoon, 95*C (203*F), 4 min.”

6-oz water with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 19 ppm, boiled, left to stand so only steaming hot. (I do not have a quick-reading (tea) thermometer with level of precision.)
1 heaping Tevanna teaspoon:

This tea Earl Grey has a strong vanilla fragrance.

Vibrant reddish hue

First 4-min Infusion:
There is an equally balanced lemon & vanilla aroma, followed by a very smooth, medium-bodied lemon taste without tartness. The overall aroma (bergamot, vanilla, & Ceylon blend) has notes of toasted marshmallows according to my wife’s keen sense of smell. There’s just enough creamy vanilla to smooth out the oil of bergamot tartness, but not so much as to obscure the classic EG flavor. There was zero hint of bitterness or astringency from this blend of Ceylon teas. The taste of lemon lingers on the tongue.

2nd 4-min Infusion:
I was surprised that a mild lemon flavoring was still present – quite enjoyable.

Impression: An excellent, much smoother Earl Grey tea that’s very well-balanced preserving the Classic EG flavor – Quite an accomplishment!

Thanks to Zen Tea Life for providing this free sample.

This is a super lovely tea for when you want a black tea that’s way more mellow than EG. Yum. ((not a HINT of curry, wtf, now I kinda really want a curry-ish tea though. I was so sick when that curry taste happened, haha, I want a curry-ish tea without being sick!))

Yep, I like this. I’ve seen Earl Grey Cream teas before but this is the first I’m trying. The bergamot is nicely complemented by the cream flavoring; it already tastes like it has cream and sweetener. No additives needed! Also a big plus is the fact that the flavoring in this tea isn’t giving me a headache- most do!
The only thing I would do a little differently is the brew time. I followed their directions for four minutes, and I think it’s a little long for me. But I think this is one I wouldn’t mind keeping around!

Backlog from two days ago. I’m slowly getting around to writing notes on samples I’ve received from various merchants.

Not usually a fan of Earl Greys, but I’d heard a lot about Earl Grey cream teas around here, so I jumped on the opportunity to try a sample of this from Zen Tea.

I was pleasantly surprised with this! There’s a very creamy aroma, even with the dry leaf. The balance between vanilla and bergamot is perfect. Great on its own or with a tiny bit of sugar.

My final sample from Zen Tea! GOLLY they weren’t kidding about the cream, you can even smell that when you open the bag AND I LOVE IT. MAN the only way I can really think to describe this tea is COZY! Probably one of my favorite earl greys yet, honestly. I usually add quite a bit of milk and sugar to my earl greys anyway, but this one barely needed anything. LOVE THE SMOOTH VANILLA and you definitely get that defining bergamot finish and YUM.

I don’t like black tea and never tasted any earl grey tea that one was ordered on the December 50% off sales from zen tea with my normal command i still try to find a black tea i would like.

I’m still sick but it way less worse than this morning at least i can talk now. Being in the mood for tea but not the one i’ve been drinking all day long that one was the perfect choice.

I know i should have tasted it with nothing in it first but i always find black too bitter i did put some honey in it before even drinking it not enough to change the taste but enough to cover any bitterness that might come with the first sip.

Unfortunately that was not the tea that will make me like black tea for that matter that was probably my last try black are just to bitter for me flavoured or not i still drink it with a lot of honey a chance for me it was just a sample.

I don’t give that one a note since i’m kinda bias against black tea

This was an impulse buy after seeing the great reviews here, no regrets at all. Zen Tea could very well be a contender among my favorite online tea retailers.

The bergamot is a bit mild, which works well with the creaminess of it. Need to be careful though, as with my second cup I accidentally oversteeped it and it became unpleasantly bitter. But so long as you don’t get sidetracked as easily as I do…! It is an amazing, well balanced tea.