I love Earl Grey tea. It is one of my all-time favorites and just continues to be a staple in my tea stash. When I discovered that green tea-based earl grey existed, my reality shifted and I knew that I had to try them out. I was gifted the Gunpowder Earl Grey from Tiger Tea Co and I bought the Wild Grey on my trip last year to the Western side of Michigan. This is not necessarily a comparison, as there is no better or worse one, but more of looking at the different variations of green tea earl greys that are out there. Let’s jump in.
Tea: Wild Grey
Company: The Seasoned Home
Price: $3.50/ounce
Ingredients: Sencha Green Tea, Lemon Peels, Orange Peels, Natural Flavoring Bergamot Type.
Coloring: Pale and bright yellow with slight green cast
Aroma: Light, citrusy but not quite bergamot aroma. Slight green & hayish notes
Tasting Notes: First impression of sweet hay with slight citrus notes. It definitely has green tea characteristics and is fairly smooth. Reminds me more of a green tea with some natural sweetness from the citrus elements instead of an earl grey. A lighter body is noted.
Tea: Gunpowder Earl Grey
Company: Tiger Tea Co
Price: £4.99
Ingredients: Temple of Heaven Chinese Green Tea, Bergamot Flavoring
Coloring: Golden with a slight orange tinge
Aroma: Roasted & smoky with slightly sweet finish
Tasting Notes: A bit dark and heavy, but quite smooth tasting. There are roasted notes with a sweet citrus element. More of a light to medium body on the tea. A sweet, slightly lingering aftertaste is noted.
Conclusion: Both are quite different from Black tea-based Earl Grey, in fact, if I didn’t know that they were a green tea version, I would not have known that it was an Earl Grey-like tea. For someone like my sister (who cannot have black teas anymore), this might be a nice nod to a drink they once enjoyed, but it not quite the same. I find them quite enjoyable to drink, but you really cannot compare it to the original that you are used to, but a separate entity. My sister tried out the Gunpowder Earl Grey the other day, and loved it. She was happy to have an earl grey again.
Have you ever tried a green tea version of Earl Grey Tea? Or possibly an oolong or herbal version? Please let me know below (and drop the link to the tea you tried so I can look further into it!). Happy Brewing!
-Danielle
