I will admit that I have had this gorgeous little caddy from Whittard for nearly eight months. I've enjoyed several cups of this but haven't got around to blogging the contents, so, this evening I really fancied a cup of this blend and thought now was the perfect time to write a blog about it!
This gorgeous blend is Whittards lovely Blend No 216. Elderflower Earl Grey.
When I purchased this tea last July, I was wondering around London's Covent Garden. It was an especially happy day as I was going to see a performance of the hit show Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. As I said in a recent review of another Whittard tea, when in that area of London it's neigh on impossible for me not to go in and purchase something.
I think I fell in love, at the beginning anyway, with this cute mini caddie because it's simply tiny. You can buy this in bigger versions but not only being strapped for cash but also strapped for space, I thought my exasperated Mum (who is frustrated at the amount of tea entering this house) may not appreciate a huge caddy so sold her on the mini ones! It's cute, it's compact, it's gorgeous!
As you can see this is a richly coloured, dark leaf Ceylon tea (it's all about the Ceylon right now!) that is dotted with colourful elderflower blossoms. It's a stunning tea with a gorgeous aroma.
I took a empty teabag and filled this up with three teaspoons of this marvelous blend. I left it to infuse for several minutes and unlike most Earl Grey's which go to a dark colour after infusion, this lovely tea brewed to a light copper colour.
Earl Grey is a blend that I absolutely adore. Understandably, it's with caution that I try the many variations. For instance, vanilla Earl Grey didn't go down well. Nor did Creme Caramel. But I like Lady Grey, Duchess Grey, Cornflower Grey ...
So, I jump in with a new member of the Grey family with great enthusiasm but with some caution. However, with this Elderflower Grey I need not worry. This is a perfect edition to the Grey family. Tasty, floral and gorgeous. It's feels as established and traditional as the original blend of Earl Grey. It feels old, in the nicest possible way.
Last night I reviewed the gorgeous Earl Grey from Basilur tea. Again, Ceylon is used in that brand and it went down as a hit. I love the fact that Whittard are using the delicate, yet utterly scrummy Ceylon tea in it's blend. It's just so gorgeous, so adaptable, so able to work hand in hand with whatever flavour is added to it. Darjeeling maybe the champagne of tea's, but in my opinion Ceylon should hold that title!
It's also well known that as much as I love Earl Grey, I also love any tea that has anything remotely floral added to it. This could possibly be a tea made in (Laura's) heaven.
The Elderflower adds a wonderful flavour. It's not like rose or lavender, it's a lot lighter, more delicate then those. But, it lifts the tea to a new height. It's fun, it's like sunshine in a cup, it's perfect for the spring days ahead. And the Elderflower is the perfect pairing with the Ceylon tea, too!
There is a lovely lightness to this tea. So, actually, it does make a pleasant change to traditional Earl Grey, which, depending on what brand you are drinking, can sit a little heavy if the bergamot used is too strong. I love how easy this tea is to drink, it's smoothness is just wonderful.
This is the ultimate afternoon tea blend. Best served with cake in china cups and saucers! However, it's also nice to drink if you fancy something a bit lighter in the evening. I'm really enjoying it and I don't tend to drink too much tea this late in the evening.
What is also nice about this tea is when it cools it doesn't go horrid and bitter, it retains it's lovely flavour.
When I first tried this blend last summer I wasn't totally sure about it. That was likely my fault as I think I may, being distracted, had stewed the tea. But it certainly has grown on me in the intervening months.
And much to my mum's dismay this WILL be a tea that I buy in larger quantities. This could possibly be the tea of this year's summer. Quite possibly!
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