Chash Tea: Lavender Earl Grey

It's fair to say it's been a bit of a week here at Laura's Tea Room. It's been a wee bit stressful and not in that good stress kind of way. Rather in the "stress leads to cluster headaches" manner. And this is where blogging comes into play. In these situations it focuses my mind, calms me down and makes me happy.

One of the better parts of the week (and there have been a couple of those, too!) was last Friday not only did I get paid my salary, but also a not insubstantial bonus. And, yes, I will admit that a not insubstantial amount of that bonus went on my main love in life ... tea.

And I brought a large selection of tea from Chash Tea. It was rather like supermarket sweep. The whole transaction took mere seconds. But that simply was down to the fact that I had already picked which tea's I was buying days beforehand. I like to be organised.

One of the many gorgeous blends that I purchased in those heady few minutes was a simply beautiful twist on Earl Grey. It's their gorgeous Lavender Earl Grey.

I have been a huge fan of floral tea's since the very early days of my tea drinking life. Whether that floral taste is rose, lavender, orange blossom or peony, if it's floral, it's all good.

Tonight, after a day with a stubborn, unshiftable headache, I needed something not only tasty but calming, too. Something to snuggle down with whilst I blog and watch my favourite television shows. And with Lavender Earl Grey you need not look any further. This is just about as perfect as floral tea as you could possibly get.

From the moment you open up that packet, the gorgeous aroma of lavender just ignites those senses. It's so aromatic, so familiar and luxurious that I just stand their salivating whilst the tea infuses.

And it's just so beautiful to look at, too.

I love how the dark black leaves stands out against the splashes of colour. Bright pinks and purples are shocking against the tea making a tea that is visually impressive.

Lavender Earl Grey is a tea for all of the senses. It is alluring, comforting and joyful.

I infused this tea for several minutes and settled down, quietly to enjoy this tea. From the first sip to the last this is a fully flavoured blend and is just about as perfect as it can get for us floral tea lovers.

The base tea used is Chash Tea's equally delightful (as yet not reviewed, but I'll get round to it) Earl Grey blend. So already it's fragrant and delicious. I love how the black tea is smooth, strong and satisfying and is robust enough to support the many flavours that this tea holds.

The lavender in this tea is quite strong and very different from some of the other floral blends out there. So, when either adding this loose tea to handmade bags or in infusers you don't need to go overboard on the amount of tea that you use.

Oh, so what of the flavour?

This is just gorgeous. I love how rich the lavender is. I just love how the flavour rolls around your mouth for ages after the tea has been drunk and the mug is empty. It's very equally balanced, too. So when you drink this tea you also do taste the flavour of the actual tea, not just lavender. It would be easy for the lavender to be overpowering, but actually, it isn't. It's tasty and it's moreish, and it really does leave you wanting another cup, but it is so well balanced with the tea.

It also has a truly natural feel to it. I have tried many floral blends (many of them expensive) which were horrid as they just tasted artificial, with oily qualities. With this blend the lavender could almost of been harvested yesterday. I have drunk a lot of rose flavoured tea's lately so it's nice to make a change.

This tea is so relaxing. I feel so much better after each cup that I drink. This is ideal to unwind to after a busy day and it truly does lift your spirits. I'm curled up on drinking my second cup of the evening and never have I felt more snug, settled and comfortable. I tend to use lavender in my bath to achieve the same feeling, and I do actually think it's better to get that comfortable feeling through drinking lavender tea!

If you like your flavoured tea with a bit of oomph then this is certainly the blend for you! Chash have created a really special blend, mixing a satisfying strength with a feminine delicateness. Honestly, this tea deserves to be served from a teapot, straight into your best china! It deserves nothing less.

Lavender Earl Grey is a wonderful blend that is delightful in every way. And I cannot recommend this tea highly enough.