A better Earl Grey

February 24, 2021 10:06 AM

A couple of years ago, Trader Joe's was offering a loose leaf Earl Grey tea that I really liked, they discontinued it, and I then switched over to their bagged Earl Grey. It is not so good. Can you recommend a good quality, loose leaf Earl Grey? I am willing to entertain all price points, as long as I don't have to order it from overseas, as sometimes seems to be the case. I am in the U.S.
posted by nanook to Food & Drink (36 answers total)

I've been happy with everything i've ordered from Upton Tea. They have several Earl Grey variants to explore.
posted by neilbert at 10:11 AM on February 24, 2021

During the pandemic, I've gone through a LOT of the Stash Double Bergamot Earl Grey.

I found the tea bags are exceptional as well and bought a box of 100 ... and then another.
posted by typetive at 10:18 AM on February 24, 2021

Republic of Tea has a couple Earl Grey varieties. I don't especially love Earl Grey, but their Downton Abbey branded one is quite good. They sell most of their teas in both loose and bagged form.
posted by pixiecrinkle at 10:21 AM on February 24, 2021

I love all the teas including the classic earl grey from my local small business Bay Area loose leaf tea shop ( https://steepers.salesvu.com/ ). They also have lots of "variations" on earl grey too if you feel like changing things up.
posted by ellerhodes at 10:22 AM on February 24, 2021

You may be spoiled for choice....what is it about the looseleaf you liked, or the bagged you don't?

Here's a company that has five different Earl Gray blends. Some have additional flavorings, via adding other herbs or such. I also quite like the lavender Earl Gray from here; it's a delightful little indie tea company based here in Brooklyn run by a very enthusiastic staff (I was inadvertently their first-ever customer the day they first opened up their storefront after being online-only for a year, and they were REALLY EXCITED I walked in and I was charmed by their excitement).

If you like a more fruity note, you may actually want to consider Lady Grey instead, which is a blend Twinings came up with when some people complained that their original Earl Grey blend was too strong. It's just Earl Grey with some lemon and orange peel added in.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:24 AM on February 24, 2021

Oh hey, I forgot that Brooklyn Tea also has a Cream Earl Grey blend with vanilla and caramel notes. So it's like you're having an Earl Grey Latte or something.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:26 AM on February 24, 2021

I've always been happy with Adagio Teas. They have three different Earl Grey blends, which I love.

They also allow you to make custom 'fandom' blends; here's one I made with Earl Grey and Lapsang Souchong, dedicated to the late, great, Bones Hillman of Midnight Oil: Caffeinated Bones Hillman. A percentage of each purchase goes to the American Cancer Society.
posted by spinifex23 at 10:29 AM on February 24, 2021

Since I have a pile of old tea at work, if the trader joe's "earl grey de la creme" is the loose leaf one of theirs you liked it's ingredients are black tea, natural flavor, natural bergamot flavor, dried cornflower, vanilla bean.

Those last two are not traditionally in earl grey, in case those are the flavor notes that made you prefer this blend. (Although I think the blue cornflower might just be pretty and not flavorful).
posted by TheAdamist at 10:31 AM on February 24, 2021

You may be spoiled for choice....what is it about the looseleaf you liked, or the bagged you don't?

I brew a cup at a time, and I like the flexibility that loose leaf gives me in making the strength the way I like it. But mostly I like the sensory pleasure of seeing the colours and textures of the tea, and opening the package or tin and getting that strong fragrance of the tea.
posted by nanook at 10:34 AM on February 24, 2021

If you'd like to support a small business, I recommend Mem Tea in Somerville, MA. They have three high-quality loose-leaf Earl Greys that you can purchase by weight: Blue Flower Earl Grey, Premium Earl Grey, and a 'de la Creme Earl Grey' (with added vanilla) . They also have a caffeine free Rooibos/Bergamot infusion that does the job of Earl Grey more gently. You could even get a small sample of all four (and some others!) and see what you like.
posted by mr. remy at 10:42 AM on February 24, 2021

I'm not so much an Earl Grey fan, but I love the teas from the August Uncommon brand. Here is their version of Earl Grey
posted by spudsilo at 10:55 AM on February 24, 2021

After the update - Ah, okay, I got the sense that there was something about the flavor of one vs. the other that was at issue; but it sounds like you just prefer using loose-leaf tea.

Fortunately a lot of places have loose-leaf Earl Gray in different blend formulas, so you could probably have fun going all-in and giving yourself a taste-test. :-) The two blends from Brooklyn Tea I linked (the lavender and the cream) are both available in small quantities as well as large, so you could probably try ordering the smallest size of each as a sample and see how you like it, and then go back for a larger size if something really strikes your fancy.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:10 AM on February 24, 2021

I'm a Twinings person, I find that higher-quality earl greys taste too flowery for me. They do sell their tea in loose leaf form.

My mom likes Harney & Sons' Paris blend, which is earl grey-ish.
posted by quaking fajita at 11:18 AM on February 24, 2021

Grow your own bergamot! Probably as an indoor plant (except in summer).
posted by aniola at 11:19 AM on February 24, 2021

We've been drinking the St. Isaac's Blend from Upton Tea and been quite happy with it. It's not quite a traditional Earl Grey - it's a little less in your face, I guess, but it's got a wonderful aroma and is reasonably affordable.

Upton also offers samplers for most of their teas, so you could buy a few and try them out. (Don't get the tins unless you want them - you can get 10 g sampler sachets which are good for about one pot of tea.)
posted by backseatpilot at 11:39 AM on February 24, 2021

I’m an admitted tea snob to the point that I have 4 or 5 tea vendors I regularly order from, and I usually drink Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme. It’s a bit lighter than many Earl Greys; if you like something heartier try the normal Earl Grey. They ship pretty quickly in the US.
posted by A Blue Moon at 11:45 AM on February 24, 2021

I also enjoyed that tea from Trader Joes - you might fine this Earl Grey Silk which also have vanilla in it, or if you liked it's strong bergamot they also have a double which I find a bit much. For a strong black vanilla tea I think this mauritius is just the best, and remains one of my absolute favorites teas. These are from my local tea shop, Todd & Holland Tea Merchants, who have a variety of amazing iced teas as well.
posted by zenon at 12:13 PM on February 24, 2021

Was it the Trader Joe's Cream of Earl Grey? I miss that one too! It's more vanilla-y than other loose leaf Earl Grey. I buy my very good looseleaf cream of earl grey replacement for it from Urban Teahouse, a woman owned small business. David's Tea makes a good cream of earl grey too, if buying it not-online matters.
posted by soleiluna at 12:26 PM on February 24, 2021

Came in to recommend Harney & Sons as well - I also get the Earl Grey Supreme. It's quite floral - you really get hit with that lovely bergamot aroma - and not super 'dense'. But they have at least 5 other Earl Greys to choose from as well.

A few years ago I actually ordered their huge sampler kit because I kept discovering new flavors I liked - highly recommended! They also do super-cute samplers they call tagalongs that are great small gifts or ways to try out something new. Plus, they always tuck 2-3 different single-serve tea bags in different flavors in with your order as well, which is a touch I appreciate.
posted by widdershins at 12:30 PM on February 24, 2021

Hi yes, it was the Trader Joe's Cream of Earl Grey. I was so sad that they discontinued it. I did like the added vanilla alot, but I also love straight-up Earl Grey.
posted by nanook at 12:30 PM on February 24, 2021

I have not tried Arbor's Earl Gray tea, but quite like their other products, so would recommend trying it for that reason.
posted by chiefthe at 12:35 PM on February 24, 2021

yes, it was the Trader Joe's Cream of Earl Grey. I was so sad that they discontinued it.

Coming in after this new update to say that in that case, I think the Cream Earl Gray I suggested would be exactly what you're looking for, as it also has the added vanilla!
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:42 PM on February 24, 2021

I'm enjoying a cup of Tsar Nikolai II black tea at the moment. It has that floral, citrusy note that I like in Earl Grey, just hits slightly different.
posted by medeine at 1:06 PM on February 24, 2021

If vanilla notes are what you’re looking for, the Victorian London Fog - Earl Grey with vanilla and lavender - is probably the best match from Harney & Sons.
posted by A Blue Moon at 2:22 PM on February 24, 2021

I bought a giant tin of loose leaf Earl Grey from Ahmad Tea (Amazon link, but you might be able to get it from their website) that's become my go-to brew. It tastes real nice, and in a world where loose leaf is always sold in precious tiny quantities, the big tin feels decadent and luxurious.
posted by Freyja at 2:27 PM on February 24, 2021

5th-ing Harney & Sons!
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:29 PM on February 24, 2021

Palais des Thés has several Earl Greys, of which my favorite is "Blue of London". I have full faith in the French to be perfectionist with all things gustatory.
posted by dum spiro spero at 3:13 PM on February 24, 2021

I am someone who drinks what might charitably be called builder's tea. In other words, most loose leaf tea purveyors in the US are several orders of magnitude too fancy for me, both in terms of price and what they expect me to know about tea. However, pre-pandemic I switched to buying tea from McNulty's (I think the shipping is kind of expensive, but that's in comparison to a subway ride), who seem to succeed in avoiding the ridiculous pretension.
posted by hoyland at 3:15 PM on February 24, 2021

I personally really love the Steven Smith "Lord Bergamot" which is their version of an Early Gray. I'm often a little iffy on black teas because of the bitterness, but this one is so good!

I've had great luck with all of their teas. They're local, for me, so pre-pandemic I was able to go into their shop and taste and sniff lots of varieties. If you have any interest at all in mint tea, their peppermint is amazing.
posted by duien at 4:14 PM on February 24, 2021

Miro Tea has an Earl Grey de la Creme that has vanilla and blue cornflowers, as well as a normal Earl Grey. I haven't personally tried that flavor, but I'm a big fan of their tea in general!
posted by catabananza at 4:21 PM on February 24, 2021

Another vote for Harney & Sons! Their regular Earl Grey is delightful, but the Paris blend is really something special. Really, everything they carry is wonderful; I recommend trying several of their Earl Grey blends. I find the prices quite reasonable for what you get, too.

(They seem to be an English company, but I suspect they have an American distributor -- I get my teas extremely fast, and from what I remember, without customs documents, so I doubt they have to cross the Atlantic first.)
posted by kalimac at 5:12 PM on February 24, 2021

Harney & Sons is in Salisbury, CT.
posted by Chriswill44 at 6:22 PM on February 24, 2021

Harney & Sons: rather, across the line in Millerton, NY. (Think they started in Salisbury.)
posted by Chriswill44 at 6:30 PM on February 24, 2021

I regularly order from Tealyra for my wife. They have several varieties of Earl Grey style teas. You could order a sampling of different kinds in small amounts and see which you like best. We find this company's quality to be consistently good.

tealyra.com
posted by SoberHighland at 7:01 AM on February 25, 2021

Mariage Frères Earl Grey is my top choice. I think the Harney & Sons is also excellent.
posted by Arctic Circle at 8:24 AM on February 25, 2021

Big fan of The Tao of Tea - may have to make some now!
posted by Space Kitty at 11:17 AM on February 25, 2021