Creamy Earl Grey Competition...And the Winner Is....

I recently had my first Teavana experience. 

I only bought Earl Grey Creme at Teavana. My tea stash is large enough and I wanted to compare it to my other favourite Creamy Earl Greys: one by DAVIDsTEA and one by T by Daniel.

So let me start the comparison and then announce which is my favourite! It might surprise you!

Firstly, I was really pleased with the price point of Earl Grey Creme at Teavana. It was $4.50 for 50g. I thought, hey, if I could get behind this tea I'd be saving a pretty penny! It smells nice, but the "creamy vanilla finish" promised didn't really come through the nose. 

I steeped it as recommended, at 96 degrees C for 3 minutes. It made a very pleasant black tea but I was underwhelmed with the whole experience. One might even say disappointed. My husband really liked it as a simple black tea. 

The next one I will talk about is Organic Cream of Earl Grey by DAVIDsTEA! My traditional favourite! This was my first foray into Creamy Earl Greys and has absolutely blown my mind. It has prominent sweet vanilla notes and does not disappoint. It's $6.98 per 50 g, but you can stock up when you belong to the Summer Steeper club and save 20%, bringing it down to $5.58 per 50g. 

This tea is delicious, smooth and, when steeped properly (yes, I will ALWAYS preach about that!) is never astringent or tart). 

Although I had been drinking Organic Cream of Earl Grey for months, after discovering T by Daniel I decided to try THEIR version of Creamy Earl Grey, aptly called Canadian Eh. This tea promises a maple flavouring, along with the traditional vanilla and bergamot. It's $7.00 per 50 g, and they often have sales, sometimes even 40-50% off. (Join the T by Daniel Fan page on FB for more information on upcoming sales!)

HOLD. THE. PHONE. 

This one has CHANGED MY LIFE. I don't know how they did it but it really DOES have maple notes in it. And vanilla. And bergamot. And yet, it's beautifully simple. I iced it the other day for the first time and squealed. Yes, I actually squealed. It's just that good. 

Keep in mind, I drink my hot teas plain - no milk or sugar. So they have to be very impressive. THIS ONE IS IMPRESSIVE.  

CANADIAN EH IS THE WINNER!!!!!!

Clockwise from Top Left: Canadian Eh, Organic Cream of Earl Grey, Earl Grey Creme

Congratulations, T by Daniel, on putting out yet another mind-blowing tea. (SLURRRRRRRP). Not only is it smooth and delicious, living up to the description, it's patriotic. I love it.