Best Earl Grey Tea List
After the roaring success of my Best English Breakfast Tea list, here comes the Best Earl Grey tea version! Earl Grey was the first tea I ever reviewed for the blog here at Immortal Wordsmith, and it was certainly the tea of my childhood.
With its soft citrusy freshness, Earl Grey is much loved. With or without milk, iced or hot, it’s a delicious and versatile tea to drink.
In this article you’ll find a selection of the most highly rated Earl Grey teas. I only review teas that I have personally tried and tested. You can tell this because I always take my own photographs for the reviews too!
Explore the best Earl Grey teas in the UK below and use my Tea Review Index to navigate other tea types here on the blog.
Earl Grey – What It’s All About
Earl Grey is a classic. In fact, it’s the second most popular tea in the UK, after English Breakfast Tea of course. The components are quite simple: black tea leaves and bergamot. The bergamot element is usually either essential oils or flavouring (natural or artificial).
The bergamot fruit is a citrus fruit from the Mediterranean. The flavour is somewhere between lime, lemon, and orange. It’s very refreshing and almost floral when you add it to fragrant black leaves.
Unfortunately, real bergamot oil is expensive! It produces a wonderful aroma and flavour… but most tea brands opt for cheaper flavouring instead. But don’t be disheartened if you cannot find an Earl Grey tea with genuine bergamot in it – many of the teas listed below use high-quality flavouring that tastes just as good.
The origins of Earl Grey are disputed, but most agree that it has something to do with the Earl of Grey. Nowadays, you don’t need to be an Earl to enjoy it!
How to Brew Earl Grey
Earl Grey is super easy to brew. A simple method is:
- Use 1 teabag or 1 teaspoon of loose leaf tea (in an infuser),
- Pour over boiling water,
- Let it brew for 3 to 5 minutes,
- Remove the tea!
You can drink Earl Grey with either lemon or milk. If you want to sweeten it, sugar or honey is great.
Top Rated Earl Grey Teas
These are the best traditional earl grey teas that I have reviewed. That means they are made using the classic recipe of black tea and bergamot. If you’re looking for delicious earl grey infusions and creative twists on the traditional recipe, scroll down to the next section!
1. Whittard Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.6/5
- Black Tea: Chinese and Ceylon
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Teabags or loose leaf
First on my list is the tasty Whittard Earl Grey blend. It’s made with a mix of Chinese and Ceylon (Sri Lankan) tea leaves plus a high-quality bergamot flavouring. Don’t let the darkness of the brewed tea fool you – my official review found it to be light, bright and citrusy with a juicy, refreshing aroma.
The Whittard Earl Grey teabags are available individually wrapped or in those round paper filter packs. If you opt for the loose leaf version, you’ll also find orange peel and cornflower petals floating around in the blend. They add a visual element, but the citrus orange peel isn’t overly detectable in the brewed cup.
Overall, it’s delicious and highly rated. Definitely worth trying!
2. Novus Sapphire Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.6/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Pyramid teabags or loose leaf
Novus are a tea company that’s based not far from where I live. I love that! Their blend is made with large leaf pieces – black tea from Ceylon – as well as bergamot flavouring and malva flower petals to add some colour.
It’s a little astringent and drying, but the bergamot has this beautiful floral lightness and freshness that’s absolutely divine. This earl grey is best without milk, in my opinion.
As mentioned in my full review of this tea, it’s really great with a generous teaspoon of honey to counteract the slightly astringent quality of the black tea leaves. I also highly recommend using this earl grey to make an iced tea in the summer months, with lemon, honey and rosemary. Delicious!
3. Zest Earl Grey Energy Tea
Izzy's Rating
3.5/5
- Black Tea: South Indian FOP
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Pyramid teabags or loose leaf
Zest Tea make an interesting Earl Grey! It’s actually one of my favourite flavours from their line-up of hot energy teas. Available as loose leaf or in pyramid teabag format (the leaf used in both is identical), it’s flavoured with bergamot flavouring and infused with additional caffeine.
One cup of Zest Earl Grey tea has around 3x the levels of caffeine as a standard cup of black tea. It’s super strong!
This is a great Earl Grey for shift works and night owls that need a little boost to get you through. The flavour is warm, like an English Breakfast tea with slight bitter and bergamot floral notes.
4. T2 Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.5/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon
- Bergamot: Natural flavouring
- Available As: Pyramid teabags or loose leaf
T2 are an Australian brand and they produce a wide range of teas. I enjoy their Christmas range in particular and have featured them on my Best Tea Advent Calendar in the UK list. I reviewed the teabag version of this Earl Grey, but it’s also available as loose leaf.
Using natural bergamot flavouring, T2 achieve a smooth and subtle Earl Grey. The aroma is gently perfumed and floral, while the flavour has a good bergamot and citrus note ringing through.
I was pleasantly surprised to find zero bitterness to this T2 Earl Grey. It’s a good one to drink if you take your tea without milk.
5. Tealicious Tea Room Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.5/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon
- Bergamot: Oil
- Available As: Loose leaf only
Tealicious Tea Rooms was an unexpected gem that I stumbled upon during a trip to Durham. This small tea shop is one of the most highly-rated places in the city and I had an amazing time there. The bagels are spectacular, if you are planning a visit!
As for the Tealicious Tea Room Earl Grey blend, it is a rich and classic earl grey that’s just begging for a good splash of milk. It also has more citrusy orange notes that you will enjoy if you are also a fan of Lady Grey (see below). You can purchase this tea directly from their online store. I highly recommend checking out their House Blend too.
If you are unsure about trying a small teashop brand, read my review of Tealicious Earl Grey. it will convince you to give them a try!
6. Hampstead Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.4/5
- Black Tea: Biodynamic Darjeeling
- Bergamot: Oil from Reggio Calabria, Italy
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
Hampstead are one of the rare tea brands that still uses genuine bergamot oils. Paired with their biodynamic Darjeeling black tea, this Earl Grey has strong yet smooth citrus notes. It’s quite dark in colour when brewed and has more pronounced lemony notes than other Earl Greys.
I drink this one with milk – it’s certainly robust enough – but that lemony note plays well with an extra squeeze of lemon juice and teaspoon of honey too.
You can buy Hampstead tea through Amazon or their official website. Read my full Hampstead Earl Grey Review to learn more.
7. PMD Planters’ Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Black Tea: Darjeeling
- Bergamot: Oil
- Available As: Pyramid teabags
PMD Planters’ aren’t a well-known brand but they are still alive and well, selling their delicious teas through their website. I tasted this tea back in 2019 and enjoyed the light and delicate nature of it. If you like to chug down your Earl Grey, this is NOT the tea for you. This blend deserves to be sipped and contemplated slowly.
Scoring 3.2 out of 5 in my rating system, PMD could have easily bumped that up by providing a bit more oomph. A touch more bergamot oil or a stronger black tea base would help give this tea more substance without destroying that delicate flavour.
Nonetheless, it is a strong contender for anyone that likes a very gentle and light Earl Grey tea.
8. Clipper Organic Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.2/5
- Black Tea: Organic, undisclosed country
- Bergamot: Natural flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags
Clipper Earl Grey is a solid tea, with a classic dark colour and strong, bright flavour. The tea base is quite robust and simple – Clipper don’t disclose which specific country this tea is from – while the bergamot is pleasantly citrusy and lifts the flavour profile entirely.
This tea is best with milk, in my opinion. The creaminess of milk adds another dimension. You could accuse this cuppa of being a bit plain otherwise! Read my full tea review to learn more about it.
Besides being available in most supermarkets, you can also find this tea on Amazon (the best option online for delivery, at least).
9. New English Teas Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
The bergamot in this tea is quite strong… and not entirely natural. It has a citrus lime note and good fragrance, but you can really tell that the quality isn’t top notch when you drink it.
New English Teas use a decent Ceylon base for their Earl Grey, however. I couldn’t say no to a cup! Their Ceylon black tea has some natural floral notes hidden beneath the fake bergamot notes, and I wish they shone through more.
Nonetheless, New English Teas always package their teas in cute, collectible tea tins. These tins make fantastic gifts, so if you want to send some Earl Grey to a loved one then look no further. You can find this tea on Amazon.
10. Twinings Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Black Tea: Chinese
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
Twinings at number 9 on my list? Yes, it surprised me too! And while this Earl Grey will always hold a special place in my heart (it was the first tea reviewed here at Immortal Wordsmith), I can admit that it’s not perfect.
The black tea base is drying and the bergamot is subtle with floral citrus notes. It’s not amazing, but it is reliable. I could drink this tea all day long… and sometimes I do. With a slice of lemon, it’s fresh and rejuvenating. Brewed for a few minutes more and mixed with a splash of milk, then it becomes something more substantial and energising.
It’s a British classic and although it doesn’t get the highest score, I love it all the same. If you haven’t tried Twinings Earl Grey, I highly recommend it.
11. Ministry of Tea Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Black Tea: Organic Indian
- Bergamot: Natural flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags
With a good dose of tannins and gentle bergamot notes, this is a robust Earl Grey. Perfect for breakfast time, it has the strength to replace your usual everyday tea, Yorkshire brew, or English Breakfast blend. At the end of every sip, this tea has a drying quality in your mouth which is ideal for cleansing your palate between bites of toast or a big ol’ slice of cake.
Ministry of Tea have a line of colourfully packaged teabags, including a wonderful chai that I am excited to review in the future!
Using organic and high-quality ingredients, this tea is certified USDA organic. You can check the price for it on Amazon using the button below.
12. Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Black Tea: Darjeeling
- Bergamot: Essential oil flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags
Confidently named Gorgeous Earl Grey by Pukka, this tea blend has a malty lemony aroma that I found to be super enticing in my full tea review. The flavour is smooth and sweet with lemon peel and floral bergamot, with a smooth, drying and slightly bitter black tea base.
It’s a well-balanced and easy to sip tea that reminds me a bit more of a Lady Grey (see the ‘Twists’ category below) thanks to the lavender notes.
A citrusy baked good – maybe a slice of lemon meringue pie or a bar of dark chocolate – would be an excellent food pairing to make this tea truly gorgeous.
13. Taylors of Harrogate Earl Grey Tea
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Black Tea: Rainforest Alliance Certified, undisclosed countries
- Bergamot: Natural Flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags
Taylors of Harrogate are popular for their coffee line, but you shouldn’t underestimate their teas! Popular in hotel rooms, you should always grab the chance to try this delicious Earl Grey if you come across it.
On specs, bergamot flavouring and unknown black tea origins aren’t a great start… but the flavour will win you over. As I explored in my Taylors of Harrogate Earl Grey Tea review, this brew is brisk and citrusy. The drying texture and sharpness of the bergamot make it incredibly cleansing. If you’re gasping for a cuppa after eating a tasty slice of cake, this could be for you. Check the price of this tea on Amazon using the button below.
14. Ahmad Tea Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
2.8/5
- Black Tea: Ceylon, Kenyan and Malawian
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
Ahmad are a London-based tea brand, almost a rival to Twinings, except their teas aren’t the best quality. Nonetheless, this Earl Grey was an enjoyable drink and if you’ve tried Ahmad Tea’s blends before, you’ll know that it’s got that signature robustness.
All of Ahmad’s black teas are strong and intense, so if you must have your Earl Grey with milk then it’s a match made in heaven!
Using a blend of black teas from Sri Lanka, Kenya, and Malawi, Ahmad Tea London ensure that their Earl Grey is really a unique one. Learn more about it in my Earl Grey tea review or use the button below to find this tea available to buy.
15. BOH Earl Grey Tea
Izzy's Rating
2.7/5
- Black Tea: Malaysian
- Bergamot: Flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags
Well-known in Malaysia but less so in the UK, BOH Tea produce some exciting tropical options and delicious single origin teas from their tea gardens in the Cameron Highlands. Their Earl Grey blend, however, pairs their characterful tea with bergamot to create that classic citrus fresh flavour.
Overall, when I reviewed this tea I found it to be strong, rich and full-bodied with bergamot seemingly added as an afterthought.
It’s easy to drink and very affordable, as it’s grown, processed and packaged all in Malaysia (most UK brands ship the tea to the UK before packaging it on home turf) by BOH.
Great Twists on Classic Earl Grey
The following earl grey blends aren’t just black tea and bergamot! Be prepared to find something unusual and unbelievably delicious.
Teakruthi ‘The Vanilla Earl’
Izzy's Rating
4.2/5
- Tea: Black tea from Dimbula, Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
- Ingredients: Bergamot oil, natural vanilla extract, cornflower petals
- Available As: Loose leaf
Teakruthi’s tea, aptly named ‘The Vanilla Earl’ is one of my highest rated teas on the blog. Ever. With a blend of malty black tea, bergamot oils, and sweet vanilla, it’s a rich and luxurious experience with every sip.
The aroma is blessed with notes of white chocolate and lemon candy, a result of the gorgeous combination of vanilla and bergamot. I don’t know why more tea brands aren’t using this flavour combo!
Smooth and silky, this tea is a must-have for any Earl Grey lover. You can buy it directly from Teakruthi.
Whittard Darling Grey
Izzy's Rating
4.2/5
- Tea: Chinese black tea
- Ingredients: Orange peel, lemon peel, orange blossom, cornflower petals, bergamot flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
Whittard Darling Grey is, well, a darling! A blend of bergamot and other citrus flavours, it is an excellent choice if you want to update your Lady Grey Twinings Tea. Whittard Darling Grey is definitely one of the best earl grey teas I have ever tried. I love the orange notes and the sweetness they impart on this tea. When you combine that citrus sweetness with the warm and malty Chinese black tea, it tastes just like fresh brioche bread. Delicious!
As always, Whittard offer this tea in both loose leaf and teabag format. The ingredients are typically the same, but the loose leaf earl grey will have whole pieces rather than finely chopped dust or just flavouring. To see what the loose leaf looks like, read my Darling Grey Tea Review or check it out on Whittard’s website.
The Tea Apothecary Royal Grey
Izzy's Rating
4.1/5
- Tea: Black tea of unknown origins
- Ingredients: Orange pieces, cornflower petals, rose petals, lime leaves, natural flavours
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
The Tea Apothecary are a small, British tea brand that is slowly growing and I love it! They deserve all the success in the world for making their delicious teas available. This tea, Royal Grey, blends the usual bergamot flavouring and black tea with orange and floral petals for a more extravagant experience.
The flavour of this best Earl Grey is smooth and slightly astringent, which is perfect for washing down cake or other small snacks. It would be an excellent choice for an Earl Grey afternoon tea event. The pretty petals in the loose leaf blend make it even more special.
What particularly stood out in my Royal Grey review was the scent of rose water and candy sweetness. It is divine.
T2 French Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
4/5
- Tea: Black tea from an undisclosed country
- Ingredients: Hibiscus, sunflower petals, rose petals, mallow flowers, natural flavouring, artificial flavouring
- Available As: Pyramid teabags or loose leaf
French Earl Grey doesn’t actually include bergamot in the ingredients list, but I reckon it’s included within the natural and artificial flavours somewhere.
T2’s iconic French Earl Grey is surprisingly fruity and floral with citrus rind notes adding some bitterness to stop it becoming too soapy overall.
This is a really elegant blend with a staggeringly beautiful aroma. I detected orange blossom, apricots, butter and rose, just to name a few distinct aroma notes – you’ll need to read my full tea review to learn more about what this tea has hidden up its sleeve.
Tealicious Tea Room Vanilla Earl Grey
Izzy's Rating
3.7/5
- Tea: Ceylon black tea
- Ingredients: Rose petals, blue cornflower petals, vanilla pieces, natural flavouring
- Available As: Loose leaf
Another stunningly good tea from Tealicious Tea Room! Blending Ceylon black tea with flower petals and vanilla pieces (which I assume means pieces of vanilla pod or seeds) creates a smooth black tea with both bitterness and vanilla sweetness. This bittersweet combination makes the tea both satisfying and refreshing.
If you have a vanilla dessert, this tea will pair beautifully with it. Who said vanilla was boring, after all? I also like that this tea contains rose petals and cornflower petals, but as I noted in my Tealicious Tea Room review, I wish it was made with real bergamot oils rather than bergamot flavouring. I know it is expensive, but it really would have elevated it to the next level.
Offblak Future is Pink
Izzy's Rating
3/5
- Tea: Black tea from an undisclosed country
- Ingredients: Lemon peel, lemongrass, rose petals, flavouring
- Available As: Pyramid teabags
Offblak confused me a little. In the UK, this tea is labelled ‘Earl Grey & Rose’ but in the US it is labelled ‘Black Tea with Lemongrass and Rose Petals’. But they are, in fact, the exact same tea. Don’t be fooled!
The black tea base is subtle and has a very gentle caress of lemon. But the rose really takes centre stage. It’s very strongly perfumed and flavoured with those rose petals!
This is really not my cup of tea, as I dislike rose flavours when they’re this pungent. However, it has favourable reviews, and the quality is pretty great so it’s worth checking out if you enjoy rose flavours.
Twinings Lady Grey
Izzy's Rating
2.6/5
- Tea: Black tea from an undisclosed country
- Ingredients: Orange peel, lemon peel, flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags or loose leaf
Lady Grey is a pleasantly warm and rich black tea with zingy orange notes. It’s a great, uplifting alternative to Twinings’ best-selling Earl Grey blend. It’s available in supermarkets and online for a pretty reasonable price too.
In my Lady Grey tea review, I noted that the flavour is gentler than bergamot, with less sharpness and more sweetness. It’s balanced nicely with the black tea base and doesn’t require any milk, sugar, or additional citrus to lift it. Lovely!
Mlesna Earl Grey Cream
Izzy's Rating
2.6/5
- Tea: Ceylon black tea
- Ingredients: Bergamot flavouring, cream flavouring
- Available As: Paper teabags
Mlesna produce a range of mediocre teas… but their Earl Grey Cream is a bit of a diamond in the rough! With bergamot and cream flavourings, this Sri Lankan black tea is rich and caramel-like with a delicious cream flavour that sweeps in the aftertaste to soothe the bitterness that initial dominates the cup.
At first glance – and first sip – this seems like a slightly bitter, plain black tea. But keep going! With each sip, the creaminess builds in the aftertaste.
It really is quite unique and although it doesn’t have the highest score, it is one of the most memorable teas I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing for Immortal Wordsmith.
BOH Earl Grey with Tangerine
Izzy's Rating
2.6/5
- Tea: Black tea from Malaysia
- Ingredients: Bergamot flavouring, tangerine peel
- Available As: Paper teabags
Sold on Amazon (or available to purchase in stores, if you live in Malaysia), BOH Earl Grey with Tangerine is a decent flavoured Earl Grey. With tangerine peel, it has a fresh and sweet tangerine note to add to the traditional bergamot citrus notes.
Brew this tea lightly, as I noted in my review that the black tea body is quite a strong base. With the fresh notes of tangerine, I don’t think it’s suited to a splash of milk. But a slice of lemon and teaspoon of sugar could make this good tea a really great one.
Find it on Amazon using the button below.
Earl Grey Teas That Didn't Make the List
Not every Earl Grey tea is a winner, but don’t worry! If your Earl Grey is on the list below or just doesn’t suit your tastes, you can use it in one of my Favourite Earl Grey Recipes.
- The London Tea Company Earl Grey – bitter and artificial, I gave this tea a score of just 2 out of 5.
- Becky’s from Holland Earl Grey – this tea came as part of a gift set and cannot be purchased separately. Thank goodness! It scored 2.6 out of 5.
- Fosters Traditional Foods Earl Grey – purchased from the supermarket on a whim, this is an Earl Grey I regret drinking. A 2.3 out of 5 score was generous.
- Forager Health Zesty Earl Grey – I was paid to write this tea review, so I don’t feel comfortable recommending it in my list of unbiased choices!
- Lichfields Earl Grey – until recently, Lichfields’ held the number 15 spot on my list. However, Taylors of Harrogate have knocked them off! It’s still a good tea to try, with a score of 2.7 out of 5.
FAQs
What is Earl Grey tea?
Earl Grey tea is a traditional blend of black tea and bergamot, a citrus fruit from the Mediterranean. It’s a refreshing classic that’s popular in the UK, Europe, and many other countries around the world.
When is the best time to drink Earl Grey tea?
The afternoon is the best time to drink Earl Grey, as it’s a refreshing tea that you can drink with a meal or snack. Drinking astringent tea on an empty stomach can cause mild discomfort, so it’s best to avoid Earl Grey in the morning before breakfast. Likewise, the caffeine in Earl Grey means it is not a good tea to drink at bedtime.
Which is better, green tea or Earl Grey?
Green tea is a type of tea. There are numerous green teas, from floral Bi Lo Chun to umami Sencha – it’s a versatile category of teas. Earl Grey, on the other hand, is a very specific blend of black tea and bergamot. Which is better really depends on your tastes. Try a range of Earl Greys and green teas to decide.
Which Earl Grey tea has real bergamot?
Most tea brands use natural or artificial bergamot flavouring, as the essential oils are quite expensive. Hampstead Tea, PMD, and Teakruthi are three brands that I recommend that use real oils in their Earl Grey blends.
What is the best tea brand in the UK for Earl Grey?
For a classic Earl Grey, Whittard of Chelsea do the best blend in my opinion. It’s fresh, bold and a true classic. Hampstead, Twinings and Ministry of Tea are all good options too. For something a little more unusual, consider the Sri Lankan tea brand Teakruthi for their amazing ‘The Vanilla Earl’.