Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey Tea Review
Pukka describe this blend as “a tea truly fit for an earl” but can we take their word for it? This week I am reviewing Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey to find out. And despite numerous terrible tea blends from Pukka that I’ve reviewed in the past, I’m still keeping an open mind. Earl Grey is one of my favourite tea blends, after all.
I’ll be taking a closer look at the ingredients, quality, flavour, aroma and more. Sip along with me or find a place to buy this tea online using the affiliate links below.
Pukka Earl Grey Teabags at a Glance
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Blend: Darjeeling black tea with bergamot, lemon and lavender
- Flavour: Drying black tea with pleasant bergamot and lemon notes
This is without-a-doubt one of the best teas by Pukka. The black tea base is smooth and drying, while the bergamot and lemon are beautifully balanced. Adding more lavender would improve it, however.
Full Review – Gorgeous Earl Grey Tea by Pukka
Izzy's Rating
3.1/5
- Type: Tagged paper filter teabag
- Tea: Darjeeling black tea from the Putharjhora plantation in Dooars, India
- Additives: Bergamot essential oil flavour, lemon essential oil flavour, lavender flower
- Flavour Notes: Drying, smooth, sweet lemon peel, floral bergamot, slightly bitter
- Aroma: Subtle bergamot, lemon, malty, tannins
- Milk or Lemon: Either or neither!
- Where to Buy: Amazon
Each teabag is individually wrapped in paper inside the main box. When you rip one open, there isn’t a strong aroma waiting for you. Subtle bergamot and lemon notes meet your noise on a deep inhale, but there’s not much else present.
Thankfully, the aroma livens up once the tea has brewed. It quickly develops into a slightly cloudy golden-orange-brown tea with more depth on the nose. It’s malty, but not quite bold, and the tannins of the Darjeeling black tea are evident too. You can also clearly make out sweet bergamot notes… but the lemon and lavender are missing.
I have to say, the flavour was impressive. Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey has that perfect balance between strength of flavour and smooth black tea. It’s only slightly bitter and quite drying in your mouth, which suits the Earl Grey flavour combination perfectly. You can taste sweet lemon peel and floral bergamot on your tongue too.
It’s all extremely well-balanced and easy to sip. My only wish is that the lavender was more prominent in both the aroma and flavour, to make it a little bit more special. Right now, it’s tasting quite similar to Twinings Lady Grey without that lavender note to make it unique.
How to Brew Pukka Earl Grey
Fill your kettle with fresh water (reboiling water does no favour for the tea) and bring it to a boil. Pour 250ml of just boiled water over the teabag and let it steep for 3 minutes. This will create a good strength Earl Grey to drink black.
If you like milk in your Earl Grey, let it steep for an extra minute or so. Milk is definitely not a requirement, however, and a slice of lemon is a more refined alternative.
Each teabag contains 2g of tea, which is standard.
As for food pairings, any citrusy baked good is an excellent choice. I’ve heard that dark chocolate is a great pairing with Earl Grey too, but I personally don’t like the bitter taste.
Why Pukka Herbs?
Pukka can be really hit and miss. Some of their tea blends are delicious, and others are not at all. The two most common complaints I have with Pukka are:
- Using way too much liquorice to sweeten the tea,
- Name of the tea doesn’t match the ingredients, which is very misleading in some cases.
Pukka Gorgeous Earl Grey doesn’t have a liquorice problem, but the ingredients list is a little disappointing. The black tea accounts for 88% of the blend, with bergamot at 7%, lemon at 3% and lavender at 2%. No wonder I couldn’t taste the lavender!
Nonetheless, I am very happy with the quality of the ingredients. They are 100% organically grown and ethically sourced, with the Soil Association Organic seal of approval to confirm these claims. Furthermore, the Darjeeling black tea from the Putharjhora plantation in the Dooars region of India is certified fair trade according to the Fair for Life Standard.
Buying this tea supports tea workers in India and doesn’t harm the planet. Thumbs up from me.
Summary
This tea has to be my favourite from Pukka Herbs. It’s beautifully balanced and has all the organic and ethical certifications you could hope for. The only thing preventing it from scoring an easy 4/5 is the lack of lavender. Nonetheless, it’s one of the highest scoring teas in my Best Earl Grey Comparison.
At the time of writing, this tea is available to buy from Amazon in both the US and UK. Use the button below to check the price and current availability.
Tea Recommendation
If knowing the type of black tea and its origins is appealing to you, then I recommend trying a single origin loose leaf tea next. Colorful Tea’s Lapsang Souchong is a wonderful example and a delicious-tasting treat that I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing.