Followed up my cup of Vahdam’s Earl Grey Spiced with this new EG from DAVIDsTEA that quietly launched alongside Lemon Ginger Reset earlier in the week, as part of a wellness/adaptogen focused collection.
Honestly, it’s kind of crazy to me that DT hasn’t carried a Lavender Earl Grey before this because it’s not a super uncommon twist on the classic EG profile. I think, because it’s not unexplored within the industry, that’s why I wanted to do something with this profile that I hadn’t seen before – so we added ashwagandha to the blend! Ashwagandha is an adaptogenic root that been using in traditional medicine for ages but it recently becoming very trendy for its purported ability to help the body relax and adapt to stress.
For those reasons, it just seemed like such an incredibly natural combination with lavender, which is also used a lot in aromatherapy and traditional medicines for its relaxing properties. So, I guess you could think of this as a sort of “super relaxing” Earl Grey but without sacrificing the caffeine. Perfect for starting the morning or as a midafternoon cuppa when you don’t want to carry tension with you for the rest of the day, but might not exactly want to feel “sleepy”…
What does it taste like, though? Well, lavender. Also bergamot. It’s honestly pretty straight forward but that doesn’t mean it isn’t plenty flavourful. I find the bergamot pretty bold in this blend, and the lavender is also really distinct in both aroma and taste. It’s probably not a blend for someone intimidated or turned off by florals. Though, if you find it strong a bit of milk or cream really helps soften things up and make for a beautiful but still full bodied cup. Very “British tea time” vibes – you could for serve this at an afternoon tea time with your grandparents. Personally, I like to add a bit of honey because the combo of lavender and honey is just superb.
I’ll also say that it’s definitely not a sweet Earl Grey and it’s also not creamy either. Closer to DT’s classic Earl Grey than Cream of Earl Grey, and by quite a bit. Plenty of room to add whatever sweetener you prefer in whatever quantity works best for you, or to just not sweeten it at all. I don’t know that I’ll be adding this one to my own stash, as I do prefer a sweeter or more highly flavoured twist on an EG, but I’m happy this exists! It’s something we’ve been asked for so much, and it was really cool to challenge myself to find a way to take the classic Lavender Earl Grey and honor that style of EG while still kind of giving it something distinct.
Friendly reminder that I do not numerically rate DAVIDsTEA blends as I’m currently employed there and it would be an obvious conflict of interest. Any blends you see with numerical ratings were rated prior to my employment there. These reviews are a reflection of my personal thoughts and feelings regarding the teas, and not the company’s.
I entirely missed that there was ashwagandha in this blend, interesting. Sounds like an excellent choice for stressful workdays!