Amount:  2oz $4.99 makes about 12 mugs 4oz $8.99 makes about 25 mugs 8oz $15.99 makes about 50 mugs 1lb $28.99 makes about 100 mugs

Description

CREAM EARL GREY

Earl Grey is world renowned as a classic English tea – probably as famous as the Tower Bridge or Big Ben. If you are fan of Earl Grey and haven’t tried Cream Earl Grey yet, you’re in for a treat. Cream Earl Grey has a taste that’s smooth with vanilla overtones that stand out above the premium bergamot flavor – the signature taste of Earl Grey. This is a tea that would complement a royal meal or any another aristocratic occasion for that matter! One has to assume that Charles Grey himself (1764-1845) would have strongly approved of this delicacy. What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors? Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic ‘Ceylon’ tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This ‘dual peak period’ allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness. Secondly… we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat. Thirdly… we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat ‘soft ‘ and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas

PRIMARY NOTES: Category: English Favourites

Variety: Black tea blend

Grade: OP (Orange Pekoe)

CUPPING NOTES: Cup Characteristics: A must for the avid Earl Grey tea drinker! Our flavoury Earl Grey mellowed with a delicious creamy taste. An excellent all day tea with a superb finish.

Infusion: Bright and coppery.

Pairing Suggestions: BBQ pork buns, scones and cream, field berry muffins.

ORIGIN NOTES: Country(ies) of Origin: Sri Lanka Region(s): Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula or Uva districts

Seasonality: Seasonal quality (Jan.-Feb. growth), Seasonal quality (Jan.-Feb. growth), Seasonal quality (Jan.- Feb. + August growth)

Shipping Port(s): Colombo

Grade Composition: OP (Orange Pekoe)

Growing Altitude(s): 4000’ - 8500’ feet above sea level

Manufacture Type(s): Orthodox (Traditional leafy)

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

Luxury Ingredients: Black tea, Cornflower petals, Natural flavors.

Food Safety: HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

GMP – Good Manufacturing Processes C-TPAT – Customs Trade Partner Against Terrorism Allergens: Nuts: No Gluten: No Wheat: No Sulfites: No Soy Lecithin: No Crustacea: No Eggs: No Milk or dairy: No • Packed at a factory that has an HACCP certified allergen control program. • Packed at a factory that has nuts on the premises Caffeine: This tea contains natural caffeine found in the Camellia Sinensis family. A cup of black tea steeped in boiled water for 5 minutes will contain between 27 to 35 mg of caffeine – about the same amount as an equal serving of Coca-Cola. An equal sized cup of coffee will contain between 80 – 100 mg of caffeine. Caffeine quickly becomes soluble in very hot water. If you wish to reduce the caffeine level in this tea, briefly rinsing the tea leaves in extremely hot water will reduce the caffeine content between 25-50% with only a minor effect on taste.

Est. Antioxidant Guide: 7.5% - 9.5% polyphenols by dry weight. HP-AT=Very High Polyphenol Antioxidant Tea. Note: The longer you steep your tea the more polyphenols will be extracted. (Test results based on 5 minutes steeping time. Polyphenol percentages may fluctuate with lot, grade of tea, testing method, temperature of water and freshness of tea)

Food Standards: This tea meets or exceeds the food safety compliance standards covering microbiological activity, heavy metals and pesticide MRL’s for the European Union, Japan, Canada, USA and all other major tea importing countries.

Product Assurance: All the ingredients used in this tea are commonly used in teas and other foods. Radiation Statement: This tea is not radiated in any form.

GMO Statement: This product is not made with any elements that might be Genetically Modified.

Environment Statement #1: This tea comes from tea estates that undertake responsible land-use practices. Tea estate land not used for tea cultivation or worker vegetable gardens, remains in its natural state or has been reforested as part of the estate’s managed-forest program.

Environment Statement #2: Metropolitan Tea Company created its own carbon-offset program by purchasing 200 acres of land. This land contains 45 acres of wetland maintaining a healthy home for more than 50 different species of amphibians, reptiles, fish, songbirds and migrating waterfowl; 95 acres of mature hardwood forest for an immediate carbon-offset and 60 acres of pastureland which will be reforested by 2015 with more then 25,000 native hardwood trees.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION: Canada per 175 ml - % of Daily Values Calories 0 Fat 0g 0 % Sodium 0mg 0 % Carbohydrate 1g 0 % Protein 0.1g Not a significant source of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fibre, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron.. USA Serving size 1 teabag or 2.5g of loose tea. Makes 8 fl oz or 240ml Amount per Serving, Calories: 0 Cal. Percent of Daily Value Fat 0g 0 % Sodium 0mg 0 % Carbohydrate 0g 0% Protein 0.1g Not a significant source of fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, dietary fiber, sugars, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. UK 100 ml tea infusion *(no milk) typically gives you: Energy 2kJ less than 1kcal Protein 0.1g Carbohydrate trace - of which come from sugars: trace Fat trace – of which come saturated fats: trace Fibre 0g Sodium trace Per serving of 200ml (1 cup) 1 Calorie 0g Fat Per serving of 170ml tea infusion and 30ml semi-skimmed milk 14 Calories 0.5g Fat * Based on tea brewed with freshly boiled water for 3 minutes.

PRODUCT CREDENTIALS: Organic Credentials: This tea is a non-organic conventional tea packed at The Metropolitan Tea Company, a certified organic tea handler. Certified to the standards of the USDA/NOP program by QMI. Certificate number 150-2008 - go to www.metrotea.com for the most recent copy of our organic certificate.

Social Credentials: 100% of the tea comes from tea estates certified by: - Ethical Tea Partnership and/or - Metropolitan Tea global audit program

BREWING RECOMMENDATIONS – 1 cup; 230-280ml, 8-10 fl oz): Weaker Tea: ¾ teaspoon (1.7 gr. / 0.06 oz.) Regular Strength Tea: 1 teaspoon (2.2 gr. / 0.08 oz.) Stronger Tea: 1 ½ teaspoon (3.0 gr. / 0.10 oz.) Sugg. Brewing Temp: 100’C / 212’F Sugg. Brewing Time: Weaker < 3 min. / Regular Strength 4-5 min. / Stronger > 6-8 min* Sugar: To taste if desired Milk Y or N To taste if desired Lemon Y or N To taste if desired Fresh Mint Sprig Y or N To taste if desired Energy Saving Tip Don’t over-fill your kettle. Boil only the water you need for the amount of tea you are serving. It is recommended that you use about 40-50ml (2-4 ounces) more water then required to account for steam loss and avoiding any calcification in your kettle. ** Note: The longer brewing time for stronger tea, may be too astringent for some tastes – but, more polyphenols will be extracted!

Hot tea brewing method: Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Add desired quantity of loose-leaf tea to your teapot. Infuse with the freshly boiled water, cover and let steep for 3-8 minutes in accordance to desired strength.

Iced tea brewing method: (Make 1 liter/quart): Bring freshly drawn cold water to a rolling boil. Place 6 teaspoons of loose-leaf tea into a teapot or heat resistant pitcher. Infuse with 1 ¼ cups boiled water and let steep for 5 minutes. Next, fill a large pitcher ¼ full of freshly drawn cold water. Strain brewed tea into pitcher with the cold water. Fill the remainder of the pitcher with ice and top up with more cold water. Sweeten to taste, garnish and serve. (Note: Some premium quality teas may turn cloudy when poured over ice. This is a sign of quality leaf and nothing to worry about!)

STORAGE GUIDELINES Storage conditions: Unopened - ideally in a cool dry location and not in direct sunlight. After opening store in an airtight container in a cool dry location. Tea can safely be stored in vacuum pack bag - tightly fold the top of the bag over and seal with tape. Do not refrigerate.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS NOTES: • Black tea comes from the same plant as green and white teas, (Camellia Sinensis) and is an excellent source of antioxidants and polyphenols. • A Dutch study published by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the risk of heart attack in people who drank 3 or more cups of black tea per day was 1/2 that of non-black tea drinkers. The study also found that the risk of dying from a heart attack, if they had one, was reduced by 1/3rd.* *(Geleijnse, Johanna M et al. Inverse association of tea and flavonoid intakes with incident myocardial infarction: the Rotterdam Study. Am J Clin Nutr 2002;75:880-86.)

TRADITIONAL AND FOLK USE NOTES: • Bergamot – Some practitioners of Chinese traditional medicine believe that bergamot can assist in reducing anxiety and depression. • Cornflower petals – In countries with long histories of herbalism and traditional medicine, i.e. China, cornflower petals are believed to assist in treating rheumatic ailments, ease urinary tract infections and help heal wounds by promoting blood clotting.