Head to head · Darjeeling base vs. citrus blend
Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme Loose Leaf vs. Twinings Lady Grey Black Tea (100 ct)
Loose leaf
Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme Loose Leaf
The Earl Grey most people spend years trying to improve on. Then stop.
Paper bags
Twinings Lady Grey Black Tea (100 ct)
Earl Grey, softened. Easier to live with.
Side by side.
| Harney & Sons | Twinings Lady Grey | |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Loose leaf | Paper bags |
| Leaf | Black | Black |
| Brew temp | 212°F | 212°F |
| Steep time | 4-5 min | 3-4 min |
| Caffeine | high | high |
| Best for | afternoon, Earl Grey aficionados, straight or with milk | mid-morning, lighter Earl Grey |
The verdict
Same fragrance family. Completely different base under it.
Harney's Supreme builds its bergamot on whole Darjeeling and Nilgiri leaves dressed with blue cornflower: the tea itself has muscatel and floral character before the bergamot arrives, so what you taste is layered. Twinings Lady Grey replaces the bergamot with lemon and Seville orange peel over a lighter black base, sweeter and more citrus-forward, the version designed for people who found classic Earl Grey too sharp. Supreme adds depth to the bergamot family. Lady Grey removes the edge from it.
Pick Harney & if
You want Earl Grey with complexity underneath. Darjeeling character, bergamot on top.
Pick Twinings Lady if
You want the citrus version: lemon and orange, no perfume, no astringency.
House rule
We pick a lane. We say so. Then we link both, because we know the lane isn't always yours.