VERSAILLES LAVENDER EARL GREY

French number one super blue lavender transports a floral harvest in Provence to a simply intoxicating Earl Grey, creating a delightful synergy of two cultures.

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

ARTISANAL NOTES:Small Batch Blended in Canada

Teas From: Sri Lanka and France

Regions: Nuwara Eliya + Dimbula + Uva / Provence 

ANTIOXIDANT LEVEL:High 

CAFFEINE LEVEL:Medium

Shelf Life: 2 years

Steep for 3-7 minuets using boiling water.

Versailles. The very mention of the famous chateau built by the King of France Louis XIV conjures up images of unbelievable opulence. Early in his reign Louis XIV moved his royal court from Paris to the countryside and began construction of the chateau. Work on the structure began in 1664 and continued almost until his death in 1715. And why did it take so long you may ask? Well, Versailles is big - very big! The chateau has more than 2,000 windows, 700 rooms filled with thousands of paintings, tapestries, sculptures, and pieces of furniture, 1250 fireplaces, 67 staircases and is surrounded by more than 1,800 acres of parkland. Did we mention it was big?

Louis XIV's life in the palace was extremely regimented. Nothing was left to chance since as King, he was considered second only to God, and deserved only the best. Subsequently, at Versailles, there were rules for everything. (This is where our inspiration for this tea blend comes in.) Louis XIV was always known for his fondness for fresh lavender from the French countryside. He was so fond of it that he demanded to be bathed in lavender scented water every morning. In 1658, he even issued a royal decree ruling exactly how lavender was to be used to scent soap, the "Edit du Roi Pour le Manufactures du Savon" - the man seriously loved his Lavender.

So, when it came time to blend a tea in honor of this ancient royal, it only seemed fitting that we blend it with the King's favorite flower. Aside from being a lover of lavender, Louis XIV was also revered at the time as quite a statesman.

So, since it is no secret that over the years there has been no love lost between the French and the English, we thought we'd do our part for French statesmanship by blending our fresh lavender with a British favorite, Earl Grey. We think that you'll find the results to be as sumptuous as the vast halls of Versailles.

When brewed, this tea has a delicate floral bouquet that compliments the citrus character of Earl Grey's bergamot beautifully. Truly an exceptional tea. à votre santé! - to your health!

PRIMARY NOTES:

Variety: Black tea blend 

GRADE(S):OP (Orange Pekoe) CUPPING NOTES: 

CUP CHARACTERISTICS:French #1 super blue lavender transports a floral harvest in Provence to a simply intoxicating Earl Grey, creating a delightful synergy of two cultures. 

INFUSION:Bright and Coppery, floral notes blend with a citrus sweetness. Pairing Suggestions: Lemon flavored cookies, cakes or custards, strawberry shortcake, blackberry scones

ORIGIN NOTES: Country (ies) of 

Origin:Sri Lanka / France 

REGION(S):Dimbula / Provence

Seasonality: Seasonal quality (Jan.-Feb. growth) / Seasonal quality (Sep. - Oct. harvest) 

SHIPPING PORT(S):Colombo / Marseilles

Grade Composition: OP (Orange Pekoe)

Growing Altitude(s): 4000-5900 / 200-800 feet above sea level 

MANUFACTURE TYPE(S):Orthodox

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS:

INGREDIENTS: Black tea, Lavender + Cornflower petals, Natural flavors.

Food Safety:

HACCP - Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points

GMP  Good Manufacturing Processes

C-TPAT  Customs Trade Partner Against Terrorism

PESTICIDE FREE: 50% of blend grown on estates that do not use pesticides or herbicides.

Any other tea meets EU/USA/Canada/Japan specifications for agricultural inputs

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 to 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=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 MRLÂ'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 irradiated 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: Our supplier 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 fiber, 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: Social Credentials: 100% of the tea comes from tea estates certified by: - Ethical Tea Partnership and/or - Fair Trade and/or - Our suppliers 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: 1½ teaspoon (3.0 gr. / 0.10 oz.)

Sugg. Brewing Temp: 100C / 212F

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 residual calcification in your kettle being poured into your tea.

** 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: 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 2006 Japanese study revealed that there may be an association between drinking black tea and prevention of diabetes. Iso H et al. (2006).

The Relationship between Green Tea and Total Caffeine Intake and Risk for Self-Reported Type 2 Diabetes among Japanese Adults. 144. pp. 554-62. According to research by the University of Illinois, the catechins and theaflavins (polyphenols) present in tea leaves may inhibit the growth of oral bacteria. 

TRADITIONAL, THERAPEUTIC AND FOLK USE NOTES: Cornflower petals  In countries with long histories of herbalism and traditional medicine, i.e. China, cornflower petals are believed to aid digestion, strengthen the liver and protect the body against infections.

Traditional herbalists in France believe lavender tea can offer relief from depression, insomnia and headaches.