Blogs • Posted by Jordyn Williams • 17th March 2023
Does Earl Grey Have Caffeine?
Earl Grey Caffeine Content: Super Strong or Just a Smidge?
What is Earl Grey?
It’s elegant and citrusy and just the ticket for afternoon tea… but what actually is Earl Grey tea? Before we quiz caffeine, let’s check out its identi-tea!
Earl Grey is a type of black tea, just like Darjeeling and malty English Breakfast. But it’s pretty flexible (got oodles of flexibili-tea, you see… okay, no more puns now) as it also straddles another category: flavoured tea. This describes any type of tea that has been enhanced and flavoured with fruit, spices, nuts, flowers, or oils. It’s that final one making Earl Grey so special – it’s a black tea beautified by bergamot oil!
Bergamot is a bitter, inedible citrus fruit that originating from South East Asia. Not nice to eat, but scrummy to smell! Its luscious oil is used to make perfumes, soaps, candles and more! The scent is fruity and fragrant, with a slight tickle of grapefruit-ish bitterness.
Beautiful bergamot combines with the tea leaves to create a delicate, rounded black tea. Expect tea that is floral, vanilla-like and citrusy… Scrumptious, in short. It’s perfect for afternoon tea as it pairs well with cake, but those smooth flavours are delicious any time of day!
Sipping on citrusy tea right now? You might want to know your Earl Grey Caffeine Content. We’re actually pretty certain you do. Seeing as you’re on this page, and all…
So, does Earl Grey tea have caffeine?
Yep, it does. Why? Because it comes from the Camellia sinensis plant – just like every other tea. The Camellia sinensis contains caffeine so teas do, too. The exception is herbal teas like Peppermint, which infuse the water with plant material like leaves, spices and berries. That is why we should actually call these tisanes or infusions rather than teas. They’re not really teas at all!
It’s hard to give a definite Earl Grey caffeine content (we’ll tell you why in a mo) but, on average, a 230ml mug of Earl Grey contains about 85 milligrams of caffeine. Bergamot oil extracts don’t contain caffeine, so the caffeine comes exclusively from the tea leaves. And milk doesn’t make an impact on the amount of caffeine in tea, either. Just so ya’ know!
Depending on your natural tolerance, you should be fine and dandy to drink 4-6 Earl Greys a day. Providing you’re not also knocking back the espressos like wild-night-out-tequilas, of course…
What affects the caffeine content in a cup of tea?
Errr… whether you fill it up to the top?
Yep! There are also a good few more factors affecting your Earl Grey caffeine contents:
Specific varietal of Camellia sinensis plant
Time of year the farmers harvested the leaves
Processing method
Whether you use tea leaves or tea bags (bagged tea tends to have more caffeine because the low-grade leaves are crushed to a dust)
Brew time
Water temperature for the brew
So, tea drinkers, we can give you a nice, clear answer to your ‘does Earl Grey have caffeine’ question.
However, on average, a mug of filter coffee contains 140mg caffeine, which is definitely more than the 85mg in your Earl Grey. So coffee contains more caffeine than Earl Grey!
Does Earl Grey Have More Caffeine than other Teas?
More comparison! Fancy a tea pick ‘n’ mix, a personal conveyor belt of different teas (doesn’t that sound nice??)?
Let’s take a peek at which tea has the most caffeine.
All teas, as you know, contain caffeine. But the processing method – the part that makes black teas black and green teas green – impacts the amount of caffeine. Steeping times also play a part. You brew green teas for less time, which tends to mean less caffeine is released.
Matcha: 126mg per 100ml
Black teas: 37mg per 100ml
Green: 31mg per 100ml
White: 27mg per 100ml
Rooibos: no caffeine
Herbal: no caffeine
Earl Grey Health Benefits
Tea is brimming with health benefits! It rivals any green smoothie AND treats you to GREAT dunking potential. Win Win.
Earl Grey is a top source of polyphenols. These antioxidants are overflowing with healthy properties. 👍 As well as helping to lower blood pressure and the risk of diabetes, they have some awesome cholesterol-reducing powers. This goes for all teas, but especially Earl Grey – bergamot oil is thought to be particularly helpful at quashing bad LDL cholesterol!
The theaflavin antioxidant in Earl Grey will give your brain a boost, too. I guess we could say that Earl Grey keeps the grey cells working! The caffeine also improves focus and makes you feel alert. And… don’t panic … tea will help to keep you chilled. One study found that those drinking three cups a day were 37% less likely to develop depression than those who don’t drink tea at all. Wonderful stuff. 😊
Grab a biscuit and keep reading 🍪 Find out about caffeine-free Peppermint right here!
Jordyn joined Two Chimps in September 2023 to start his career in coffee roasting. Since learning to roast the amazing coffee at Two Chimps, he is a firm believer in the stronger roast style and continues to enjoy testing out new coffees from different areas of the world.
What Jordyn does outside of the treehouse:
In his free time, Jordyn is a dad to a four-year-old girl who keeps him on his toes. When he’s not taking her out on her bike or colouring in Bluey paintings, he’s dreaming about the days when he can go golfing for some peace.
Jordyn says…
“I’m really glad I made the decision to join the Two Chimps troop and start my coffee roasting career. I love experimenting with different coffees and sharing them with our customers. I’m a firm believer of “you can’t buy happiness, but you can buy a coffee and that’s kind of the same thing”.”
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