Is Golden Moon Tea really organic

Yes they are USDA certified organic and test for heavy metals and pesticides to ensure purity

What makes loose leaf tea better than bags

Loose leaf tea allows water to circulate fully which extracts more flavor and avoids microplastics often found in tea bags

Does Golden Moon Tea contain natural flavors

No they strictly avoid the vague ingredient listed as natural flavors and use only real tea leaves and spices

What makes a high quality Earl Grey tea

A high quality Earl Grey relies on authentic ingredients rather than synthetic flavoring. Many brands use artificial bergamot which is why authentic options like the Tippy Earl Grey tea from Golden Moon Tea make a noticeable difference in your cup.

What is a good daily tea schedule

During the week I drink three cups a day. I start with a black tea in the morning move to a Sencha in the afternoon and enjoy Earl Grey at night. On weekends I usually scale back to one or two cups.

How can drinking tea be a meditative experience

Everything about making and drinking tea requires you to slow down and be present. From deeply inhaling the aromas when opening the can to watching the leaves expand in the water and finally holding and tasting the tea the entire process is deeply relaxing.

Golden Moon Tea Review: Pure Flavor Without The Plastic

Steve Fiore
Aug 11, 2025
5 min read

Updated: 6 days ago

A steaming cup of tea sits on a wooden coffee table next to a dark leather couch. The mug is dark colored with white text that reads "BEST Dad EVAH!" and contains black Tippy Earl Grey tea by Golden Moon Tea. The mug is placed on a dark circular coaster, and the warm lighting creates a cozy, relaxed atmosphere in what looks like a comfortable living room setting. — Drinking tea is a calming, almost meditative experience. The aroma, the warmth of the cup, and each sip make it special every time. My favorite mug, the Best Dad Evah (Boston slang for Ever) cup from my son Michael, adds a personal touch to the ritual.

Cover image photo credit to Tang Don

Where It All Began: Tea Memories from Childhood

Tea was the first product where my taste buds started to realize the value of a well sourced product. Getting to this Golden Moon Tea Review was a journey and didn’t happen overnight. I remember growing up as a kid where my mom would make me the very popular store-bought black tea. I would add milk and sugar to it and even an ice cube because my mom would always tell me that would help it cool down so I could drink it sooner.

What I started to learn over time is that the act of drinking tea became a meditative experience where the holding and smelling the tea was just as much of the experience as the actual sipping the tea. I wrote another post about creating a meditative experience, Why Stopping the News Made Life Calmer, that shares another angle to help create a sense of calm.

Tea as a Ritual: Early Marriage and Bulk Buys

When my wife, Mary Beth, and I were first married, we continued with the standard black tea as we really didn’t know anything different. We then started shopping at our local wholesale club buying our tea in bulk, black for me and green for Mary Beth. Over time, I started to drink the green tea as well and it became an evening ritual for the two of us.

Five Golden Moon Tea stainless steel canisters displaying Sinharaja black tea, Golden Monkey black tea, Tippy Earl Grey black tea, Tie Guan Yin oolong tea, and English Breakfast black tea on kitchen counter — More of my Favorites from Golden Moon Tea- Sinharaja, Golden Monkey, Tippy Early Grey, Tie Guan Yin oolong tea, and English Breakfast

The Rooted & Refined Living Expert Tip:

"Drinking tea is more than just the taste. The entire process can be a meditative experience. The smell of the tea when you open the can, the steeping of the tea, the pouring into the cup, the holding of the cup, and of course, the smell and taste of the tea itself."

Golden Moon Tea Review

However, when we went out to eat or to a coffee/tea shop, I would always gravitate towards Earl Grey due to my love of Bergamot, which to me smelled like lavender. This is where my review of Golden Moon Tea started. One day at work, I was talking to a colleague who had a personal friend open up a tea shop in the Virginia, US area called Golden Moon Tea, which sold sourced and sold Organic Loose-Leaf Tea. The following week, he was nice enough to bring me a small container of one of his teas, Sinharaja, which is a black tea that has hits of cocoa and honey (which as you read my other posts is probably the reason why I liked it).

I also found that they had the best Earl Grey tea which ultimately became my everyday staple in the evening. As mentioned earlier, the holding of the cup, the smelling of the Bergamot, and the taste of the tea was a great meditative experience to end the day.

Close-up of premium loose leaf tea samples including jasmine pearls, sencha green tea, and matcha blend displayed on coral serving plate — Green Tea leaves: Jasmine Pearls (top), Sencha (bottom left) Matcha (bottom right)

An Insider's Treat: Small Batches and Big Flavors

The other thing I loved about Golden Moon tea was Marcus, the owner, used to offer an insider club, where he would source very small batches of unique teas such as Snow Dragon and Golden Monkey that typically weren’t meant for mass consumption but were sourced from a small patch of land on their farm and the tea was just out of this world. I hope he brings it back as I will be the first person on his list to buy it.

Four different loose leaf tea samples arranged on coral plate showing various black tea grades and processing styles from Golden Moon Tea collection — Four of my favorite Golden Moon Black teas; Sinharaja (top left), English Breakfast (top right), Tippy Earl Grey (bottom left), and Golden Monkey (bottom right)

Tea as a Daily Meditation: Savoring Every Cup

As of today, I typically drink 3 cups of tea a day, one in the morning (typically a rotation of black teas), afternoon (Sencha), and evening (always Earl Grey). Every cup of tea I have is a savory experience. If you are ever on a conference call with me, you will see one of my teacups as I typically rotate from the three colleges my kids go to. I hope you enjoy the tea as much as Mary Beth and I do.

Tea enthusiast holding red speckled Keene State college mug, demonstrating daily tea ritual and meditative tea drinking experienc — Me in my office drinking Golden Moon Sencha tea in afternoon with my Keene State College mug

The 6-Month Update:

While I have been drinking loose leaf tea for years, I noticed one thing that made a huge difference in the taste of the tea. If you pour the water just ever so slightly on the tea leaves, swirl for a few seconds and let them open up, wait a few seconds, and then pour the rest of the water, the tea tastes so much better. It really opens up the flavor profile to elevate your sensory experience. I can tell the difference immediately as the tea leaves stay at the top of the steeper I use vs. drop to the bottom. Hope this tip helps you enjoy your tea even more.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your favorite tea?

I love Earl Grey tea. It is my absolute favorite because of the bergamot flavor. I have tried many different brands of Earl Grey tea and many of them use synthetic flavoring vs. the real thing. This is why the Tippy Earl Grey tea from Golden Moon Tea tastes so good. Golden Moon Tea is the only tea with no pesticides, no GMOs, no chemically treated teabags and no “natural” or artificial flavors. Most of their teas are also certified organic.

How many cups of tea do you drink a day?

During the week, I drink 3 cups a day. One in the morning, usually a black tea, usually Sencha in the afternoon, and then Earl Grey at night. On the weekends, it is usually 1-2 depending on what we are doing.

How can tea be a meditative experience?

For me, everything about the making of the tea as well as drinking it is a relaxing, meditative experience. From the time I open the can, I take a deep inhale of the aromas of the tea, and then do the same after I scope it before placing the cap back on. Pouring the tea and watching the tea leaves expand and distribute the flavor into the water. Next is the holding, smelling, and tasting of the tea. Everything about the process is relaxing.

Start Your Own Tea Sensory Experience

If you’re curious to start your own tea sensory experience, I’ve listed my favorite teas. Give one a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments!

For Transparency: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I truly love and use myself.

I hope you enjoy!