Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: Mark T. Wendell
Company Description:
A blend of select black tea leaves with orange pieces, bits of cranberry, ginger and cinnamon. A winter season favorite that is now available year-round.
Taster’s Review:
Having recently tried Mark T. Wendell’s Autumn Cranberry blend, I was very curious to see how this one would differ from that tea.
While the two teas are both black teas flavored with cranberry, they are two very different teas. Since I’ve already reviewed the Autumn Cranberry blend, I think I’ll just talk about the tea that I’m sipping right now: Holiday Fruit & Spice!
The black tea base is brisk but not very aggressive. It seems rather content to sit back in the background and just let the cranberry, orange and spices do their thing. It is a mild yet very delicious black tea with a light-to-medium amount of astringency.
The cranberry and orange are very complimentary to each other here. A light tartness from the cranberry and the sweet orange really come together well in this cup. It tastes juicy, bright and delicious.
The spices here are not overwhelming or spicy. Instead, they simply give the cranberry and orange a very seasonal kind of flair. The spices add just a hint of warmth to the cup. What this sort of reminds me of one of those spiced fruit punches that are served at holiday parties… you know what I’m talking about? With the clove-encrusted orange slices floating on top? It has that kind of spice level… not strong, just warm and very agreeable.
There is no bitterness to this tea. I even brewed this and forgot to set the timer — I think it must have been brewing for well over 5 minutes before I rescued it! But still, no bitterness. Just very pleasant fruit and spice flavor.
After my initial taste, I decided to add a drizzle of honey to my cup. It is plenty sweet without the honey, but I like the way the honey enhances the fruit and spice flavors. This is a very nice cuppa – one that would be perfect to serve to friends and family at holiday gatherings!
