Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: MarketSpice
Product Description:
A tea version of a classic winter drink. Contains Chinese Hunan black tea, Apple black tea, Cinnamon flavoring and mulling spices.
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the package of this tea, I got very excited. It smelled very much like the spicy, cinnamon-y, orange-y MarketSpice signature blend which I absolutely love. That tea is a bit on the extreme side, but I think that is one of the things that I love about it.
This tea … is different. The flavors are not quite as extreme as the MarketSpice signature blend, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less tasty. The cinnamon here is softer, and instead of orange, this has a distinct apple-y flavor to it. The apple seems to act as a softer presence, providing a mellow sweetness that seems to tame the strength of the cinnamon. The mulling spices are also not aggressive; I am finding them quite soothing actually.
What this tastes like is spiced apple cider and black tea. And based upon the above description from MarketSpice, I think that’s what they were going for. Well, they nailed it!
The tea and flavors seem to meet halfway here; they aren’t really competing for the spotlight. They are all working together very harmoniously. The black tea is strong. The apple is sweet with a barely-there hint of tartness in the background. That tartness presents itself more prominently in the aftertaste, but it is never a particularly strong note. The spices are deliciously warm and comforting with just a hint of spicy heat peeking its way through.
This is a tea that I would be happy to keep in my tea cupboard as autumn approaches. It is a perfect autumn tea!
