Day 4 of the Christmas Countdown. Today’s “gift” would be four calling birds … or colly birds. Which are supposed to be black birds.
I found this picture online doing a simple image search – if it belongs to you, please don’t get upset with me. If you want me to take it down, I will. I just thought it was kind of funny, and I have always wondered what the heck a calling bird looked like.
Anyway, I am glad that Della Terra Teas didn’t send me 4 calling birds and instead sent me this tea …
Cinnamon Diletto
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tisane Description:
On this, the fourth fantastic day of Christmas, why not spice it up a bit? Both you and the calling birds will be calling for more!
Enjoy this amazing Cinnamon Diletto. With all the spice that makes everything nice, not just the calling birds will be happy, you will be as well!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
As I’ve mentioned on previous occasions, I’m never too thrilled to try a rooibos blend, as it tends to be one of my least favorite tisane bases. But after taking a whiff of this Cinnamon Diletto from Della Terra Teas – the tea for the 4th day of Christmas – I looked forward to trying it.
Very cinnamon-y! So cinnamon-y, in fact, that you miss the rooibos flavor, which works out just fine for me. There is some body to this tisane which comes from the rooibos, and there is also some nutty, earthy tones that complement the cinnamon notes so seamlessly that you don’t really realize that what you’re sipping is a rooibos tisane.
The cinnamon has a sweet flavor, but there is a zingy spice to it too. It’s a very warming tea – a delightful choice for winter evenings while relaxing. It’s one of those tisanes that has me sort of astonished, really, because the blend is so simple! It’s just rooibos and cinnamon and safflower petals. There isn’t anything fancy about this rooibos blend. But the cinnamon and rooibos were blended in just the right amount to create a deliciously warm, spicy-sweet drink that I can’t believe I’m sitting here enjoying as much as I am.
So far, Della Terra Teas’ Christmas box is 4 wins out of 4 teas!
World Bird Sanctuary Tea Blend from Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black & Green
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
This black tea blend has a full bodied and smooth taste. For every 2 oz package that is purchased, $2 is donated to the World Bird Sanctuary. If you purchase a 4 oz package, $4 will be donated. The World Bird Sanctuary is based in Valley Park, MO. It’s mission is to preserve the earth’s biological diversity and to secure the future of threatened bird species in their natural environments. It does this through education, propogation, field studies and rehabilitation. Now you can enjoy a great cup of tea and help preserve threatened bird species at the same time. Ingredients: Black Tea, Cornflower and Safflower Petals, and Natural Flavors.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This World Bird Sanctuary Tea Blend from Trail Lodge Tea is an interesting blend. The aroma of the dry leaf is earthy and slightly smoky, with hints of flower and fruit. The brewed tea smells a little less smoky, but maintains its earthy, floral, and fruity fragrance. I still am picking up on hints of smoke, but, they are very distant.
Because this is a black and green tea leaf blend, I used a lower temperature to steep the tea, opting for a 185°F temperature and a 2.5 minute brew time. The flavor is primarily a black tea taste … earthy, somewhat sweet, with floral notes. It has a moderate astringency to it.
The green tea is not as noticeable as the black tea … but, where it is noticed is in the body … it is not quite as heavily bodied as a tea comprised of only black tea. It is still certainly what I’d consider a full-bodied tea, but it is not quite as hefty as, say, a straight up Assam or even a straight up Ceylon. There is also a vegetative note to this that is more noticeable as I continue to sip that is definitely ‘green tea-like’.
Trail Lodge Tea does not elaborate on the flavoring that is used to create this blend, but as I continue to sip, a definite fruit note seems to emerge … it tastes peach-y … or possibly apricot-peach-y. It is sweet and quite lovely, actually. I like that the flavor here isn’t overdone. It is mild and allows the blend of black and green teas to be the focus.
The floral notes here are delicate, which isn’t surprising to me, as I tend to find both Cornflowers and Safflower petals to be very mild petals and are often used not so much to flavor a tea but rather, to color the blend with some visual appeal. And these petals certainly do that … and they do add just a hint of floral taste to the cup too.
This one is especially good as an iced tea!