Now THIS is a fruit flavored black tea I can get behind! Oh! Maybe that is because it doesn’t have hibiscus in it! Santa Berry Tea from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co, that is!
Santa Berry Tea from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co smells like fruity candy straight out of the bag! I think it is the fruity combo of orange, cranberry, strawberry, and raspberry. It’s truly a delight!
Once infused the cranberry is the more intense of the fruit to awaken the nose and tongue! The cardamom provides a hint of spice which is nice. The strawberry and raspberry seem to fuse together and that glorious orange peel MUST be from that same orange the company uses in their Orange Cookie Black Tea that I am a bit obsessed with lately! Santa Berry Tea from Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co is really something special! Of course, I am partial because it doesn’t contain hibiscus! That in itself deserves two thumbs up! But I’m genuinely stoked about the flavor of this tea! It’s great!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: The Kent & Sussex Tea & Coffee Co.
Description
Santa Berry- Cranberry and Raspberry Black Tea
This Black tea is mixed with sweet strawberries, raspberries and tangy cranberries for a tea that feels like it should be served with a scoop of ice cream and a cup of egg nog! Slightly spiced notes from the cardamom seeds and a creamy texture from the toasted almonds.
Type of Tea– Flavoured Blended Black Tea
Ingredients– Blended black tea, orange peel, almonds, dried cranberry pieces, cardamom pods, freeze dried strawberry pieces and raspberry pieces.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Buddy’s Blend from Geeky Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
Buddy has blended a black tea just for you! With the only other acceptable foods on his list being orange peel, ginger root, cinnamon bark, natural spice, ginger and cinnamon flavor, it’s perfect paired with spaghetti and maple syrup.
It’s only here during Christmas cheer! A seasonal new tradition.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
We are down to the wire! Last few days before the Christmas holiday is here. And what better way to celebrate the holidays with a festive blend from Geeky Teas, one of my personal favorite tea stores.
Geeky Teas is located in California where they combine two of my favorite fandoms- tea and all around geekiness! You’ll find anything from board games, Dr. Who merchandise, geeky fandom teas, and much more! I’ve never personally been there but I’m an avid follower and huge fan of theirs. I’ve used Geeky Teas for gift giving in the past and have always been impressed by Donna’s care and compassion.
Let’s chat about this tea- Buddy’s Blend. Now the first thing I thought of was that this tea was going to be a maple syrup blend or very sweet with the whole candy obsession Buddy has. Not the case at all. This is a black tea with more of a chai feel going on. Cloves, cardamom, ginger root, cinnamon, and other spices. I’m not the biggest fan of chais or blends that have a chai feel but I love Geeky Teas, so I had to check it out.
Brewed up like a black tea, this tea omitted a gorgeous aroma. The ginger really stood out. After about 3 minutes of steeping in water at 212F, the tea was ready to try. The tea itself had quite a nice amber appearance to it. I took a sip and from start to finish, you really do get a mild chai like flavor. The ginger still stands out as the most prominent flavor while the cardamom and cloves take a spot in second place. The cinnamon bark and cinnamon flavor rounds out the sip nicely with a touch of a spiced sweetness. The tea itself isn’t overall very sweet but with a bit of honey or sugar, this tea could really be stellar! I could even see this tea being a wonderful tea to create a latte with. A wonderful tea to start the holiday week off right!
Pretty tasty, tho I think I would like to see Donna’s take on a maple syrup tea. . . .that could be fun and fantastic!
If you haven’t checked out Geeky Teas, please do. They are a wonderful hand blended tea shop.
St. Nick’s From Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there….”Add St. Nick’s Tea to your holiday wish list because this blend is Nutty & Nice! Black teas are enhanced with the flavors of chocolate and roasted nuts with a hint of maple. The tea brews to an amber cup with a smooth, nutty, slightly sweet taste. It’s the perfect blend to enjoy on winter nights while you’re sitting by the fire. A definite crowd pleaser!
Ingredients: Black teas, almonds, organic cacao nibs, vanilla beans, flavoring and orange blossoms. Contains Tree Nuts.
Brew tea at 212º – steep for 3 minutes. Certified Kosher
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I adore Simpson & Vail. They are a great company. Fantastic customer service and a great line of teas, you really want for nothing when you shop with them. I was fortunate to be able to review some of their holiday teas and this one I’ve been quite excited about. Almonds, chocolate, vanilla bean, orange blossoms. . This tea just sounds like a festive sweet treat!
I brewed this up at work with water I prepped at 212F and allowed the tea to steep for about 3 minutes. This is a black tea and I wasn’t sure how forgiving the tea would be if I oversteeped. I didn’t want to ruin any of this holiday goodness!
After three minutes, my entire desk had this wonderful aroma of chocolate. Yum! I’m not a huge chocolate fan but even this tea was getting my attention. Like all other Simpson & Vail teas, this tea doesn’t disappoint!
In each sip, you can taste all the different flavors. The nuttiness, the citrus twist, the sweet creamy vanilla, and the rich lush chocolate. All in one sip. The flavors mingle so well together and really give you a tea that makes you sit back and saw “Wow”. I think my favorite part of this tea is the black tea base that creates a smoothness that all the other flavors can play off nicely. This tea would for sure make an amazing latte so I’m keeping the remainder of my sample to do just that later tonight.
If you are a fan of chocolate teas, check this one out. It even impressed a non chocolate eater like myself!
Gingybread Tea from Geeky Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Geeky Teas
Tea Description:
A new seasonal favorite is here in the form of a gingerbread tea! Natural gingerbread flavor is layered with cinnamon bark, ginger root and orange peels on a black tea base. Mmmmm… tasty!
“Eat me! I mean, drink me!” -Gingy
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Who doesn’t love Gingy from Shrek? That lovable little character always makes me giggle. So it seems that Geeky Teas picked the perfect character to create a holiday tea around.
To be honest, I’m not the biggest ginger fan so I was a little worried about how I would feel about this tea, but I have to say, this tea is a delight! Brewed up like a black tea with water prepped at 212F and steeped for about 3 minutes, this tea is a sweet take on a gingerbread tea. The first note you get is the gingerbread flavor with a hint of cinnamon. The orange peel gives off a nice citrus twist. There is a sweetness in there that I can’t place at the moment.
Such a lovely tea and it has such a nice feel to it. Warm, cozy, soothing. . .this tea has it all! This tea really does remind you of a gingerbread cookie. I mean, can you ask for a better holiday tea?
Apple Cinnamon Coffeecake from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Tea Description:
A new addition to our flavored tea line and already a huge hit with all of us here! This slightly sweet, scrumptious blend has a lightly toasted flavor with the delicious taste of apples and cinnamon. Sipping this tea reminds me of the Sunday morning breakfast treats of my childhood. Now that I’m all grown up I could have those treats every day of the week; however, I think I’ll stick to this tea blend instead. It’s full of the sinful tastes of childhood but, with no calories, it suits my adult metabolism!
Ingredients: Black teas, organic cinnamon chips, apple pieces, orange blossoms and flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This tea from Simpson & Vail is all things a flavored tea should be! There is no artificial flavor, the after taste is lingering and delightful, the flavor elements are perfectly bleneded. An all around excellent cup!
The aroma of this tea is something I can’t leave out of this review. It smells so good both in dry form and when steeped! The aroma fills the home and is a great way to scent your home without incense or candles, or that nasty artificial air freshener! My home smells like the holidays which is a lovely aroma anytime but especially this time of year!
I also want to mention the cinnamon in this blend. Often times cinnamon takes over a blend or is simply too spicy for some, the cinnamon in this tea is reminiscent of a cinnamon sugar cookie, sweet, not spicy. I love the way the cinnamon works in this tea.
The mouthfeel is slightly creamy and full. The color is a lovely festive orangish, brownish, red color.
Overall the flavor is sweet but not overly so, delicate on the spice notes, the apple is lovely in this tea, its quite fresh and delicious without coming over as a cider like tea. There is a wonderful baked goods flavor to the tea that again reminds me of cookies, christmas cookies. I think it is the toasted almonds that give off the baked goods flavor.
One could add some sugar or sweetener to this tea and it would hold up very well and give it an added dessert flavor.
I have been impressed thus far by Simpson & Vail teas although I would love to try more from them. I have only had their teas due to the generosity of others in tea trades but I look forward to making an order soon, perhaps after the holidays! For now, this sample is a wonderful treat for me while wrapping holiday gifts for others!
