Two days to go. Time to go shopping! Ha!
Winter Nog
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tisane Description:
Why were the Lords a leaping on the tenth day of Christmas? Well, obviously they all had a cup of Winter Nog!
Enjoy your festive day with a cup of this amazing egg nog rooibos. With all the spices you love about a perfect cup of Nog! Dont get too excited but … only 2 days ’til Christmas!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Well, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed to find this in my bag marked Day 10 from Della Terra Teas. As I mentioned previously when I contacted Della Terra Teas before I ordered this box, I was told that there would be one repeat (which was the Eight Candles tea) but we also had this tisane last year on the eleventh day. I don’t think I would have been quite as disappointed if it had been a different tea, but, since rooibos blends aren’t my favorite to begin with, I feel just a little let down that this is a duplicate tea.
Not that this is a bad tisane, I liked it alright last year, and I’m sipping on it now and I’m enjoying it alright now. But, I think that I would have been more delighted to try a tea that I haven’t yet tried from Della Terra Teas.
But this is still a tasty tisane. I think I might be tasting a tad more cinnamon this time around than last year … and I’m definitely tasting rum again this year. Perhaps it wasn’t my imagination back then! It is creamy with an egg-y, vanilla-y, custard-y kind of taste as it’s prominent flavor, and just underneath that, I taste the cinnamon and spices, and then notes of rum.
A tasty treat for winter.
On the Ninth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent Me This Tea …
Wow … day nine. The big day is nearly here. A scary thought if you haven’t finished your holiday shopping (or if you’re like me, you haven’t really begun.) Yikes!
This tea is very relaxing though, helping me to soothe those ’bouts with holiday anxiety.
White Winter
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
You’ll be dancing like the ladies on this 9th day of Christmas after one sip of this amazing white tea!
Filled with coconut, cream and white chocolate, this amazing white tea is pure perfection in a cup. So, don’t mind those flurries outside, you’re inside with this cuppa!
Taster’s Review:
The photo above is for Della Terra Teas’ White Chocolate Coconut Creme tea which looks a lot like and from the description seems to be a lot like this White Winter tea. I did contact Della Terra Teas to find out if the teas were the same, however, they haven’t been able to get back in touch with me. Understandable, since it’s just days before the holiday … everyone’s out there scurrying around, finishing up the last minute details for their celebrations.
So as I’m writing this, I’m not sure if Della Terra Teas played around with the recipe of their White Chocolate Coconut Creme tea to make this White Winter blend a little different, and since I haven’t yet tried the White Chocolate Coconut Creme tea, I can’t tell you from my own experience if they taste the same.
So, instead, I’ll simply focus on the tea that sits before me.
The white tea base is light and crisp but it isn’t so delicate that it becomes indistinguishable in the blend. I can taste the “hay-like” vegetal notes of the white tea. It feels very clean and refreshing on the palate, which is in contrast to the creamy notes that want to coat the palate in decadence. I like the way the two diverse elements play with one another in this teacup.
And there’s a lot of creaminess to this cup: the white chocolate, the cream and the coconut! I can taste each profile in this tea, and it’s really sweet. One of the sweeter teas that I’ve tasted in quite some time. It’s almost on the verge of excessively sweet.
As I am sure some of you are aware, I do have a sweet tooth and an obsession when it comes to chocolate, but, I think that this one might be almost too much. Mind you, I did say “almost,” as I haven’t yet pushed the cup aside, and I’m still enjoying what I’m drinking.
That said, I think that this is a tea that I’d reserve for those occasions when I am wanting a sweet, dessert-y tea. One of those times when my sweet tooth is crying out for attention. Something that will satiate my sweet tooth and my desire for rich chocolate flavor in one cuppa. I’d also recommend not adding any sugar to this cup – trust me when I say it doesn’t need it!
Tasty, but I think I’d like it better if there was a little bit of something to cut through the sweetness here. As it is, it’s almost too cloying.
Note: I did hear back from Della Terra Teas and they said:
the White Winter is similar to the White Chocolate Coconut Creme, HOWEVER, there are more parts vanilla and less white chocolate in the White Winter.
Perhaps the White Chocolate Coconut Cream is not quite as sweet then as this White Winter? Let us hope so!
On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent Me This Tea …
Day Eight finds us revisiting an old favorite. When I contacted Della Terra Teas this year to inquire about their 12 Days of Christmas collection, my question for them was would it be a different box than last year. As many of you know, I used to do another 12 Days of Christmas countdown, however, with that company, I subscribe to their teas, so, all of the teas that are in the box are teas that I would have tried. I wanted something NEW which is why I changed to this box from Della Terra Teas. Don’t get me wrong, I love the other company too (Hey, I subscribe to them so that I get every tea they offer, I must love them, right?), but for the Christmas countdown is something that I want to be somewhat new and fresh whenever possible.
So, when Della Terra Teas got back to me – promptly too, I might add, they have great customer service! – and told me that all the teas would be new teas except for this one, I was OK with that … for one reason and one reason only. The tea that this “old” tea is.
Eight Candles
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On this, your eighth day you will have Eight Candles, lit brightly in your cup. The eight maids a’milking will be a bit jealous with this one!
Caramel and marshmallow flavors abound in this perfectly blended black tea. Sip after sip the magic of this season is tasted within!
Taster’s Review:
I LOVE this tea. This is – by far – my favorite tea from Della Terra Teas. And based upon the response on Steepster, I’d say that I’m not the only one who thinks that this is a pretty amazing tea. So, needless to say, I didn’t mind it when I was informed that this would be the one “old” tea in the collection. I didn’t mind it a bit.
Since this was in last year’s 12 Days of Christmas Teas box from Della Terra Teas, I have reviewed it, so I don’t guess I need to review it again, do I?
But I will say that this tea is every bit as good as I remember it being. Sweet, gooey, marshmallow-y happiness in a teacup! One thing I did note about brewing this cup … there was some “oily” spots that rose to the top of the cup which I must admit are never appetizing to see, but, I was able to look past them. If I were to change anything about this tea at all, it would be the oil slick, but, if that means that the flavor of the tea is changed, then forget about it, I’d rather see spots and enjoy the caramelized marshmallow-y joy that is this tea.
On The Seventh Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent Me This Tea …
Today is day seven. I have some catching up to do, because, well, I had a bad case of food poisoning, so I’ve been out of commission for a couple of days. I’m glad that I had a couple of posts already prepared and scheduled, so that you didn’t miss out on the countdown fun!
Almond Biscotti
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Swimming like the swans did on the 7th day of Christmas sounds a little too cold for me. But, if you must…
Warm up with this Almond Biscotti green tea. Just like the name implies, a baked, deliciously almond green tea is what you will have on this magical day!
Taster’s Review:
This is my first cup of tea since my aforementioned bout with food poisoning. I’m sure that my tummy could have handled the tea (and my caffeine withdrawal sure would have appreciated some) but I just didn’t have the wherewithal to prepare a cup of tea, or sit at the computer and write reviews … or to do much of anything else for that matter.
But that’s enough of that. Let’s get on with this yummy tea. This is the first green tea from this year’s Christmas box, most of the tea until now have been flavored black teas. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just an observation. That’s part of what I do. I observe things – particularly things that are tea related – and then I share my findings with you.
When I looked inside the pouch, I could see a lot of coconut, and the aroma was very coconut-y. I might even say that it was more coconut than it was almond. But once brewed, the aroma becomes a balance between coconut and almond.
The flavor is very much a balance between the two as well. The flavor is sweet, nutty, creamy, and I do get some of that “biscotti,” baked cookie-like flavor. This tea delivers just what it says it will with the name – the taste of Almond Biscotti!
I taste green tea flavor in there, too. A slightly vegetal and slightly savory note that contrasts with the sweetness of the almond-y, coconut-y, cookie-esque flavors.
A very satisfying blend!
On the Sixth Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent Me This Tea …
Day six! Are you having as much fun counting down the days as I am?
Mouse King’s Cuppa
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
Want to be as warm as a fluffy goose on this 6th day of Christmas? Sip down this one!
Feel like a king, a Mouse King even, right from the infamous Nutcracker ballet! This delicious spiced cranberry tea certainly is fit for a king!
Taster’s Review:
The last couple of days, I have been wanting a cranberry tea. I couldn’t find one in my stash (that doesn’t mean that I don’t have one there, just means I didn’t find one!) so I was really happy when I opened today’s package from Della Terra Teas and found this Mouse King’s Cuppa – a spiced cranberry tea! YUM!
The aroma that wafts from my teacup is a warm, cinnamon-y scent. Interestingly, this seems to be something that many of the teas in this year’s Christmas countdown box from Della Terra Teas have in common. Then again, this time of year inspires those warmly spiced teas. I don’t smell a lot of cranberry fragrance. Maybe a faint berry scent, but nothing too obvious.
The flavor is really nice. Up front, I taste the sweet flavor of the cinnamon. The cinnamon here is less spicy than it is sweet, but it certainly does still have some of it’s gently soothing and warming qualities to it. There are hints of other spices here too, perhaps clove. There is a warm, cozy background flavor.
Shortly after my palate recognizes the cinnamon, the tart notes of cranberry come through. The tangy berry notes are a delightful contrast to the the sweet notes of the cinnamon. This drink evokes thoughts of a winter-y party punch where someone steeped some spices in cranberry juice.
But the black tea is not lost in the medley of flavors. It is a mellower black tea flavor, yes, but, I can definitely taste it. It’s got a smooth, mild black tea taste. Part of me wonders how this combination of flavors might work with a more robust tasting black tea – perhaps something malty like an Assam.
As it is though, I enjoyed this cranberry tea! Another great gift in my box of goodies from Della Terra Teas!