Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Trail Lodge Tea
Tea Description:
One taste and you’ll believe Connemara Morning was mixed up by some leprechauns.It starts with a blend of black teas that a full bodied, rich, malty, and earthy taste. This is combined with Irish cream flavoring that gives it a sweet decadence. Then petals and shamrock sprinkles are added as a bit of whimsy.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
When I opened the package of this Connemara Morning Black Tea Blend from Trail Lodge Tea, the scent of the Irish cream flavoring took me by surprise. It’s really quite fragrant! I really looked forward to pouring my first cup and taking a sip … it smells so good!
The dry leaf is very attractive with the yellow flower petals and the whimsical shamrock candy sprinkles tossed amid the dark tea leaves. Candy sprinkles are certainly NOT a buying point for me when it comes to tea, personally, I think that teas are better off without them, but I have to admit that they certainly add a pleasing visual appeal to the dry leaf, and as one who used to create my own tea blends, I can see why companies have taken to add these little additions. Without them, the tea looks pretty much like every other tea out there. The sprinkles help the tea stand out and give it some interest … and really, even though they do add just a hint of sweetness to the brewed tea (as they do melt and add just a touch of sugar to the tea) their contribution, flavor wise, is really very insignificant.
But what does add some flavor to this cup is the Irish Cream! Wow! So good!
The flavor of Irish Cream really marries quite nicely with the rich black tea blend used as the base for this tea. The two seem made for each other! The black tea blend is a combination of Indian and Chinese black teas, and based on what I’m tasting, I suspect that there is some Assam in this blend. It has that rich, malty flavor that Assam tends to bring to the cup. The blend is very satisfying and provides a very solid taste for the backdrop of this flavored tea.
The Irish Cream tastes sweet and creamy. Creamy enough, I would say, to be enjoyed without the addition of dairy, if this is something you prefer to avoid, but, it is also quite lovely when served as a latte. (Just a splash of milk makes this happen) As I said, I found this quite enjoyable without any dairy, and I think I prefer enjoying the strength of the black tea without the creamy addition. But if you’re looking for an extra creamy treat … the latte is the way to go!
This flavor of this tea does improve by letting the freshly brewed tea cool ever so slightly before you begin sipping. The piping-hot cup is delicious, but, let it sit for two minutes, and the flavor of the Irish Cream really develops nicely. It’s worth waiting for … even though I found myself sitting here, rather impatiently, for that two minutes to lapse, because the scent wafting from my cup was almost too much to resist!
A really lovely cup of tea – definitely worth a try … especially for those who love the flavor of Irish Cream!
