Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Doehi
Tea Description:
China black tea with cinnamon bits, pumpkin sprinkles and flavoring. A classic flavor for any time of the year.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Oh my goodness! I love the aroma of the dry leaf of Auntie’s Pumpkin Pie Black Tea Blend from Doehi! From the moment I cut off the airtight seal on the zipper pouch of the package, I could smell the warm cinnamon notes. Then when I opened the zipper locked seal, my olfactory nerves delighted in the smell of sweet pumpkin and cinnamon. Mmm!
And the tea is visually delightful too. Little pieces of cinnamon and tiny pumpkin shaped candy sprinkles decorate the black tea leaves. While I have made note previously that I’m not particularly fond of the practice of these novelty candy sprinkles added to tea, I can’t help but smile when I see the little pumpkins. They’re cute, darn it! But I am happy to also see that they weren’t added with a heavy hand. There’s a light sprinkling of these sprinkles, just enough to add some charm, whimsy and color to the blend.
The cinnamon is warm but it doesn’t overpower this blend. When you eat a slice of pumpkin pie, you don’t expect to be bombarded with cinnamon flavor, do you? This tea doesn’t bombard your taste buds with cinnamon, there is just enough cinnamon to give the squash the right amount of spice.
The pumpkin notes are sweet and tasty. There have been a few “pumpkin pie” type teas that I’ve tasted that have tasted more of spice than of pumpkin, and even some that have had no discernible pumpkin flavor at all. This isn’t one of those teas! I can taste the pumpkin! It’s sweet and slightly savory and has a smooth, rich flavor that compliments the black tea notes.
And speaking of the black tea … it isn’t overpowered in this blend! It is a milder tasting tea – I suspect a Ceylon – but it isn’t so mellow that it’s hiding behind the flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon. It’s a even-toned taste with a medium-body. Flavorful and I’m finding that the black tea flavors are actually accentuated by the presence of the pumpkin. These two work together very well.
Pumpkin is a decidedly “autumnal” sort of dessert, but, I for one happen to like pumpkin pie any time of year. And this tea from Doehi allows me to enjoy the delicious flavor of pumpkin in the figure friendly form of tea … all year ’round! This is tasty served straight up with no additions. To amplify the “pumpkin-y” notes, add a pinch of sugar (or brown sugar!) This is also AWESOME served as a latte, I think that the dairy sort of “finishes” the pumpkin pie taste. Think of the latte as the whipped cream on top of the pie!
Chai Americaine Blend from Doehi
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Doehi
Tea Description:
China black tea with cinnamon, cloves and orange bits with added flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf aroma of this Chai Americaine Blend from Doehi smells very much like red-hot cinnamon heart candies! And hey, I love red hot cinnamon hearts, so I’m liking what I’m smelling here!
The flavor is sweet and hot. Yes, what I’m tasting is very much like the aforementioned red hot cinnamon hearts. The cinnamon is prominent (obviously, right?) and I can taste the clove. I don’t taste a lot of the orange in this blend, but there are hints here and there of a bright citrus-y note. The little bit of citrus seems to perk up the flavors a little bit, adding a hint of contrast to the strong spicy notes, and adding a sweet undertone to the zesty cinnamon and clove.
The black tea base is a smooth and pleasant tasting. It’s not an overpowering black tea that throws off the sweet-hot cinnamon taste, but it isn’t so docile that I can’t taste it, either. It’s playing its part in this cup, and I am enjoying it.
This is the kind of tea that I like to turn to on chilly mornings, and even though spring is in full-swing here in the Pacific Northwest, the mornings are still a little chilly and this tea is just the ticket for mornings like this, especially with it being allergy season … I like that the flavors here are full and robust.
I like this tea served hot and neat with no additions. If you like honey in your tea, this would take that addition nicely, but don’t add too much because this tea does have a bit of sweetness without the added sweetener. I wouldn’t add milk to this, I think that would really throw the whole thing off. This does taste pretty good iced too, but I prefer it hot.
An enjoyable offering from Doehi. I’m new to discovering this company, but I like what I’ve tasted thus far!