I realize I might be a little late to the party here, but, us TEA LOVERS usually don’t mind sipping on seasonal teas just about any time of year. Enter…Christmas Morning from Stash Tea.
This is a blended base of Black Tea and Green Tea. And that’s it. No other ingredients. Nothing else added. Which was strange to me at first sip because it really tasted like there was something else there. Perhaps it’s just because it’s was technically a Jasmine Green Tea, I guess.
I agree with the company description and claims saying that this tea has multiple layers. To me, it proved to be a nice pick-me-up while offering that brisk, and bright taste I was looking for.
I really don’t see why we couldn’t or wouldn’t sip on this year-round. It’s decent for a bagged tea and I think it’s one of Stash’s more memorable offerings.
Want to Know More About This Tea?
Leaf Type: Black/Green
Where to Buy: Stash Tea
Description
Remember the excitement on Christmas morning when you were a kid? The warm feeling, the energy that rushed through your body, and anticipation of what the day would bring? This blend captures all that special holiday cheer with flavors that grow in intensity with every sip. When you brew it, the full-bodied aroma of brisk black tea with a hint of floral jasmine are the first clues that a special day is on its way. But what is it that makes this a great choice for your holiday morning treat (or for any morning)? Let us share with you a well-known black tea benefit: caffeine. With this blend you will get a well-deserved and welcomed boost that will help you keep up with those who didn’t stay up late playing Santa Clause.
This is called a Christmas tea, but you don’t have to limit yourself to one day a year. As our reviewers say: this is not just a tea to drink during holidays. Stock up with a case of our seasonal tea bags and enjoy it all year round. It’s great as an iced latte, or hot with sweetener and a little creamer for a decadent warming treat.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Dasher’s Delight from Fava Tea. . . .
Before I get started on this tea, I have to make a quick note: Fava Tea has REALLY GREAT customer service. I ordered a bunch of samples, and later received a SEPARATE HANDWRITTEN NOTE thanking me for my order and asking me if I had any questions.
I cannot recall that EVER happening to me in my LIFE.
So already: soft spot in the heart.
This blend, called Dasher’s Delight, doesn’t really have any Christmas-related inclusions, so I’m not sure why it’s branded in such a way. They could easily market this one as “nutty sugar cookie” year-round. In addition to green tea, this blend includes caramel, hazelnut brittle, almonds, and walnuts.
I like this one as an afternoon mellow-out tea. I don’t think it has the punch for a morning brew, but it’s perfect for that 3pm slump when you’re cranky and you want five candy bars and a soda the side of your head. This gives you some sweet and some caffeine without all the catastrophic health drawbacks of my lesser vices. I wish there was a little MORE to it, even in the afternoon, but it’s still a sweet brew that’s worth a try!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Fava Tea Company
Description
This seasonal tea is a delightful artisan blend of caramel, hazelnut brittle, almonds, and walnuts! Delicious warm-up for the cold winter months!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Peppermint Bark Tea from Sunshine Cottage. . . .
Peppermint Bark is a holiday classic which is why chocolate peppermint teas flood the market at Christmas time. Almost each company has their own take on it and any holiday celebration doesn’t really feel complete without a peppermint bark tea latte. As such, these types of teas are cold weather teas in my mind.
So about a week ago when we had an unseasonably cold day, I set up a cold brew of Sunshine Cottage’s Peppermint Bark Tea in chocolate milk. I then forgot to drink it that day. Then the weather got significantly warmer and I just didn’t want to drink it tbh. Instead I favored my more spring-like teas. However, as the cold brewed milk has been sitting, I figured best to drink it before it goes bad. For comparison sake, I also brewed a hot tea with the remainder of the sample I had left.
This tea sets itself apart from the others, ingredients-wise at least, as it adds sunflower petals to the more typical ingredients of black tea, peppermint, white chocolate pieces, and natural flavors. However, flavor-wise as I sip on the hot tea, it tastes similar to the many other chocolate peppermint teas I have had before. In fact, it may even be a bit blander than most. There is a lot of peppermint flavor but not much else. The sample is a bit old so perhaps there is some flavor deterioration. Alternatively, there didn’t appear to be any white chocolate pieces in my filter while there was a ton of peppermint leaf so that could be causing the lack of flavor as well. Whatever the reason, the hot tea fell short of my expectations.
The cold brew, on the other hand, had a lot going on. The silky chocolate milk was made richer by the flavor of the black tea base. There is hints of white chocolate as well, though they are easy to miss under the strong chocolate milk flavor. The peppermint, on the other hand, comes through loud and clear leaving the aftertaste all minty. It is certainly more interesting than the hot tea was but even still I think this might become another in a long blurred line of chocolate mint teas.
Enjoyable but not really noteworthy.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Sunshine Cottage
Description
Creamy white chocolate and crisp mint make this holiday tea a real treat. Perfect for a toe thawing, pick me up after an afternoon on the slopes, or for sipping by the fire after a wonderful meal!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Drink Me Oolong from Plum Deluxe
Drink Me Oolong from Plum Deluxe has a warm and toasty roasted oolong base with added mango and almond essence. The darker oolong tea keeps the blend from getting too sweet, adding an almost savory nuttiness with each sip. The almond adds its trademark, almost-floral marzipan candy taste. The fruity mango adds a nice brightness to keep this blend uplifting and not too dense or cake-like.
I believe the name of this blend is inspired by Alice in Wonderland, but even without the reference is it a cute name to have looking back at you from your tea cupboard on rainy days. With sunny mango, bakery sweet almond, and a mid-level of caffeine, this is a great tea for the afternoon slump or a mid-day tea party.
Drink Me Oolong from Plum Deluxe was a limited edition blend, that should cycle back around in their seasonal blends or as part of their subscription service. In the meantime, give Pick Me Up Oolong a try, with almond and maple flavors and a similar oolong tea base.
Or try another flavor of oolong tea. Plum Deluxe teas always have great flavor combinations, and include things like “love” and “gratitude” on their ingredients list, so you can’t help but feel good when you brew a cup of their tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Oolong
Where to Buy: Plum Deluxe
This tea is no longer available but click below for other options!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Winter Spice / Tease Tea
Whole Star Anise!
What a surprise it was to open the 30g pouch and find that!
It makes it a bit more festive. The dry aroma is faint. Somewhat creamy, spicy, and nutty. My first cup of this was a bland mess but I didn’t want to give up. It’s a unique tea blend; slight creaminess hinted once the tea enters your mouth which turns into a peculiar spicy flavor; which I’m assuming comes from the ginger and the cinnamon. Calming is generally not a descriptor I use when talking about black tea, however, with the chamomile this tea has a nice calming effect.
Everything in this tea blends well together and yet I’m finding myself somewhat underwhelmed. Perhaps because they say spice in the name I expected more kick. The first cup was steeped between 2.5 and 3.5 minutes so the next cupping was upped to 5 minutes. I’m currently on a third cup also brewing 5 minutes but adding a 1/2 tsp more of tea. The first taste at 5 minutes was the same as the second cup so the brewing time was upped to 7 minutes. Unfortunately, this removed the creaminess and the spices seemed to have disappeared altogether. The tannins have taken over a bit more and there is a definite astringency in the after taste.
Overall, a nice blend but one that needs at least 4 minutes for full flavor and is not suggested for those who don’t appreciate a light tea.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tease Tea
Description:
This festive favourite is back for a limited time! A naturally flavoured black tea featuring notes of cinnamon, spice & everything nice. The perfect way to get into the winter spirit!
