It’s become a bit of a tradition for me to have a 12 Days of Christmas box to help me count down the days until Christmas Day. This will be the third year that I’ve done this, and this year, I chose the 12 Days of Christmas tea box from Della Terra Teas … the same box, incidentally, that we featured a couple of weeks ago in our Season of Giveaways!
Here’s how this works: every day from now (December 14) through Christmas Day, I’ll be reviewing the tea of the day from the Della Terra Teas box … starting with today’s tea.
But before I get in to today’s tea, I want to talk a little bit about the presentation of this box … because it really is fabulous. It’s a gift in itself! The package arrived wrapped up in Kraft paper so that we couldn’t see the festive box inside (see the photo above!). So on the outside, it appeared kind of ordinary and maybe even a little boring (although, it’s never boring to receive tea in the mail!) but as soon as you open the box, you’re greeted with this very bright and cheery box warning you NOT to open the box until December 14. Ahhh … the anticipation!
Inside the box, there was this lovely sight! 12 little sparkly boxes, each with individual tags telling us which day to open the box. There was a note tacked on the inside of the lid of the box telling the recipient how to proceed with this 12 Days of Christmas Tea celebration. This is a really awesome presentation … I am really overjoyed. It really IS going to be like a little present each day leading up to Christmas!
Day 1, Day 6 and Day 12 are to feature teas that are available exclusively to the customers who purchased this box, which makes it even more special and exciting to me!
Which leads me to today’s tea …
Partridge in a Pear Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On the first day of Christmas a tea was given to me, and that was Partridge in a Pear Tea.
On this first day of your 12 Days of Christmas, please, sit back, and enjoy a cup of this delightful, fruity pear tea that is exclusive to this set of twelve! What a lovely way to start!
Taster’s Review:
The dry leaf is beautiful! Lots of white cornflower petals amid the black tea leaves and pieces of dried pear, and little golden candy bits that add a nice bit of sparkle to the dry leaf … what fun! It smells very much like pear, and I do love a good pear tea. 
Although, I must admit, that it seems more often than not that I am disappointed by pear teas, because the pear flavor is just … off … somehow. I’ve found a few really good pear teas, but I have also had some disappointing pear teas. I’m hopeful that Della Terra Teas won’t let me down. I’ve been really impressed with their teas thus far, so I think I’ve every reason to be optimistic.
And I can say that my faith in Della Terra Teas is not misplaced! This is really quite good. The pear flavor is delicious and sweet … even juicy, reminiscent of a ripe pear. It tastes very authentic to me, this doesn’t taste like an artificial pear taste.
It is a bit sweet, and I am sure that has a bit to do with the candy bits in the blend that melt when coming in contact with the hot water while it brews. But I don’t mind the sweetness, and I’m not finding it to be too sweet or cloying.
And I like that even though the pear flavoring is strong here, it doesn’t overpower the black tea. It is a mellow, pleasant black tea with a moderate amount of astringency, not overly robust (I think a stronger or bolder black tea would have overpowered the more delicate notes of the pear, and I really like the way the pear flavor is represented here), and very satisfying to drink. Not something you’d want for that eye-opening, first cup of the day, but, more of a tea that you’d want for an afternoon pick-me-up … it would also make a great dessert tea!
Overall, a really good pear tea, and an excellent way to start off my 12 Days of Tea countdown! Be sure to stop back by tomorrow at about the same time to see what tea Della Terra sent to me for the Second day of Christmas!
Orange & Dark Chocolate from Spire Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Spire Tea
Tea Description:
The perfect blend of chocolate with the right amount of orange.
Learn more about Spire Tea on their website.
Taster’s Review:
Even though it’s just before Thanksgiving as I sip this tea, I am scheduling the review for about a week before Christmas eve, because this tea reminds me of the joy of Christmas and the Night Before! You know those chocolate oranges? Those have become one of my favorite Christmastime treats, and I like them so much that I’ve decided to add them as a “tradition” to my daughter’s stockings every year (other traditions are 2 pieces of fruit and a Lifesavers storybook). The chocolate orange tastes so much like Christmas to me … and this tea has captured that flavor perfectly!
The chocolate is a dark, rich tasting chocolate and the orange is sweet and juicy. The orange is slightly lighter than the chocolate, just enough to add a touch of brightness to the cup without overwhelming it.
The black tea base tastes like a high grown Ceylon to me, it is brisk and tastes very pleasant, but it isn’t an overly aggressive tea. It holds it’s own, and doesn’t allow itself to be overpowered by the flavors, but, it doesn’t attempt to intrude upon the flavors either. I’m really enjoying the balance of tea and flavor, although, you wouldn’t find me complaining if there was a bit more chocolate in it. (More chocolate is always better)
A very enjoyable cup of tea – one you WANT to have this time of year to serve to your guests. It is so delicious and one of those “welcoming” kind of teas – your friends will feel like family when they drink it, and your family will feel all the more special.
Candy Cane from Adagio Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Adagio Teas
Tea Description:
Premium black tea from Sri Lanka flavored with minty candy canes. This wonderfully smooth treat that will fill you with warm Christmas spirit and leave you jolly. Santa knows if you’ve been naughty or nice, so you’d better buy some for a friend, too! Give our Candy Cane Tea a try before Yuletide’s end.
Taster’s Review:
Many tea companies have a special holiday offering, and this tea is from Adagio’s Stocking Stuffer collection, as well as their Spice Jubilee collection.
This is a very tasty black tea blend with a strong minty presence and just a hint of sweet creaminess. I like the addition of the creamy taste because it seems to soften the sometimes harsh character of Adagio’s black tea base, making it not only palatable, but actually quite smooth and enjoyable.
I like that that the mint here is strong but it isn’t overpowering, and I can taste the sweet “candy-like” flavors as well as the flavor of the black tea. Overall, a very enjoyable holiday tea, one that would be very happily received in a tea lover’s stocking!
On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, 52Teas Sent to Me …
MERRY CHRISTMAS from the SororiTea Sisters!
These twelve days – well, really, this whole year! – has flown by.
I suppose I could get sappy and wistfully reminisce about the year that has past. Or perhaps I could get optimistic about the new year about to start. But why? This blog is about tea, not about life’s big questions and/or answers. To me, the question and answer all begin with tea!
I have been eagerly awaiting today because it would be the day to unveil the BIG surprise… the tea that was specially made for the 12th day! So without delay, let’s just get right into it, shall we?
MILK & COOKIES FLAVORED BLACK TEA
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: 52Teas
Product Description:
Note: There isn’t a description available at the moment, so I will instead list the ingredients as shown on the label.
Ingredients: Black teas, organic cacao nibs, natural flavors
Taster’s Review:
When I first opened the package, I could smell chocolate. This brought a huge smile to my face. Then I read the label … Milk & Cookies? Wow! This sounds interesting!
I mean, no need to put out milk and cookies for Santa anymore, right? Just put out Milk & Cookies flavored tea!
My first sip, I felt it was missing something. So, I reached for some turbinado sugar and added a pinch. This helped, but it still didn’t taste like Milk and Cookies to me. It tasted like black tea with notes of chocolate.
Then, I let it cool a bit. Not completely cool, of course, but, just enough to where it’s drinkable. Now the flavors are beginning to pop! I definitely taste the cookies aspect of this, I can taste the pastry with hints of butter and I can taste the chocolate. I don’t taste much “milk” in this though… and I needed a splash of milk to not actually add a creamy element, but, I found that it brought out that creaminess.
I am finding that black tea blend that 52Teas uses is a bit harsh with these particular flavors. This might be better with a good, malty Assam, as the malty tones of the Assam would amplify the Milk & Cookies aspect a bit, I think.
Overall, it’s not a bad cup of tea. But, it certainly is not my favorite from 52Teas and it is a bit of a let down for me, because I had hoped for something amazing like last year’s Gingerbread Chai. (Yeah, I know, I’ve mentioned it a few times in the course of this 12 Days series, but, I liked it!)
And even though I’m not overly impressed with this offering, I was very happy to be able to revisit the other teas offered in this 12 Days collection, and I look forward to another great year of tea with 52Teas.
Sugar Plum Cinnamon Spice from Culinary Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Culinary Teas
Product Description:
Our Sugar Plum Cinnamon Spice tea has a rounded sweet plum flavor fused with a blast of cinnamon spice!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Several years ago, I tried my very first sugar plum. It was a delicious confection that I found in an old time candy shop, reminding me vaguely of the sweet jelly candies that are covered in sugar … only tasting of plum instead of orange or lemon. Only a few days ago, I had learned that maybe that sugar plum I tasted back then wasn’t actually a real sugar plum, at least, not a traditional sugar plum. So, I’m back to the point I was before … I’ve never actually tried a sugar plum.
So, I can’t tell you from experience that this tea does or does not taste like sugar plums. But what I can tell you is that it is YUMMY!
The black tea base is a delicious black tea, fairly strong … I’d actually describe it as brisk. It isn’t an overpowering flavor but it manages to make its presence known along with the other flavors without attempting to overwhelm them. It tastes smooth, it isn’t bitter, and it has a moderate amount of astringency to it. A very pleasant black tea providing a solid background of flavor.
The cinnamon is really interesting in this cup, because even though it would appear to be the strongest note in the cup, it isn’t really what I would consider a strong cinnamon flavor. Yes, it’s there, it’s gently spiced, but, it isn’t a powerful amount of spice. It’s more like the flavor of cinnamon you might experience from cinnamon-sugar toast: sweet yet warm, and quite delicious.
I think it is the way that the cinnamon mingles with the plum in this particular tea that makes it so interesting. The plum is sweet, but it doesn’t taste like a fresh plum. It doesn’t taste like a dried plum (or prune). It tastes… actually, it kind of tastes like the candy that I told you about at the start of this review – what I believed at the time to be a sugar plum. It has a fruit candy-like taste to it rather than a fresh fruit or even a dried fruit flavor. There is also a distinct tangy note that lingers in the aftertaste that is definitely plum flavor … it tastes quite a bit like my gramma’s homemade plum jam. Delicious!
What I like best about this particular tea – aside from the memories of my gramma’s delicious plum jam – is that it is incredibly warm and inviting. I found myself shivering a bit this morning, as the temperature has dropped … and this is the tea I reached for. It warmed me from the inside out. This tea is a very comforting experience, like happy moments from childhood warming my very soul.