Tea Information:
Leaf Type: White
Where to Buy: sTEAp Shoppe
Tea Description:
Chocolate Orange Loose Leaf White Tea is a Delightfully mild citrus spice with a creamy touch on the tongue. The mild loose leaf white tea is the perfect vessel for this spectacular combination of creamy, tangy with a delicate touch of spice.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I was a little skeptical about this blend, to be honest, because it’s a white tea … and I generally prefer chocolate-y teas to have a black tea base. I was also skeptical because I felt that with the chocolate and orange notes to be strong enough that the white tea would end up being overwhelmed.
Well, the white tea is not overwhelmed. It has a light, fresh taste to it … somewhat vegetative, with a creamy note that is accented by the vanilla. I find that this creaminess highlights the chocolate and adds some much needed emphasis to the orange flavor.
The chocolate comes through nicely, as does the vanilla. I wish the same could be said for the orange. I taste the orange, certainly, but it isn’t as bright or vivid a taste as I think it should be for a tea called Chocolate Orange.
My favorite part of this tea is the touch of cinnamon, which adds a very pleasing, autumnal taste and a sense of warmth to the cup. I like that the cinnamon is a gentle, sweet cinnamon, just enough to spice up the tea without adding an overpowering amount of flavor (something that cinnamon often does in a blend – I’m glad that’s not happening here).
Overall, this is a very enjoyable blend. A little weak on the orange, but, the other flavors are very pleasing – I like that the chocolate comes through, and I love the little touches: a touch of vanilla, a touch of cinnamon. It makes for a very delicious cuppa.
On The Second Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas Sent to Me …
I am generally slow at getting into the holiday spirit. I think it’s pretty much like everything else with me, I’m a procrastinator … and somehow I convince myself that if I don’t put my tree up yet, Christmas won’t come until I’m darned good and ready for it to.
Truth be told, though, we’re more ready for Christmas this year than we have been in previous years. Usually, we seem to have to wait until the last minute to do our shopping because the budget won’t allow us to do anything but. I guess things must be getting better … because most of our shopping was complete with the arrival of Black Friday. We still have some minor shopping to do, but for the most part, I think we’re done. Woo hoo!
And I love how my Christmas TEA tradition starts to get me all excited for the holiday. Really, I couldn’t HELP but be excited this year, with this amazing box from Della Terra Teas.
So … for the Second Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas sent to me ….
Cinnamon Crackle Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On the second day of Christmas a tea was steeped for you, Cinnamon Crackle, pop-pop and a snap too.
Oh, how the turtle doves would of been intrigued by this enticing cinnamon tea! Listen closely as you pour water over this tea, you’ll hear a bit of a pop and a crackle!
Learn more about this tea here.
Note: While this tea is part of the 12 Days of Christmas tea box, it is not an exclusive to the Christmas box tea … so it is available on the website.
Taster’s Review:
This smells deliciously cinnamon-y and from the moment I opened the pouch, my kitchen was filled with the delightful (and strong!) scent of cinnamon. I looked at the dry leaf, mostly checking it out to see if I saw any pop rocks which are supposed to be in this blend, but I didn’t see them. I did see big chunks of cinnamon though, as well as some cloves and pieces of orange peel amid the black tea leaves.
I was a little disappointed when I poured the hot water over my leaves and did not hear a single snap, crackle or pop. But I tried not to let that bum me out too much, because really, what’s important is the taste, not the sound of the tea (although I do think it would have been fun to hear this tea crackle!)
As this tea brewed, I sort of built up some expectations in my head about the tea I was about to sip … the strong cinnamon-y note suggested to me that this would be the strong, spicy-hot-cinnamon tea that tastes a bit like liquified red hot candy. Not that a tea like that would be disappointing to me, because I love those teas! But, I was pretty prepared for that kind of tea by the time I was pouring it into my teacup.
And at the start of the sip, that’s pretty much what this tea delivered. A fairly hearty black tea base with a strong, somewhat spicy-yet-sweet cinnamon-y taste, with notes of clove in the background and a hint of orange. But, the finish on this tea is DIFFERENT from those other teas that I’ve tried that are similar to this one. This finishes smoother and sweeter … and the heat seems a bit less intense than some of the other strong cinnamon teas I’ve encountered. Yes, the cinnamon is strong, but, it doesn’t overpower the orange or the clove … or the tea!
And you know what? I love this tea for its differences. Sure, I love those strong, “hot tamale” kind of teas, but, I like that this one has a slightly more subtle approach, because it allows me to explore the dimensions of the tea a bit more than one that is an all-out assault on the taste buds and nasal passages. While those other teas are very effective at clearing the throat and the sinuses, this tea is allowing me to enjoy what it is … TEA! And that, alone, is enough to bring a smile on my face.
Oh Christmas Tea from Tealish
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Tealish
Tea Description:
A little bit spicy and a little bit sweet, this tea is the perfect treat to share with loved ones over the holidays. Rich black tea is blended with orange slices, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, apple pieces, and pink peppercorns.
Taster’s Review:
As I sit here, writing this review, it is July. The sun is shining brightly outside, and the thermometer reads 71°F outside, and I wonder what it will be like when this review actually publishes, as I schedule it for December 13 … a little closer to Christmas.
A Steepster friend sent me a bit of this tea so that I might enjoy a little Christmas in July, and yes, it is very Christmas-y indeed. It is warm with cheery spices and a hint of orange, and while a spiced orange tea is nothing new or out of the ordinary, what I’m liking here is how well-balanced it is. It has a nice, rounded flavor that enlivens the palate with spices that are gently warm – not hot or what I’d call spicy – a touch of delicious, juicy orange and a robust black tea base.
The black tea here is rich yet somewhat understated. It doesn’t attempt to overpower the blend, but it is substantial enough to hold its own and be tasted. It doesn’t taste like it’s just there, barely standing up to the spices somewhere off in the background. It tastes solid and strong without being bitter. It has a mild astringency that complements the orange notes quite well.
The only ingredient that I don’t really taste much of is the apple. I suppose it probably adds a hint of sweetness but a strong sense of apple doesn’t really come through – but then again, I don’t think it is supposed to. It may be there primarily for appearance sake, or as I mentioned, for a hint of sweetness to accent the spices.
A really enjoyable holiday tea – very nice during the holidays, or any time of year that you wish to bring a little bit of the holiday joy to your teacup.
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.
Orange and Bavarian Cream Matcha from Red Leaf Tea
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Matcha
Where to Buy: Red Leaf Tea
Tea Description:
As childeren we all liked to experiment with flavors. Where do you think peanut and jelly sandwich came from? We think it’s time to try it again, but this time with Matcha flavors.
Pick any 2 flavors and we’ll make your custom Matcha for you.
Some samples:
Vanilla-Chocolate
Chocolate-Mint
Mango-Banana
For those that do not like the “grassy” taste of Sugar Destroyer Matcha, but would like to keep it’s great benefits, how about:
Mango-Sugar Destroyer
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I blended Orange with Bavarian Cream matcha and oh my goodness it is so delicious! Did you ever have orange cream soda, or orange and cream candies? Well that is what this is like! You can even make a soda drink out of it by adding some sparkling water if you want to!
I always prepare my matcha into a creamy latte with milk and sweet cream non dairy creamer but with some, like this one I do add some sparkling water to give it a bubbly burst.
I absolutely love my mixture and there are so many blends you can create on the Red Leaf Tea Site! Literally thousands of combinations and if you want to get really inventive you could even add a third flavor!
The Orange and Bavarian Cream blend harmoniously together. I had considered getting one of their two vanilla flavors instead of Bavarian Cream but I am glad I choose Bavarian Cream this time. Next time I may play with the Madagascar Vanilla or French Vanilla matcha instead.
Such a decedent treat any time of day and a real pick me up. I love how matcha gives me such a special energy boost without dropping me down low after.
All of Red Leaf Tea’s Matcha are naturally flavored. I look forward to playing around and mixing up a lot more blends!
