Day 10!
And what a delightfully festive holiday tea Della Terra Teas chose for Day 10 in their 12 Days of Christmas Tea countdown!
Rather than gabbing on about something irrelevant, I think I’m going to jump right in and start talking about this tea …
So, on the 10th Day of Christmas, Della Terra Teas sent me this tea …
Candy Cane
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
On the tenth day of Christmas they say the lords were a’leaping. Perhaps they were using canes made of peppermint candy to help them jump along?
You certainly will have a candy cane of your own in your cup! On this tenth day as we draw nearer to Christmas day, refresh yourself with this amazing black tea!
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
A few weeks ago, when I started noticing others on Steepster talking about this tea, I had a pretty good idea that it would be part of Della Terra Teas’ 12 Days of Christmas box … which at that point I was EAGERLY awaiting its arrival! But after opening nine envelope-y boxes containing teas that were not Candy Cane, I thought that maybe … just maybe … this tea wasn’t going to be in there. I guess it just goes to show that good things come to those who wait.
Well, I didn’t waste any time brewing this tea … I could wait no longer!
Mmm! It really does taste like a liquified candy cane that has been stirred into a cup of black tea. The black tea is a little on the mellow side, or at least it seems so as the minty flavors and even the hints of creamy, vanilla-y notes tend to overshadow it. That’s not really meant to sound like a complaint, because it isn’t one … the black tea is fine for what it is. It’s just not overly robust or strongly flavored. Here, the flavoring is doing most of the work … and what they’re producing is a delightful peppermint candy cane flavor!
But there’s more to this … there is more here than vanilla and peppermint … I taste … CHOCOLATE! Yes indeed! And I love this addition! It adds to the creaminess and richness to this tea. YUM!
This picture shows a dry leaf with crushed candy cane and black leaves … and apparently Della Terra Teas has since changed that to the cutest little candy cane candies. They look like miniature candy canes made for Squinkies toys. Yes, of course I know what Squinkies are … I kept trying to get my young daughter into these (they’re so cute!) but she was more into Littlest Pet Shop … but I digress.
Anyway, it would seem that Della Terra Teas has changed this Candy Cane tea slightly – it used to be called “Candy Cane Lane” and it used to have crushed candy canes instead of these cute little tiny candy cane candies (these would look adorable on cupcakes … just sayin’).
But whatever changes they made, I have to think that they were made for the better, because what I’m tasting is pure candy cane bliss in my tea cup. Sweet, creamy, minty … but not too much, and just a hint of chocolate too … This tea is a holiday delight!
Chocolate Raspberry Mint from Ovation Teas
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Ovation Teas
Tea Description:
Black tea blended with peppermint leaves, cacao nibs, raspberries, and peppermint candy with chocolate raspberry flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Just look at the picture! Yes, seriously – that is what this tea looks like! Huge, whole, dried raspberries, large chunks of cacao nibs and bits of peppermint candy and leaves mixed with black tea leaves. This is one of the most appealing looking teas I’ve ever seen!
But really, they had me at Chocolate. All I had to see is Chocolate in the name, and I was immediately interested. Then I saw raspberry and mint, and I knew that this was something I needed to try!
The first few sips while the tea is still piping hot, fresh out of the teapot, I find to be pretty much MINT and not much else. If I really focused on the sip, I noticed hints of raspberry which were particularly noticeable at the finish and in the aftertaste, and a touch of chocolate. But the mint was the main focus of those first few sips.
Once the tea cooled for a couple of minutes, the other flavors began to shine through. The black tea base is noticeable for the first time after a few minutes of cooling, and it tastes rich and full-flavored. There is a hint of astringency toward the tail that sort of melds with the mint and the berry in a way that it becomes difficult to tell which is causing the astringent effect on my tongue: is it the mint? or the raspberry? or is it the tea? I find that the more that I sip, the less noticeable the astringency becomes … and it really wasn’t all that strong to begin with!
The sip begins with the distinct note of peppermint. It tastes cool and fresh and very crisp, like breathing in the fresh, cool air of winter after snowfall. The chocolate is also there – from beginning to finish – and I like that it seems to be ever-present. It is a lighter chocolate taste, and of course the chocoholic in me would like there to be more chocolate, but, the tea drinker in me finds the way the three flavors come together with the taste of the tea.
The raspberry comes in toward the tail of the sip, and lingers into the aftertaste. Also lingering in the aftertaste is a chocolate mint taste, like the aftertaste one would experience after consuming an after-dinner mint.
A very enjoyable collaboration of flavors. I like this very much! With those first few sips, I was a little worried that there was too much going on and that all I’d end up tasting is mint … but everything comes through in a very nice way. Two thumbs up!
Mint-Chilla Chai-Nilla from The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Puerh, Chai
Where to Buy: The Spice and Tea Exchange
Tea Description:
An organic pu-erh chai tea with creamy vanilla and bright peppermint. A rich, smooth tea that adds a refreshing twist to the traditional chai tea flavors. Moderate caffeine. Contains: green pu-erh tea, vanilla, peppermint, ginger, cinnamon, licorice root.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
I received this from a fellow Steepster and I was totally not expecting to! When you wake up to a nice box of unexpected samples from a friend – that is the best day ever! This tea was included in that box. I have never sampled anything from The Spice and Tea Exchange before that I can recall so I grabbed this right away to try! The name of this tea also got me, with its quirkiness.
The puerh base here may not be the most complex out there by any means but it does provide a nice bold backdrop for the other flavors and is strong enough on its own not to let strong flavors like mint, for example, take over.
The puerh has a leather aspect to it, and a slight sandalwood note. A very nice puerh to use in a blend. I would not want to see a highly prized puerh used in a blend personally, yet I also want one with enough character to give the backdrop a good blend deserves and I feel that The Spice and Tea Exchanged selected a good base for this blend.
The vanilla is noticeable and the spices are quite lovely. Nothing tries to take over here. There is a wonderful mint lift which still allows the vanilla to have its time in the sun. Something of an after dinner mint flavor is what I am getting. You know those Chocolate Andes mints in the green wrapper? Yup that kind of mint flavor, so good! Now I am not saying that this tea tastes all that chocolaty but the spices and puerh tend to lead it in that direction just a little.
On the spices, they are lovely! I am not one for licorice or anise in any amount by nature although there are a few blends out there that have surprised me – this is one of those blends. I feel that The Spice and Tea Exchange has captured the best elements of a chai and added the fun vanilla and mint aspects very well all in a really solid puerh base.
I have had three very successful steeps from these leaves and am going on steep four.
This tea does make me want to check out The Spice and Tea Exchange website now and see what other teas they have to offer. I can also order my spices and herbs there as well. That is a bonus! It is always nice to try a new company and enjoy the cup, even more surprising when it is not a blend I would choose for myself yet I still enjoy it. That leaves a great first impression!
Climber’s High from The Tea Spot
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Roasted Yerba Mate, Black Tea, Green Tea, White Tea, Pu’erh,
Where to Buy: The Tea Spot
Tea Description:
A super-charged blend of teas, spices and herbs formulated to provide a refreshing daily lift for people with active, high-energy lifestyles. Climber’s High is a high-powered way to increase your intake of beneficial antioxidants such as flavonoids and catechins, as well as a host of healthy vitamins, trace minerals, beneficial phyto-constituents, and caffeine. It was originally conceived to assist people in adjusting to higher altitudes. This spiced yerba mate chai tea is both good for you and a pleasure to drink.
Ingredients: roasted yerba mate, black tea, green tea, white tea, pu’erh, ginger root, cinnamon, green cardamom, licorice root, ginseng root, saffron, black pepper, clove, fennel, safflowers, peppermint, tulsi, and cinnamon, ginger, and vanilla flavoring.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
Chai is on my mind lately with the change in seasons where I live, yet honestly chai was not on my mind at all when I reached for this sample from one of my SororiTea Sisters! I simply wanted something that would set well with my upset tummy I have had for the last couple of days, also something minty as I have not been really able to taste much either. Last night I was drinking some vanilla mint tea after trying unsuccessfully to enjoy some other samples. Today I grabbed for this and even though I am still a little stuffy I could smell such yummy aromas and I knew in that moment I could stomach it! So it got steeped.
This is not your typical chai yet it has many chai elements. One may think that they threw everything in here but the kitchen sink and thus may not really end up tasting like anything favorable but surprisingly it is wonderful. You don’t need to be sick, or needing to adjust to altitude sickness to enjoy this savory cup! They even put a little chocolate in there for the sweet tooth and the chocolate does come through nicely but is not over done. This is not a “chocolate tea” it is savory yet every now and then I get a little bit of sweet on the lips and a subtle chocolate taste on the palate.
The yerba mate gives you a nice kick start to your day without leaving you jittery or nervous, while the pu-erh is grounding and centering. I tasted the black pepper notes, which I always enjoy in a tea, the cinnamon, clove, ginger and other savory elements are all quite present but the mint is what seems to linger the longest in a minty sweet manner, as if I had just had a light candy mint. I also do pick up the vanilla as well. Truly this tea has it all and then some and yes at times the flavors get muddled a little as a true blend should but it is quite easy to pick out singular flavor elements as well.
If I was not aware that there were so many types of tea in this blend and I had to tell someone from taste alone what the base tea was I would admittedly be confused, but if pressed I would say mate, pu-erh, then black in that order.
For me, the best part of this discovery is that I have a new favorite chai. I have about three chai now that I absolutely love and will rotate in my stash all winter long.
Organic After Dinner Mint from The Rabbit Hole
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: The Rabbit Hole
Tisane Description:
The perfect after dinner treat to help with digestion and give you the illusion of munching on an after dinner mint (or ten!). Great for those of us watching the waistline.
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
My favorite cookies as a girl scout (yes, I was a girl scout!) were always the thin mints. Crunchy chocolate-y cookie coated with a chocolate-y coating … and somewhere in there was also the crisp flavor of mint. Even now, whenever the girl scouts come ’round to my door selling cookies, I can’t resist ordering at least one box of thin mints!
Well, this tea is very thin mint-ish. It’s pure, organic cacao nibs and dried peppermint leaves. That’s it. No rooibos or honeybush or anything else. Just cacao and mint.
The result is a creamy, chocolate-y, cool minty tasting tisane that makes a great after dinner tea that could also substitute for dessert! The peppermint helps soothe and calm the tummy while the cacao satisfies the sweet tooth! Does it get any better than that? And this has a delicious sweetness to it, so you don’t need to add any sugar to it – making this a low calorie, low caffeine way to curb those late night cravings!