Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: Mark T. Wendell
Company Description:
A blend of select black tea leaves with orange pieces, bits of cranberry, ginger and cinnamon. A winter season favorite that is now available year-round.
Taster’s Review:
Having recently tried Mark T. Wendell’s Autumn Cranberry blend, I was very curious to see how this one would differ from that tea.
While the two teas are both black teas flavored with cranberry, they are two very different teas. Since I’ve already reviewed the Autumn Cranberry blend, I think I’ll just talk about the tea that I’m sipping right now: Holiday Fruit & Spice!
The black tea base is brisk but not very aggressive. It seems rather content to sit back in the background and just let the cranberry, orange and spices do their thing. It is a mild yet very delicious black tea with a light-to-medium amount of astringency.
The cranberry and orange are very complimentary to each other here. A light tartness from the cranberry and the sweet orange really come together well in this cup. It tastes juicy, bright and delicious.
The spices here are not overwhelming or spicy. Instead, they simply give the cranberry and orange a very seasonal kind of flair. The spices add just a hint of warmth to the cup. What this sort of reminds me of one of those spiced fruit punches that are served at holiday parties… you know what I’m talking about? With the clove-encrusted orange slices floating on top? It has that kind of spice level… not strong, just warm and very agreeable.
There is no bitterness to this tea. I even brewed this and forgot to set the timer — I think it must have been brewing for well over 5 minutes before I rescued it! But still, no bitterness. Just very pleasant fruit and spice flavor.
After my initial taste, I decided to add a drizzle of honey to my cup. It is plenty sweet without the honey, but I like the way the honey enhances the fruit and spice flavors. This is a very nice cuppa – one that would be perfect to serve to friends and family at holiday gatherings!
Harvest Moon from Souvia Tea
Tea Type: Green Tea
Where To Buy: Souvia
Product Description:
Green tea with a touch of cinnamon and apple makes this a satisfying cup. A great choice over ice in the summer too!.
Ingredients: green tea, apple bits, cinnamon, flavoring
Tasters Review:
This is really REALLY really GOOD!!! I mean REALLY GOOD! HEY! Did I mention this was GOOD!? 🙂
For me…this has the PERFECT amount of both the cinnamon and the apple and they are equally yummy. The semi-sweet and juicy green tea is the focus of this offering from Souvia and I just think it’s genius!
Tea-riffic! I Well done!
Souvia…I am a fan of your Harvest Moon. Plain and Simple! Thank you!
Winter Chocolate Rooibos from Sands of Thyme
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos
Where to Buy: Sands of Thyme on Etsy
Company Description:
Ingredients: rooibos, cocoa bits, ginger bits, cinnamon, roasted chicory root, barley malt, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, flavor, black pepper
Taster’s Review:
This tisane has a very interesting flavor. When I ordered it, I had expected it to be a spicy/sweet kind of taste, but, I don’t know that I would classify it as either spicy or sweet. I would call it savory.
But I consider this a nice surprise as my expectations were based entirely on the name of the tea and list of ingredients – not a lot to go on.
The rooibos offers a mellow woodsy/nutty tone to the cup that is further accentuated by the spices. The malt adds a certain richness to it, and the chicory adds a savory bitterness to the cup. The combination of these ingredients plus the spices give the tisane a very well-rounded flavor that I don’t usually experience with rooibos tisanes.
As I said, the spices themselves – the cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and black pepper – don’t create a very spicy blend – it is spiced, certainly. It just isn’t spicy as the spices are very much in harmony with one another. That being said, there is a hint of peppery tingle that hits the tongue in the finish that I find rather enchanting and keeps me sipping.
If I were to change anything about this blend, it would be the level of chocolate flavor. It is not nearly as chocolate-y as I would like it to be. That being said, the chocolate flavor does develop a bit as the tisane cools slightly, but it is still more savory spice than it is chocolate.
This is the first of several teas I’ve ordered from Sands of Thyme, and it is a pleasant one. Maybe not my favorite rooibos blend, but one that I certainly enjoyed and am glad I tried. It is one that I’d recommend to those who enjoy a savory, full-flavored tisane.
Steamy Cinnamon Rose Tea from Talbott Teas
Tea Type: Black Tea
Where To Buy: Talbott Teas
Product Description:
Exhilaration comes with every cinnamon-filled sip. As the fresh aroma of rose petals unfolds to reveal lacings of orange and clove, you welcome the new day with confidence.
Ingredients
All natural premium ingredients: Full-leaf black tea, orange peel, cloves, rose petals, cinnamon and natural orange flavor.
Tasters Review:
Some teas I just HAVE to post because they do something RIGHT where other companies do not. This is one of those teas! Steamy Cinnamon Rose Tea from Talbott Teas is the tea I am highlighting this evening. Eventho Steamy Cinnamon Rose Tea from Talbott Teas was NOT Mentioned by name on Oprah’s Favorite Things this past Monday – if you look close to the TiVo, DVR, Play-Back, or online clip you can see the classy Maroon and Black labeled tin of it in the display picture!
The reason I say that Talbott Teas did this tea RIGHT is because many rose teas and many cinnamon teas I have had either have too much, not enough, or fake tasting flavoring. Talbott Teas made Steamy Cinnamon Rose just the way I hoped it would taste!
This is a nice bold black flavored tea! Perfect for the mornings! The black tea taste is in front with lovely true orange flavors 2nd in line. The cinnamon and spices are in the background and are ‘just right’.
Thank you for the measurements of these ingredients, Talbott Teas! The end result was “steamy”, yes, but not over-the-top or artificial tasting. And the Rose and Orange flavors are lovely!
Silky Spice from Simpson & Vail
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Herbal/Spice Melangé
Where to Buy: Simpson & Vail
Company Description:
This fabulously heady blend of hibiscus flowers, cinnamon, cloves, sarsaparilla, coconut, allspice, and orange blossoms with vanilla and cinnamon flavors brews to a deep red cup. Definitely a palate pleaser! The taste is slightly spicy, with a creamy finish and a lingering spiciness that is uniquely refreshing.
Taster’s Review:
While I had high hopes for this tea, I was also a bit hesitant to try it. All of the ingredients sound GREAT… except the hibiscus! So, here, with a little apprehension, I am about to taste this new herbal/spice melangé offering from Simpson & Vail.
First reaction: Interesting. The hibiscus does offer its trademark tartness to the cup, as well as a bit of body to what might otherwise be a somewhat thin tisane. That being said, I’m still of the opinion that this would be better without the hibiscus.
But, lets consider the tea as it is. I really like the spicy notes of this tea. It isn’t a “hot” spicy, but more of a gently warm spice combination with a lot of character to it. The cinnamon, cloves, and allspice give a nice, well-rounded spice taste that is neither too hot nor abundantly sweet.
What I really find interesting about this blend is the sarsaparilla. It adds a really intriguing note to the cup. The vanilla is soft and adds a sweet creaminess to the tisane, as does the coconut. There is a also faint citrus note from the orange blossoms.
I think I prefer this hot, because some of the most interesting flavors become a bit more elusive as the tisane cools. Try it with a drizzle of honey – I love how it brings out the sarsaparilla! 
Here is a recipe for Silky Spice Hot Grog, found on the Simpson & Vail website:
Simmer 1 cup of apple cider and 2 Tbsp Silky Spice Hibiscus Herbal Tea for 10 minutes.
Strain out the herbs.
Sprinkle cinnamon and garnish with orange slices and a cinnamon stick.
Makes 1 serving.