Tea Information:

Leaf Type:  Black

Where to Buy:  TeaScapes

Product Description:

This tea is a celebration of colors and mixed flavors. The blended tea is a beautiful melody of tea leaves, rose petals, almonds, cornflower petals, orange peels and more. This exquisite Black Celebration tea won an award at the 2008 World Tea Championship for having the best aroma and flavor. The brewed tea offers up a spicy taste for the palate. It infuses for just 3 minutes, allowing the flavors and aromas to intertwine to create a zesty golden liquor. The flavor is naturally sweet and uplifting.

Taster’s Review:

When I first opened this package, I thought that this was a fruit and spice melangé rather than a black tea.  There are huge chunks of dried fruit, herbs, and spices in this with some black tea leaves.  It really looks more like a fruit tea than a black tea.

Taste wise, this has a lot going on.  It’s a bit like a flavor explosion!  There is a pleasant fruity background comprised mostly of orange notes but I can also taste hints of apple.  The fruit provides an essential sweetness to the cup.  A hint of nutty sweetness also contributes to the sweet aspect of this cup, and gives an interesting contrast to the spicy notes that dominate this cup.

Then there is the cinnamon.  The cinnamon is the strongest flavor of this cup.  It starts out rather mild with its a gentle, soothing spice.  Gradually, the cinnamon flavor builds and by about mid-cup, the cup is quite zesty!

The black tea is not a strong component to this cup, and I do wish it were a little stronger.  A little richer.  That is not to say that this isn’t an absolutely delightful cup of tea, because it is.  I love spicy-hot cinnamon flavors, and this tea has definitely got that.  At the same time, I don’t think you can toss a few black tea leaves into a fruit and spice melangé and call it a black tea.  This is a tasty cup of tea, but, I can’t help but wish it had a little something more.