Scent is one of the strongest senses tied to memory, and there is something distinct for all of us about the holidays! There are the cinnamon pine cones in every store, you start being able to use you fireplace, and everything smells like apples. Yule Fuel by For Tea’s Sake is hands down the best holiday tea I’ve ever had. It smells like the holidays with cinnamon and cloves immediately confronting your senses. One encounter with the aroma of this tea will make it obvious that it is aptly named.
I brewed this black tea at 212 degrees Fahrenheit (110 degrees Celsius) for five minutes as directed. It brewed into a nice rich color. The cinnamon and cloves which are prominent in the aromatic profile of this tea are reduced to supporting, but important, players when brewed. The flavor that comes out in the brewing process is a lovely vanilla which helps remove the bitter aftertaste that is common for black teas and often puts people off of drinking black teas without sugar or cream. Saying this is a smooth black tea may be an understatement for this blend. This blend needs no assistance from sugars or cream, but I suspect that the addition of either would create a lovely flavor profile as well.
I cannot say enough wonderful things about this blend. From the aroma to the flavor profile that is presented once brewed, this tea is one that you need to have in your collection.
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: For Tea’s Sake
Description
This is a holiday blend tea so if interested click below right around the holidays to see if the blend is coming back!
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
Wildest Mints from Story of My Tea. . . .
Sometimes I can’t believe I haven’t tried a combination of some simple, favorite ingredients. Wildest Mints from the Story of My Tea blends peppermint, clove, and licorice into an herbal brew. Three simple, flavorful ingredients, no added flavoring, no caffeine. Wildest Mints is a great herbal blend to keep in your cabinet for soothing mint with little something extra.
Story of My Tea recommends this brew be iced. Drinking it cold enhances the already refreshing rush of brewed peppermint and is just the right flavor for an especially hot day. The licorice and cloves add some herbal sweetness and bring more texture to the feeling of this tea on your tongue and throat.
I also like this as a hot brew, maybe as an after dinner cup with plenty of peppermint to help with digestion. When warm, the peppermint brings a little creaminess to the cup along with its familiar cool, crispness. The cloves are more prominent in a warm brew, and I adore their dark and spicy aftertaste and buzzy mouthfeel. As always, the licorice is sweet and soothing.
Who knew there could be so much going on with just three classic ingredients? Story of My Tea clearly did!
Here’s the scoop!
Leaf Type: Herbal
Where to Buy: Story of My Tea
Description:
The main ingredient of this calming blend is peppermint, this herb has several millennia of history. There are records that show Peppermint was used by the ancient Egyptians around 1,000 B.C. The Romans grew peppermint gardens for its use as a digestive aid they also used it as a grown cover between the stepping stone pathways. The Japanese valued it so highly that they carried peppermint in small silver boxes that hung from their belt. Peppermint was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as a hybrid between water mint and spearmint. Today this plant is cultivated in many regions of the world.
The second ingredient is licorice root, a plant native to southeast Europe and southwest Asia. It brings a natural sweetness to this blend and is valued by both eastern and western medicine for its anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and “harmonizing” properties.
Finally, the cloves. These aromatic dried flower buds used in Asian, African, Mexican, Near and Middle East cuisine add just the right spice balance to this blend.
Learn even more about this tea and tea company here!
