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.