Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: English Tea Shop
Tea Description:
Candy Cane: Green tea, peppermint leaves, orange peels, cinnamon pieces, chicory, strawberry leaves and vanilla pods with mint, vanilla and coconut flavours.
Taster’s Review:
This Candy Cane Green Tea from English Tea Shop is another tea from the holiday package that I received from a friend this past Christmas. The dry aroma smells like a candy cane … but there is also an artificial sort of smell to the dry leaf too. It’s a little off-putting, but I’m hoping that it won’t affect the flavor of the brewed tea.
Yeah, I can still taste a bit of that artificial-ness, but, while it did smell a bit off, it doesn’t taste horrible. On the contrary, this is actually tasty. The flavors of candy cane are there: mint and vanilla.
I taste hints of orange and cinnamon too, and they lend a holiday kind of warmth to the cup. I like that while I can taste these flavors, they don’t interrupt the candy cane notes that I’m tasting, rather, they seem to accentuate the candy cane flavors.
And then there is the chicory and coconut which I think is what I was smelling and tasting that is so odd. Maybe not so much an artificial scent but it’s just weird that I was smelling (and now tasting) coconut and chicory in there, you know? It’s just … strange. It doesn’t taste bad, just a bit unusual and a little out there, you know?
The green tea seems a little lost in this blend, and I think I’m finding myself wishing I was tasting a little less of these other flavors and more of the green tea with mint and vanilla to give it a more candy cane-ish sort of taste.
Overall, it’s not a bad candy cane tribute, and I’d drink it again if it were offered to me. It’s sweet, minty and creamy, just like I’d expect from a candy cane and I like that. But there are some other flavors in there that make this tea sort of stray from what it would seem should be its original intent, which is to be a candy cane tea. The result of which makes this an average tasting candy cane tea. Not great, but not bad either.
Karigane #22 from Tea Wing
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Green
Where to Buy: Tea Wing
Tea Description:
A blend of stems and leaves which are shaded 20 days prior to harvest. This kabuse is naturally sweet and bright with a beautiful aroma. The shaded leaves are a deep green and the steeped liquor yield has an almost “chewy” mouthfeel. Lots of flavor.
Read other Steepster thoughts on this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This Karigane #22 from Tea Wing represents the third of the five teas that I’m tasting from the inaugural Steepster Select box. (Well, it’s the first after a year plus hiatus, anyway!)
The aroma of the dry leaf is grassy, evocative of freshly cut grass. I noticed a lot of stems and finely cut leaves, looking as though both have been finely shredded, reminding me of a Japanese Sencha. The brewed tea smells very vegetative … and tastes vegetative too.
The flavor tastes of sweet grass and lightly buttered vegetables. It is a strong vegetal taste, so if you’re one who tends to shy away from green teas with that strong leafy taste, this tea might not be the one for you. Me, I like it. It has a very clean and pure kind of flavor, and it’s pleasantly invigorating.
As the tea cools slightly, I am picking up on some creamy notes, and I find that these creamy notes develop as I continue to sip. Maybe slightly buttery, but also … tasting of sweet cream.
The finish is agreeably sweet, and it’s a sweetness that reminds me of agave nectar! At first I thought that maybe, somehow … I had added some agave nectar to the cup, but, since there isn’t any agave nectar in the house at the moment, I don’t know how that would have happened.
A very enjoyable cup of tea with a thick, brothy mouthfeel that complements the vegetal, creamy taste of the tea. Another WIN from Steepster Select! If you haven’t yet signed up for it, why not? You should get yourself here and sign up as soon as possible! You’ll be happy you did!
Holiday Crumb Cake Tea from The Tea and Spice Exchange
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where To Buy: The Tea and Spice Exchange
Tea Description:
Come home to the Holidays! Indulge and wrap your senses around this cozy cup of tea. Orange,raspberry, ginger, and cinnamon combined with black tea creates a flavor worth celebrating! Contains Black Tea, Orange Peels, Ginger, Cinnamon, Raspberry Leaves,Cranberries, Safflowers, Natural Cranberry and Chestnut Flavors.Learn more about this blend here.
Learn more about this tea here.
Taster’s Review:
This is one of three teas that I received in my holiday stocking. Granted, I had to buy these teas myself to stuff in my own stocking, but, my husband DID take me to The Tea and Spice Exchange knowing full well that I had teas on my shopping list, including this Holiday Crumb Cake flavored black tea.
What can I say? I’m a sucker for limited edition teas! I think this has something to do with the fact that I’d categorize myself as a “taster” … I like to try teas, but, I rarely find a tea that I’d want to drink every day. I might like a tea … even love it, but, there are so many teas out there to try, and who knows what I might discover next! There have been some teas that I have enjoyed enough to want to keep stocked in my cupboard … but this is a rare occurrence.
This tea is really good! It’s a really tasty spin on the classic cranberry orange cinnamon holiday blend. The addition of chestnut flavors gives this tea a real cake-y kind of taste: warm, nutty, and sweet. The cranberry is tart and offers a nice contrast to the sweeter flavors. The cinnamon gives the tea the delicious warmth of spice, and the orange – as well as the raspberry leaves! – give this tea a burst of brightness. It’s a really nicely rounded cup of tea.
And what I like best here is that the black tea is not overwhelmed by all that’s going on. It is a sturdy black tea, robust, and even has a hint of smoke to it, which sort of plays to the idea of crumb cake … that browned crumb topping that tastes of caramelized sugars. There is some astringency to this tea, I’d classify it as a moderate to medium amount of astringency – nothing overwhelming.
A very enjoyable blend – around for just a limited time!
Autumn Leaves from Della Terra Teas
Tisane Information:
Leaf Type: Rooibos & Honeybush
Where to Buy: Della Terra Teas
Tea Description:
It’s that time of year again! Even if it’s not, and you want it to be, just have a cup of this perfectly aromatic rooibos! It has the flavor and aroma of maple and the roasted goodness of honeybush paired with rooibos and green rooibos. It creates the perfect blend of all the flavors to give you all the best of Autumn in your cup!
Learn more about this tisane here.
Taster’s Review:
Warning: This tisane is for true maple lovers ONLY!
If you swipe the lip of the bottle clean with your finger after you’ve poured maple syrup over the pancakes, and then licked your finger, or if you’re tempted to lick your plate clean after you’ve finished the pancakes… read on. This tisane is something you MUST try!
I love maple. I am sure I’ve proclaimed that on this blog before. I’m sure I’ll probably say so again. It’s one of my favorite sweet flavors, probably #3 after chocolate and caramel.
And this tisane from Della Terra Teas is about the closest thing to real maple syrup that any tea or tisane will ever get. It tastes as though I filled the cup up half of the way full with maple syrup, and then stirred in some brewed rooibos to thin it out a bit.
I don’t even taste the rooibos much here… I do taste a slight nuttiness to the cup, but it melds together with the maple notes so well that it’s not really distinguishable as rooibos to me. It just tastes like hints of toasty, nutty flavor that add to the warm taste that I get from this maple-y delicious tisane.
I love that the base used here is not just oxidized rooibos, but also green rooibos and honeybush which gives the overall cup a more pleasing dimension. I taste notes that are not definitively maple notes in this, but it’s difficult to describe the overall taste, because really, what I taste more than anything is MAPLE! It is warm, luscious and very sweet. Just like real maple syrup.
So, if you do not like sweet drinks … don’t try this. If you do not like maple … don’t try this. But if you have a sweet tooth and you love MAPLE like I do, you MUST try this.
And don’t forget about our Della Terra Teas’ 12 Day of Christmas Tea Sampler Giveaway that is going on right now! Enter for your chance to win!
Momijigari from Lupicia
Tea Information:
Leaf Type: Black
Where to Buy: Lupicia
Tea Description:
Vibrant autumn leaves are blended into black tea. A sophisticated flavor of apple and apricot is limited to the autumn. Limited Quantity & Period Only
Learn more about this tea here. 
Taster’s Review:
When I saw that there were autumn leaves in this tea I HAD to have it! My favorite season is autumn. I also am a confessed tree hugger. I adore the changing colors of the leaves falling to the ground, and I am known, even at my age, to go out and play in the leaves, just like a child.
This tea smells in dry form like an apple cider and when steeped it taste like apple cider wine! This I was not expecting! This I welcome! I no longer imbibe but as autumn rolls around I do miss mead, and making wassail so having this tea to add to my “wine tea” selection makes me do a happy dance!
I am already spinning thoughts around in my head as to what to do with this tea in addition to drinking a LOT of it. In fact, this evening I was planning on making a squash soup and I just may find a way to incorporate this tea into that recipe! It is seasonal and I am already thinking I should order more.
Yes apricots, and apples, are the central flavors in this tea, and wine, and I swear I even had just a small lady like “wine belch” – sorry to be crude but it is so much like wine that I noticed it in that moment! I realize there are many teas that tout wine infusion, and some of them are quite lovely, yet this tea, one that does not tout that at all is more wine like than any tea I have had. I have had to correct myself several times when typing wine, when I meant to type tea!
Now in all factuality, I really can’t say if the autumn leaves do much of anything for this tea, but perhaps that is what gives this tea the wine-like flavor although I am sure the fruits had something to do with it. I mean I suppose there is a backdrop here of a nice earthy note, but it is slight and could come from the black base as well, which other than being in the background is not all that intense, bold, or present. Lupicia does not indicate what type of black tea is used but based on the blend it makes me think darjeeling. Which is never a bad thing.
So off I am to contemplate another order with my beloved Lupicia, and I highly recommend this tea to you!
