Typhoo – One of Britain’s Finest

Although we’re southerners, born and raised, where Sunday dinner typically consists of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, soup beans, biscuits, cornbread, etc., we decided to go another route for our Sunday afternoon meal when our children were young. The reasons for doing this were two-fold. One, we wanted to give our children, who were involved in gymnastics and ballet, a better chance than we had of not growing up to be a fat kid, and two we wanted to teach them proper table manners, grace, and etiquette. So, on Sunday afternoon we sat down to tea with a tablecloth on the table and Blue Willow dishes from which to eat our sandwiches and scones. We played classical music in the background and talked about whatever topic came up. Needless to say, since our children were aged five, seven, and fifteen when we started this, give or take a year, the discussions usually centered around questions about something from a Sunday School lesson, or working out the logistics of an upcoming gymnastics meet when the younger two were older, or if it was November we discussed the Nutcracker a lot because all three children eventually danced in it as one or more characters.

During that timeframe, we were going to church in Huntsville which was a 50 minute drive one way, so during Nutcracker season the parts that our children were in usually held practice on Sunday afternoon. We tended to spend the whole day in Huntsville rather than make two round trips because not only did we go to the morning services we also attended the evening services. Those Sundays were really loooooong days for everyone. We enjoyed doing Nutcracker but were ever so glad to get back to our Sunday afternoons at home and continue the calming effect of afternoon tea.

Our children are all grown and gone now, but Rick and I still continue to have afternoon tea on Sunday in lieu of lunch and supper. Almost without fail I make a pot of Typhoo tea while Rick handles making lettuce wraps which are more Keto-friendly than the sandwiches of old. Don’t misunderstand me here and think that we are dyed-in-the-wool Keto folks like those we admire and are tying to emulate. We’re not, yet, but we’re working on it. We still enjoy a couple of Walkers shortbread cookies with our wraps and tea in the event that I’ve not gotten around to making a Keto cookie to enjoy instead. The impetus of this ritual isn’t so much eating for nourishment but enjoying the quietness of the moment. It gives us time to be still together, enjoy our tea and a light meal, and converse about the week that’s past or the one to come. And yes, we do still play classical music while we enjoy our afternoon together.

“Why Typhoo?” I hear you ask. “What happened to PG Tips?” Well, I’ll tell you. I can’t remember just when or why we started drinking Typhoo, but I’m pretty sure it’s because we ran out of PG Tips and teadog didn’t have that brand in stock at the time I went to order more but did have Typhoo. I think that at that time it was even offered in a tin, and you know me and tins. I still have and store my Typhoo in that rectangular red tin. It holds two foil bags, so I have one of regular Typhoo and one of decaf.

I really do enjoy Typhoo. It is a full-bodied blend with no bitterness, unless of course you let the teabags sit in the pot all day long (yes, I’ve done that) and then warm up that tea. Still, it only takes a bit more milk to tame this stronger cup of tea. I enjoy Typhoo with honey moreso than with Swerve, Stevia, or even monk fruit. Again, honey is not allowed on a Keto diet, but there are just some things I’m not willing to give up yet and my honey is one of them. I’ve given up many of the sugary and gluten rich foods that are not good for me, but honey will probably stick around for a while longer.

Since you’re sitting at the computer, take a few minutes and visit the Typhoo website. There’s a lot of good information there including the history of the brand. For example, I had no idea it began as a cure for indigestion. Amazing! When I visited the site before I started writing this post, I was surprised, and may I say thrilled, when I found that there are recipes for sweets to make and enjoy while drinking your tea. Needless to say, I’m going to have to try some of these. I’ll probably substitute Swerve for the sugar and almond flour for the flour. I think I’ll start with either the Honeyed Tea Cupcakes or the Tea Flavoured Shortbread. They all look quite yummy though, so I’m sure there’ll come a day when I can say I’ve tried them all. While I can drink tea by itself I really prefer to have something to go with it. Otherwise, it’s like eating a sandwich without potato chips. Also, take their quiz, share it on social media, and you could win a year’s supply of Typhoo tea. I took the quiz which ended up looking like this, but I haven’t figured out how to share it yet. I’m very behind the times and don’t have a clue as to how to use hashtags. Besides, while winning a year’s supply of Typhoo would be absolutely amazing, I’m even more interested in getting my hands on the little one-person teapot and cup that shows up in their home page banner. That would definitely make my day.

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Photo credit: teadog

Green Tea Blueberry

Yesterday, Rick and I went to Emil’s up in Tullahoma for lunch. If you live closeby and haven’t been there yet, you need to go. They have a buffet on Friday from 11-2 with the best chicken salad as well as awesome fried chicken and gravy. And the apple pie? It’s to die for!

After we left there, full as a tick, we went over a street to Celtic Cup. It was a rainy, gray day and I wanted some hot chocolate. This is another locally owned shop you need to check into if you live in the area or find yourself visiting us one of these days. While there I purchased a blueberry scone to have for breakfast the next morning, i.e. today, before the shop opened. Of course, if you’re going to have a blueberry scone then you need blueberry tea, and I just happened to have such a tea on hand. The tea I chose comes from Tea of Life and is a green tea. I purchased this tea from Tuesday Morning down in Huntsville. It contains green tea with blueberry pieces and blueberry flavour, and as an accompaniment to a blueberry scone it’s perfect.

The oval tin contains 50 teabags divided into two foil packets of 25 bags each. The blueberry fragrance is noticeable when you open the lid and even moreso when you open one of the packets of tea. Since it’s a green tea the steeping time is less and the water doesn’t have to get as hot as it would need to be for a black tea. That means you get to start enjoying your tea just a little sooner, always a plus. This particular blend has a lovely aroma and taste once steeped. While you can taste the blueberry it isn’t tart like some berry teas can be. Of course, I added a bit of honey to my cup and greatly enjoyed both the scone and the tea before greeting my customers for the day.

Since it is National Hot Tea Month, those who came to the shop today were able to select an individually wrapped tea. It was a very windy and pretty chilly day, just right for a good hot cup of tea. What more can you ask for? Tea and fabric…ahhh…

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The Brand that Changed Everything

As mentioned in a previous post, PG Tips was gifted to me from a friend of a friend who was visiting from England. Before this, I refused to the drink tea that we purchased from our local grocery store because its taste was awful. When the visitor handed me a box of PG Tips I knew I’d have to make some for her and our friend, and that I would also have to drink it. Needless to say, I wasn’t thrilled. Imagine my surprise, and great relief, when I tasted and actually liked this new tea. The difference between the PG Tips brand and that in our local store was like night and day. That gift changed my perception of tea forever.

Knowing that the box of tea wouldn’t last forever, I went on the hunt for a place to purchase PG Tips online. The online store that came up was teadog.com. I was thrilled to say the least to know that once I ran out of my original box of PG Tips I’d be able to buy more online.

Then teadog added PG Tips Extra Strong to their offerings. Because our youngest had started college and was “meetin’ herself a comin’ and a goin’” I figured that an extra strong version of her favourite tea was needed. The extra kick from this tea has gotten both of us through some long days. My one concern was that the stronger flavour would be bitter. Thankfully, it’s just as good as the regular variety and has no bitterness at all. The addition of milk and honey make this selection smooth and rich. Love it!

If you’re looking for a stronger tea to get you through the day, than look no further. PG Tips Extra Strong will do the trick.

NOTE: There are no affiliate links in this post. Links are included for reference and ease of use.

Photo Credit: teadog.com

Organic Orange Green Tea

I’d like to share another green tea with you today. This tea comes from Touch Organic and consists of organic green tea and natural orange flavour. While I enjoy it hot, it can also be made as an iced tea. The non-bleached (light brown) tea bags come individually wrapped which makes this tea a perfect choice to take with you each day or to include in a card for a friend. If you do include a teabag in a card, you might want to take the time to go to the post office and have them hand cancel the envelope. That way you don’t have to worry about the slight hump caused by the teabag causing the card to get caught and ripped open when running through the machinery.

How does this offering taste? Lovely! There’s no bitterness and the orange flavour is noticeable but not overpowering. I tend to take my tea with honey, but since I’m supposed to be cutting out carbs I used half a teaspoon of monk fruit today. It was still a flavourful tea, but I must confess to preferring the added sweetness of honey over the monk fruit.

This is not the only tea variety from this maker in which I’ve indulged. I have also enjoyed they organic mango green tea blend as well. So much so, that when I ran out I purchased another round caddy when I found it again at HomeGoods. I divided the teabags between the two caddies so that I could have this blend both upstairs or down whenever the mood struck.

Knowing that I’m drinking an organic tea whose leaves haven’t been sprayed with a laundry list of chemicals is reassuring, especially since I’m trying to detoxify my body and make it healthier. Be sure to visit the Touch Organic website to learn about their vision and labour practices. While you’re there, peruse other offerings that I’m sure are equally enjoyable. If you try, and enjoy, a different selection, please feel free to share that with us.

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Happy National Hot Tea Month!

Happy New Year and Happy National Hot Tea Month! It’s hard to believe that it’s 2020 already. Not only did 2019 zip past, but the last 20 years have zipped past as well. It seems like only yesterday that everyone was worried our computers would crash the minute midnight struck and we were propelled into not only a new year but also a new century. Everyone prepared for the worst, but thankfully it never happened. Life went on, didn’t even skip a beat, at least not in my little world.

Lots of changes though have happened in both your life and mine over the past twenty years. For my part, our children have grown up and flown the coop with the youngest having graduated college back in 2015. My hair has gotten whiter and my joints ache more now than then, that’s kind of the bad news. The good news is that I have developed a taste for hot tea. Still don’t care for sweet tea, and yes, I’m as southern as they come, but I have branched out where hot tea is concerned from that first taste of PG Tips gifted to me by a friend of a friend. If she only knew what a tea monster she created with her generosity. It’s because of this that I’m sure I’ll be able to share a different tea with you each day for the month of January. Some will be varieties that are always available, others may be limited editions or seasonal offerings. I’ll try not to include very many of those though since it might be impossible for you to purchase and indulge in them yourself should my description of them peak your interest.

So, without further ado, we’ll kick the New Year off with a green tea because green teas are very good for you as they are loaded with antioxidants and nutrients. If you’d like to learn more about green tea you can read this very thorough article by Dr. Jockers. While you’re there, check out the rest of his website. He’s a proponent of the Ketogenic (Keto) lifestyle and has a lot of information that will help you get your New Year off to a healthy start.

This variety, Green Tea Pomegranate, is from English Tea Shop and is a fairtrade and organic tea. I purchased my tin of loose leaf tea from HomeGoods. It contains organic green tea (85%), organic rose petals (5%), organic pomegranate pieces (5%), and natural flavourings (5%). You know you’re in for a treat the minute you open the foil bag. The fragrance is most appealing and kind of reminds me for some reason of the bubble gum portion of the suckers I had as a kid. I think they were called Blow Pops. Loved those suckers!

This tea can stand on its own, but I add a bit of local honey and it’s even more delicious. It’s recommended to drink 2-3 cups of green tea per day. If you’re following Keto you won’t want to use honey though. Try monk fruit instead. I enjoy this flavour of green tea because it doesn’t set my teeth on edge as some green teas that I’ve had in the past have done. Some might label it a dessert tea, and it could definitely be used for that, but I tend to have it in the morning around 10:30 a.m. to tied me over until lunch time.

If getting healthy in 2020 was one of your resolutions, then you need to add tea to your day in general and this variety in particular. If you don’t find it at HomeGoods be sure to check in one of their affiliate stores, TJMaxx or Marshall’s. Of course, once you look in any of these stores you’re probably going to find other teas that you can’t live without (which is a big part of why I have such a large selection). When you do, be sure to share with the rest of us. After all, what are friends for…

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Holiday Spice from English Tea Store

You’ve probably noticed that I missed posting a final holiday tea blend on the 25th. That’s because we were out of town from the 22nd until late the 25th. After getting a late start back home and driving for several hours, the last thing I wanted to do was to sit at the computer and try to gather my thoughts about anything. Not to despair though because we celebrate Christmas for 12 days, so I’m still within the Christmas timeframe, at least from our point of view. If you want to read about our 12 Days of Christmas celebration you can go here and amuse yourself. It’s kind of a long read because I’m a very thorough explainer of anything and everything that I feel the need to explain. So, before you go there, grab yourself a cup of tea and a cookie or two. And please, ignore any shift in tenses that you might find. This is not English 101.

The selection of tea I’d like to share with you now was one I purchased for the last holiday season from English Tea Store. Thankfully, this selection is available year round so if this review tweaks your interest you can easily purchase some for yourself. If you’re not sure you’ll like this selection then start with their five bag sampler that is currently being offered for just $1.11. I think though that you will be going back for more.

I purchased the 25 bag tin as we live in a humid climate and tins of tea are better than boxes of tea for that reason. As you can see, it’s just a plain silver tin with printed labels attached. The label on my tin says “New Improved Flavor!” but since this was my first time to try this tea I had nothing with which to compare it. The teabags are round and said to be in the English style with no strings or tags. That was a new bit of information for me as I didn’t realize that English teabags and teabags of other origins differed in these details. They also claimed to be 50% larger, containing 0.1 ounce of tea. With that claim in mind, I used just one bag for my two-cup teapot. Both cups of tea were lovely and neither was weakened by the additional amount of water used with only one teabag. I only point this out because I tend to put two teabags in my little teapot, pour out one into my cup after it’s steeped, and then refill the pot. This gives me three cups of tea with which to start, or end, my day.

According to the label on the top of the tin, this blend is a “fine quality black tea with cinnamon and orange natural flavors and spices.” The only other spice noted on the English Tea Store’s website is cloves. The tea has a very nice spicy aroma but is not overbearing, nor is the flavour. Each flavour is a nice mix, not too strong, not too weak. By that I mean you can taste each one but no one flavour overpowers the other. I sweetened my tea with a teaspoon of local honey which added to the richness and enhanced the flavour. I’ve learned the hard way though to keep stirring my tea from time to time when using honey, otherwise it sinks to the bottom of the cup and the last couple of sips are way too sweet, even for me.

Forgive me for stating the obvious here, but this is the last holiday tea post for the 2019 year. Tomorrow starts both a New Year as well as National Hot Tea Month. It will also begin a new endeavour on my part which is to review a different tea every day both here and on a new blog site, Hooked on Tea, that I’m setting up. I will double post to both sites for a while and then split them up again so that those interested only in quilting won’t have to endure information about tea things and vice versa. This new site might not be visible for a few days, but I will definitely let you know when it is. I’m not completely sure what direction the new blog will take or what all I will include, but I hope to make it one for sharing both my love of tea and the accoutrements that go along with it, of which I have collected a lot over the years. Until tomorrow…Happy New Year!

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Photo Credit: English Tea Store

Christmas Ceylon from TranquiliTea & Herbs

In my last post I mentioned that we spent a week in Gatlinburg, TN back in September. When I go on vacation, I take along a large rectangular basket which holds three china cup and saucer sets, two two-cup teapots, a creamer, lots of tea options, a quart jar of local honey, Walkers shortbread cookies, etc. I even take a large tray that will accommodate everything for two people so I can move it from the kitchen to the balcony in one fell swoop. Am I a tea addict? No, I just hate to waste the opportunity to have a relaxing tea time while trying some new teas that I purchase and hold on to for such an occasion as vacation time. But, I’m also always on the lookout for more new-to-me teas when given the opportunity.

While I said we are couch potatoes for the most part when on vacation, we did get a bit more adventuresome this go around in hopes of finding a replacement for two of our regular food providers, one of which had changed ownership and the other, the kettle corn kiosk, which wasn’t open. While I didn’t really find a suitable replacement for the kettle corn, I did find a great tea store instead. TranquiliTea is located in the Mountain Mall at 611 Parkway, Gatlinburg, TN. When I was there the tea store was in Suite F, but the lady behind the counter, who I took to be the owner, told me that she would be moving to Suite D. So, if you physically go to the Mountain Mall be sure to look at the shop directory in the lobby to get their current location. If you click on the link you will see a photo of the shop as it was when I visited. All those jars on the left side of the photo are different tea blends. There are just as many on the right side of the shop when you walk in, they’re just not visible in the photo. If I remember correctly, the teas are in alphabetical order which makes it pretty easy to find what you’re looking for if you have a specific preference in mind. You can order online, but I did not see the Christmas Ceylon listed when I did a search on their site. You may have to order by phone and ask for this blend specifically. I did see that they have a Winter Blend whose description sounds like something I’d enjoy.

The Christmas Ceylon tea wasn’t actually on the shelf when I was there, but when I asked if they had any Christmas teas the owner produced a jar that she’d packaged but not yet put out. The loose tea came in a 4 oz. glass jar which I’m guessing can be refilled on future trips providing the blend is available. As you might expect, it has a limited production time since it is a Christmas tea. I enjoyed it so much though that I’d be more than happy to drink it at any time of the year. The label for Christmas Ceylon reads: Black tea (Ceylon) Natural Essence, Hand Processed Smoky Red Orange Pekoe, Smooth & Rare. The label includes the date that it was created and the date by which it is best used. I doubt seriously though that it will last until 2022.

When I unscrewed the lid I knew immediately that I was in for a treat. The smell was definitely that of a spicy Christmas tea. While it isn’t listed in the ingredients, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that there is cinnamon as well as cloves in the mix, maybe even some nutmeg. I say this because I was reminded of the taste and smell produced by the spices I use when making pumpkin bread. Very warming, very comforting, very Christmasy. The tea itself didn’t taste like pumpkin bread though so don’t let my comparison confuse you. Having clarified that I’d have to say that the only thing that would have made my tea time better would have been to actually have some of my pumpkin bread to enjoy with my tea. Unfortunately, my recipe for pumpkin bread is definitely not Keto friendly, and I’m supposed to be eating a ketogenic diet (emphasis on the “supposed to be”). Neither is the honey with which I sweeten my tea, but we won’t beleaguer that point right now.

Bottom line…I would recommend this Christmas tea selection without hesitation. I look forward to going back to visit this shop again and try some of their other offerings. Alas, waiting until our return visit is not much different than waiting for Christmas to get here. It always takes too long to arrive and goes by all too quickly, but it does leave one with warm memories that last forever.

Update on two previous posts – Back in July, I mentioned having bought the 12 Days of Christmas gift box of teas from Harney & Sons. They have added this box to their sight and it is on sale! Great group of teas at a great price plus FREE shipping. Don’t miss out!

Last month I reviewed one of the teas from a variety box I’d purchased from Tuesdays at the beginning of this year. They have the same box of tea out this year, for $6.99, but under a different name. Last year it was by Tea of Life, this year it’s by Timothy’s. The graphics and tea blends are exactly the same. What I didn’t realize when I wrote the post last month was that the tea is packed and exported by Amazon Trading (PVT) Ltd. The one currently available at Tuesdays is also by Amazon Trading (PVT) Ltd. Click on the link to learn more about this company.

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Holiday Blend from Tea of Life

This year has flown by to say the least. Even with just having hosted our fall Stitchin’ Camp weekend-before-last, I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that there are only two months left in this year. I can hear my mom telling me when I was a kid wishing for Christmas or my birthday to come not to wish my life away because it’d go by quickly enough when I got older. Boy, was she ever right.

Last month we spent a week in Gatlinburg, TN which isn’t too far up the road from here. We’re typically couch potatoes when we go there but do have a few haunts that we have to visit before the week ends. One of those haunts is the Lenox outlet in Sevierville, TN. This go-around my long-time friend, Beverly, came down from Fall Branch to spend a day with me while Rick went a bit further up the road to visit his parents. Rick’s very accommodating when shopping at the Lenox outlet, especially given that I need more china like I need another hole in my head, but getting to shop with Beverly was so much fun. I can’t tell you when the last time was that I shopped with another female, besides Victoria of course and we tend to do our shopping via photos taken with our phones depending on who is at a store and who is elsewhere.

Beverly and I met at Books-a-Million and had to buy books and magazines of course, not to mention snacks. She then surprised me with a visit to a nail salon. It was the first time I’d been to one since 1987. Talk about being out of my depth… Eventually, we made it to the Lenox outlet. I’m not sure her husband is going to ever let her go with me again though because she ended up buying a lot more than I did—a whole lot more. My goal was to find any and all of the holiday-themed cup and saucer sets they had in stock because I realized back at the first of the year when I started these Christmas tea posts that I didn’t have but a couple of sets that were Christmas themed. I wanted to correct that oversight on this trip. As for Beverly, I don’t think she expected to buy anything at all. Still, she ended up with several lovely pieces that I know she’ll enjoy using this holiday season.

One of the sets that I chose isn’t really a set but go well enough together I think. The cup is from the Holiday Tartan group which, sadly, is no longer in production. I’ll find the correct saucer one of these days and may even buy a cup to go with the saucer you see here. This saucer is from the Winter Greetings Plaid group which was discontinued last year. Why did I not buy the cup that went with this saucer when I was at the shop? Because I really didn’t like the shape of the cup. It’s just a bit too round and squatty for my taste. I’m strange about a lot of things, and the shape of my teacup is one of them.

So, now that you know where this cup and saucer set came from let’s talk about the tea in it. This selection was one of four that came in a large box which I purchased right after Christmas earlier this year from Tuesdays. When I found the box, on sale no less, I was hoping that the Holiday Blend inside would be the same as the Holiday Spice tea that I reviewed in March. Alas, it was not. This blend does have some of the same flavorings, but it is definitely not the same as the other blend. It’s quite good though, and I’ve enjoyed it on several occasions even though it’s a bit heavy on the vanilla flavour side. The spices are there, but you really have to think about them in order to taste them. Of course, I added honey even though honey is one of the ingredients listed on the box. While one can have too much honey in one’s tea a little more than what was already included in the blend didn’t hurt it one bit. I think if anything it might just have added to the smoothness and flavour.

If I run across this tea again this season I will definitely buy more. While there were 100 bags of tea in the box, there were only 25 bags of this flavour. I use two bags each time I make tea in my little teapot that I won from teadog.com several years ago, so that only gives me twelve full tea-times and one extra cup to enjoy. If you do the calculations, that’s only enough for once a month. It’s a good thing that I have enough tea in my stash to take care of all the other days in the month…and I keep buying more.

Note: There are no affiliate links in this post. All links are given for reference and ease of use only.

Holiday Cheer Tea – A Downton Abbey Ltd. Edition

Since the new Downton Abbey movie was released this past weekend, I thought this would be a good time to review a limited edition tea that was gifted to me a couple of years ago. While it was made by The Republic of Tea it was purchased at TJMaxx. Sadly the tea is not showing as a current offering on The Republic’s website, BUT they are showing a Christmas themed tea that you’ll probably want to snag before it’s gone. I’d be surprised if it isn’t just as good as the one that I’m sharing with you today. They’re also offering free shipping on U.S. orders over $25. That makes it a great time to get your Christmas shopping done for those tea drinkers on your list, which includes yourself of course.

The Holiday Cheer tea of Christmas’s Past is a caffeine-free red rooibos with natural vanilla and cinnamon flavours. While I did not add milk to this tea, it is said, according to the description on the canister, to be lovely when added. The smell that emanates from the container when opened gives you a slight hint at the treat in store for you. Once steeped, it does not fail to deliver a lovely rich flavour that can be savored not only at Christmas time but all year long. The balance of cinnamon and vanilla is just right with neither overwhelming the other. I did add honey to my tea and greatly enjoyed it after a long day. A day when I welcomed cheer of any kind be it holiday or otherwise.

The only other Downton tea that I have on hand is the Bates Brambleberry tea. It is another good choice for those who enjoy a bit of tang with their tea. It’s not too tart but not sweet either. Great for those times when you need to add a little zing to your day without overwhelming your tastebuds.

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Christmas Tea by Darvilles of Windsor

It’s time for another tea review! So far, I’ve given you positive reviews about Christmas tea blends that I’ve enjoyed. Now, however, I am going to give you a review of one that I did not enjoy. It’s only fair that I give you the opposite side of the spectrum since life in general is not always rosy.

When searching for Christmas teas a few years ago, I ran across this brand on one of my favorite sites for ordering tea, teadog.com. I decided to give it a try since the description said it was “a very special blend of tea to celebrate Christmas.” At that time, there was one review on the site that said it was “heavenly” and figuring out how to make it last through the year would be a challenge for that buyer. Sounded like a positive endorsement to me so I was all for giving it a try.

It took a couple of seasons of watching the site before I managed to secure a box of this tea since Christmas blends are often made in smaller quantities. I guess some tea vendors think that we who enjoy drinking tea only want to drink Christmas blends around the holidays. How wrong they are, at least where I’m concerned anyhow. Finally my vigil paid off and a box of this tea found its way into my home.

Getting a box of tea selections in the mail is always exciting, and I couldn’t wait to make my first cup of the long-waited for Christmas Tea from Darvilles. I read the information on the side of the box and was thrilled to see that I would soon be enjoying “An irresistible blend of fine black teas flavoured with warming winter spices, orange and cinnamon, creating a truly festive experience.” I’m all for festive experiences and since I like spiced teas and orange flavoured teas I thought this would be a winner.

When I opened the foil packaging inside the box, I was greeted with a mild aroma of spices. Even thought it wasn’t a strong aroma, I thought, “So far, so good.” Once the tea had been steeped, however, I no longer smelled the expected aroma. The first sip took me by surprise. What I was expecting and what I tasted were two totally different things. There was very little spiciness at all. Talk about a let down.

Never let it be said that I give up easily. I decided to try the tea a second time just in case I had done something wrong in making it the first time. I reread the instructions on the box and on the second go-around I didn’t bring the water to a full boil, steeping the tea for less time than the first try. While it was a little better the second go around, it still did not live up to my expectations of a spicy, warm flavoured Christmas tea. In other words, no festive experience for me.

What went wrong? Maybe it’s just my taste buds. Or, maybe the fact that the blend is 98% black tea and 2% spiced orange flavour is the answer to why this blend did not wow me. Needless to say I still have the box of Darvilles Christmas Tea sitting on my shelf even though the “best by” date came and went almost two years ago now. I hate throwing away tea, unless it’s really bad, and this wasn’t a bad tea. It just wasn’t what I had expected it to be. I had thought of throwing one of the teabags in with another spicy tea that I do enjoy to see if it toned down the very powerful taste of cinnamon. A bit of experimentation might be just what this tea needs in order to jazz it up and insure that it doesn’t go to waste. After all, experimentation is the spice of life…right?

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Photo credit: Teadog.com