This tea is packed with Christmas spice flavors: Cloves, cinnamon, orange, vanilla and almond. When I smell the brewed tea, the cloves, cinnamon, orange and vanilla are all about equally strong while the almond flavor is more subdued. On the palate, the orange is more noticeable and is together with the cloves the two most prominent flavors. The cinnamon and vanilla are definitely there too. The almond is still the most difficult flavor to detect. For some reason, I get a chocolatey flavor from this tea even though it does not contain any. It must be the combination of all the different flavors that makes it smell and taste chocolatey.
The Chinese black tea base is medium-bodied and not that brisk compared to an Indian black tea. The black tea base is the same in terms of body and briskness as most of Harney’s other flavored Chinese black teas with the exception of their Earl Grey blends which I find to have a stronger body than their other flavored black teas.
On the back end of each sip, there is a a very subtle warming, spicy feeling similar to ginger or black pepper which builds up as you drink the tea.
This is an excellent Holiday inspired flavored black tea blend with lots of spices, orange and vanilla flavors and is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit, although I like to enjoy this tea at other times as well but especially during winter. It’s a great tea to have with breakfast on a cold winter morning.
Dry leaves, appearance:
Black tea leaves with bright red/orange safflower petals and pieces of orange rind.
Dry leaves, aroma:
I get more orange and vanilla in the dry leaves than in the brewed tea. The cloves and cinnamon are also quite noticeable. The almond is probably the least prominent smell. The dry leaves somehow smell chocolatey to me. The smell of this tea reminds me of a Danish Christmas cake called “honningkage”, literally “honey cake” in English, which contains some of the same spices that are in this tea.
Liquor:
Medium to dark brown.
Packaging:
HRP tin of 30 sachets.
Flavors: Almond, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Clove, Cloves, Orange, Pepper, Spices, Tea, Vanilla
Haven’t seen you in a while! Welcome back!
Thank you so much! I have a few teas from Harney & Sons that I have not reviewed yet. I will be posting a review of Victorian London Fog or Hot Apple Spice next, I think.