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This was my first box from Amoda and my first set of Butiki teas. Needless to say, I was super interested in the teas in that particular box.

The tea smells delicious, and its base is strong. It’s also quite creamy, which is always one of my favorite characteristics of a tea.

The flavor is kinda complex, morphing from one flavor to another: cream, chocolate, nut, spice, malt, etc. And not necessary in that order. But the base is still always pretty prominent.

A very nice blend!

Cranberry is one of my least favorite berry flavorings (always seems to leave a weird, dry feeling in my mouth). Cinnamon can do the same thing, so I was a bit apprehensive of this blend turning my mouth into the Sahara desert. The loose leaf definitely smells like a spiced cranberry tea.

On first taste, there is something pleasantly sweet in this. I can’t figure out if it’s the cranberry, or a more sweet rather than spicy cinnamon. Whatever it is makes the cinnamon and cranberry nicely balanced. No Sahara desert mouth! Yay! Out of the blends in Della Terra’s 12 Days of Christmas sampler box, this is my favorite spiced blend so far.

The tea base is noticeable but mellow.

Alas, as I sip the last dregs of this, I’m tempted to brew another cup and turn it into whiskey tea. Family Christmas party tonight, and the Khaleesi is feeling unmotivated.

Shorter steeping time, this time around. The Big Red gum association is still there but a little less edgy, since I can taste the vanilla more this time around.

This is one of the sweeter spiced black teas I’ve tried. I added very little sugar, but it’s still sweet. Not cloyingly so, but I would add any sweetener to this tea with a light hand. The taste begins with the chai spices and fades to vanilla.

Yep! Big Red gum, as I suspected once I smelled the tea leaf. Can’t taste much else. Ah well.

I think this is the same think as Peppermint Bark, so see my notes on that for more detailed information. The extra bit of vanilla doesn’t really change my tasting notes too much.

The taste reminds me of Big Red gum with vanilla flavoring. Not awful, but not anything I’d reorder. It’s hard for me to shake the Big Red association.

A nicely balanced peppermint black tea. Can’t really taste the chocolate, however. It’s all black tea, peppermint and vanilla. I like it, but I’m not sure if it’s a peppermint black tea I’d want to regularly keep around the house yet.

I would check this tea, or one of its variations, if you’re looking for a more balanced peppermint black tea, though.

I swear something in this smells exactly like green apple Jolly Ranchers. This is not a bad thing, just WAT…

Brewed this is actually a very nice, fruity tea. Fruity teas always seem like a good idea. But for my taste, they end up tasting a bit too overdone. So this is a nice surprise. The taste of pear’s in the forefront by far, followed by the spices.

This also tastes pretty good without milk and sugar. I usually take both, but the flavor of this tea without them is pretty nice. Also makes me think that this could make a pretty decent iced tea, even if it’s Christmas themed and it’s freezing out.

So cream. Wow. Such spice.

Accidentally oversteeped this. Woops! Anyway, count me among those that bought this tea just for the literary reference. As a side note, this tea does not come with a painting of yourself that ages, while you yourself stay forever young.

Because of my accidental oversteeping, I’m not going to bother rating this tea yet. But even oversteeped, the flavor is pretty comforting. The flavor is undoubtedly Earl Grey, but I don’t really detect any caramel.

This one of the more well-balanced Earl Greys I’ve tried. The bergamot is definitely there but not at all overpowering.