As a rule I don’t like or drink flavored teas, invariably they wind up having an artifical flavor or aftertaste. But something about all the descriptions of this tea made me put aside my normal reluctance aside and try it.
I’m glad I did.
Openning the pouch wasn’t auspicious. It smelled like one of those cloyingly sweet pipe tobaccos that have a picture of an old clipper ship and Captain or Rum in the name. But I put the kettle on in the galley anyway.
It brewed up dark and heavy, with a strong nose of cinnamon and fruit. The pipe tobacco aroma was still there but softened a bit and no longer cloying. Fortunately it was not in the taste of the tea.
I agree with others that this doesn’t taste to me much like or even remind me of Oatmeal Raisin cookies because of the cinnamon and butter. It’s more like a Hot Toddy. And the underlying black tea base underneath it all was not totally drowned out or lost.
It does need a sweetner to cut the cinnamon, but once sweetened it’s delicious and not a bit artificial tasting. I’d like to try it as a latte with a bit of milk foamed with my espresso machine wand. It would be perfect that way with a low calorie sweetener and foamed skim milk when I want a sweet treat but don’t want the calories.
