Tre was being really mean about the fact I’m sick and have had nothing but tea and breakfast foods to eat all day. He stole all the pillows from the couch I’ve situated myself on and was being an ass and laughing at how it was really arduous for me to go and pick them from the ground. So – in the spirit of revenge I used the only weapon I had; spoilers about the new Sherlock episode.
While that was happening, this tea was steeping. 1 1/2 tsp. used for a 12 oz. stein. Tea Desire suggests 1 tsp. for 8 oz., so I just upped the leaf amount a little bit. Same proportions I’d use for Victoria Mint which is from Tea Desire, and which I happen to adore. I used boiling water and this steeped for five minutes – which is on the low end of their suggested steep time spectrum. The steeped colour is a rather nice orange.
The smell is more cinnamon than I thought it’d be – even though the packaging describes this as a cinnamon orange tea, that doesn’t come across abundantly in the dry smell. It’s also creamy orange and something else super familiar that I can’t put my finger on.
Taste wise, it’s a little bit weaker than I would have thought. Maybe I did under leaf it or perhaps I should have left it to steep longer. Initial taste is creamy orange in a slightly artificial way, and then a wave of cinnamon. Tickly cinnamon that does not totally mesh with the orange. Typically orange and cinnamon compliment each other; but here it feels like two competing flavours that are both kinda, well, ‘off’.
I also get the hint of something kinda soapy – similar to what I sometimes experience with DAVIDsTEA’s Blueberry Jam. I double checked both ingredients lists though, and neither tea share any listed ingredients. As far as the other listed ingredients in the tea go, I can vaguely taste the banana but that’s about it. Like I said though, this seems rather weak (especially for a Tea Desire blend). Not really “magical”.
Right now I feel like this is something I would not stock again and that will probably take a while to get through – that being said, I don’t find it terrible and I’m going to do some experimenting to see if I can make it more enjoyable. Perhaps more leaf (though it worries me that that could make the soapy taste more prominent) or a longer steep time (which presents the same fear)…
Sidenote: I just removed a whole bunch (ok, like… 5) of teas from my cupboard! I posted several in the Take It Away thread and got a quick response, so went and dug them out and because of the quick response was able to parcel everything up to get mailed off. I don’t know if I’ll have time to go to the post office tomorrow before I leave for vacation, but they’re all officially out of my cupboard which is good enough for me!
Japanese Cherry, Lime Gelato, Cherry Cola, S’mores – this is basically goodbye!
