Maple Sugar

Got 25g of this yesterday. I was trying to get a few smaller (25g) pouches and the DT girl did the teavana trick…..“is 35g ok?”…..I said ok, for the first 2 teas then said…..“no, just 25g pls”……anyway, having this in one of their big latte mugs with hot frothed milk….I do taste the maple but….maybe I don’t love maple, or it’s a bit artificial tasting? I seem to get a bit of aftertaste. It’s not bad, but I wouldn’t need to drink it again…..I find it pretty sweet…..but it’s maple sugar, no surprise there……if you like sweet flavoured black tea, you might like this…..

Fall Collection Tasting #2:

Another tea that is a slight disappointment. I like the aroma of the tea, but when brewed, I couldn’t even taste the ‘maple syrup’ flavour it claims to have. I personally think it needs more maple and cinnamon flavor to make it a bit stronger.

I liked last years ‘Sugar and Spice’ a lot better than this, but it’s not bad.

This is mostly black tea and cinnamon with a hint of (sorta) maple sweetness. Nothing too memorable or mindblowing but pleasant enough that I will be fine drinking the rest of my sample.

Received a sample of this with a recent order. It’s ok, but not great for me. Slightly sweet flavor a bit reminiscent of sponge toffee (burnt sugary, but not in a bad way). Probably not one I’d run out to buy again, but all right.

DavidsTea was kind enough to send me a sample of this with my little spending spree on their summer clearance sale. Tried it a few days ago and thought it was good but not great; today I’m finishing off the sample.

Smells like maple syrup, of course; I couldn’t help leaning over to take a good breath of it before I got it brewing. Sweet and comforting in that distinct way maple has. Brewed, the apple and cinnamon shines out a bit more. It smells a bit like a bowl of (proper, not instant) oatmeal, which smells great to me but ymmv on that.

Added a little honey to accent the sweetness because that’s how I roll. I can taste the maple, apple and cinnamon without feeling like they’re overwhelming, it’s a nice cup and it goes down smooth. At the same time, I don’t feel like there’s much of anything that makes me want to go back for more once it’s gone. It’s warm, it’s comforting, it’s delicious enough, but even if I’m enjoying the cup it just doesn’t feel like it’s scratching any particular itch I have. Nothing much stands out about it.

I guess that’s it for the Maple Sugar experiment. That was the last of my sample and though I did enjoy it and I’m glad I got to try it, I didn’t like it enough to want to go out and get more. Then again, I’m not overly fond of maple syrup or sugar itself past a certain point, so that probably has something to do with it; I’m sure someone who likes those flavors more would get a kick out of this tea. But hey, I still have the apple cider and cranberry blends to look forward to!

Disclaimer: I only had this as a sample in-store. I did ask for two samples, cuz I’m awesome like that. So this review is based on two shot-glass sized samples. With that out of the way…

I was really excited for this tea. I was hoping it would be a slightly spicier version of Oh! Canada!, and one with caffeine (since as much as I like herbals, I need me a jolt in the morning or else no dice). I love maple sugar candy, I love anything with cinnamon in it, I love tea. Maple sugar tea should be a no-brainer.

But, alas, how I am so easily disappointed. There was absolutely nothing about this tea that made me want to even spend $3 on a full cup. There was NOT the overwhelming taste of maple (it’s CALLED MAPLE SUGAR, FFS), there wasn’t even an overwhelming taste of cinnamon. Sure, I got hints of both. But to me this was a basic black tea with some artificial flavour and some shiny things thrown in to look pretty in the loose leaf mix. To fool the brain into thinking there’s something “real” in it. You know what I mean.

Maple sugar tea, oh how you disappoint me so.

Verdict: will not buy. I might finally give this a chance to further disappoint me with a full cup of it when it’s their tea of the day again. What’s $3?!

Dry Leaf Nose: Delicate hints of tea and maple sugar

Liquor: Golden brown just like maple syrup

Flavour: Sweet but subtle flavour of maple sugar with hints of apple and monk fruit.

I’m really excited to be trying this tea. Fall brings out all of the best flavors of the year – pumpkin, maple, apple, the sweeter and darker ones that are meant to comfort and warm. Even though it’s still summer, I’m really ready for fall now.

The scent of this tea is definitely of maple and cinnamon, it reminds me a little bit of those flavored oatmeal packets. It doesn’t bring to mind pancakes for me, but more of a pure maple and spice blend instead. It definitely has fall written all over it!

Sipping… the first part of the sip is definitely a strong cinnamon. It’s not like cinnamon candies, but is more of a natural, warm cinnamon. The maple comes out towards the end of the sip and gives off a nice sugary sweetness. A tiny bit of the actual tea in this blend is faintly present in the form of some astringency, but otherwise it’s not terribly noticeable for me. It might even be a little bit on the weak and watery side. The maple doesn’t stick around long enough for me to enjoy it and I’m left with a bit too much cinnamon.

The cinnamon and maple combination is lovely, but I would have liked a better or stronger tea base to make it more interesting and a stronger maple flavor. I can see this tea being a big hit with those who love maple and especially cinnamon, but I don’t think I like this enough to purchase more.