Celestial Seasonings

Maybe it’s the habitual hot tea drinker in me or maybe I’m just afraid to be happy, but I am not a fan of spring or summer. I start to feel like I’ve had my annual fill of warmth and sunshine by about early June most years. Right now, I am dying for fall.

That being said, if there’s such a thing as a perfect summer day, today was that day. It was properly cool in the morning, and by the middle of the afternoon it was warm without feeling sticky, it was sunny, and bam! All of a sudden I had a desperate craving for David’s Tea’s Just Peachy, which used to be a hot-weather staple of mine.

Alas, there’s none in my cupboard right now, but at least I had some Country Peach Passion. It doesn’t have the same fruity-candy juiciness to it, but the peachy scent was some consolation. I brewed two teabags in 12 oz. of water, then drank it iced. Not bad at all.

Lately I’ve had a bad habit of working late. Too late, as in, get-an-idea-and-start-something-new-at-9-PM late. I must know deep down that it’s a poor choice, because I’ve also taken to brewing a cup of this honey vanilla chamomile while I’m at it, as if to counter my poor sleep habits with a tea that at least gestures toward winding down for the night.

For me, this tea is more of an olfactory than a gustatory experience. The chamomile is pleasant, and I do taste an extra sweetness from the honey flavor, but the vanilla doesn’t come through in my mouth at all. Nor does the orange peel, now that I’m looking at the label. But I do smell the vanilla, and it adds a little sense of decadence to the comforting chamomile.

I don’t actually mind this. Kind of a novelty tea (novel-tea? lol) for me. It’s fun more than anything else.
It reminds me of sour lemon gummies! I think it’s kinda cool if you don’t take it too seriously.
It came in their sampler box and I’ll have no trouble using up the 4 bags.

Your basic chamomile tea. As soothing and low-key as you’d want it to be.

Accidental Sipdown

I had 2 boxes of Celestial Seasonings in the cabinet and grabbed the wrong one. I had preferred this over the regular Sleepytime tea but tonight’s mug is not exactly inspiring. Pretty sure it’s because my mouth is sore from my dog headbutting me and causing a cut lip. It’s very sensitive, especially to heat.
Pushing through the sensitivity, this tea is pretty much as advertised. Creamy vanilla with spearmint and chamomile. I’ve enjoyed drinking this in the evenings throughout winter. It’s even better with a smidge of honey and cooling a bit. Pretty good for a grocery store tea.

I don’t drink this for the taste, I drink it for the specific purpose of helping me sleep. The taste is by no means, bad. It just isn’t anything spectacular but really, it doesn’t have to be, as long as it soothes me off to sleep. To my taste buds it’s predominantly spearmint with a hay-like background and a herbaceous/floral touch. As I sit here typing, I’m already getting sleepy. Sleepy time indeed!

I LOVE this tea! It is, bar none, my favorite pumpkin flavored tea. When I add 2 teabags to my 10oz mug along with some cream and a touch of sweetener, it tastes like pumpkin pie in a mug to me. I love how balanced the pumpkin and the spice flavor is. I only wish this was available as loose leaf because I would buy it by the pound.

Hmm, something in here is quite sweet. It tastes similar to Hot Cinnamon Spice, so maybe it’s the cinnamon flavor? Not sure.

Regardless, it’s still a pleasant enough tisane. Even though I’m not a fan of sweet teas, the hibiscus tartness counters it nicely. Really, it’s a bit like Hot Cinnamon Spice, if someone added a bunch of hibiscus to it.

It gives me a bit of a mulled wine or cider vibe. Not sure if I would repurchase it, but I could see it being nice during the holidays. Definitely doesn’t taste like plum though.

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 14/19

I thought this was a black tea, but it turns out it’s an herbal. Oops ha ha. :P

It steeps up unexpectedly dark due to the chicory. Flavorwise, it’s quite mild. The ginger and cinnamon are at the forefront, and I think there’s a bit of clove somewhere in the natural flavors. I don’t get a lot of chicory really, though I admit I haven’t had a lot of experience with it in general. There is a slight earthy toastiness and it does add a bit of body. The last ingredient is “luo han guo”, which is apparently monk fruit. Strange that they call it by the Chinese name, when monk fruit is a fairly common sweetener nowadays. Anyway, happily it’s not very strong in this blend.

To me, this doesn’t really taste like gingerbread, mostly because the ginger is quite zesty and tastes more like fresh ginger than the powdered kind used for baking. But it is a pleasant enough sweet spiced herbal brew that would be nice for the evening or after eating a bit too much.

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 9/19

Sipdown! (16 | 171)

Finished this one off with creamer. It’s honestly almost a bit too much with creamer added, since the flavors are very sweet and rich anyway. But I feel completely exhausted this morning for no apparent reason, so I could use some sugar LOL.

The hazelnut-esque nutty notes are nice with the vanilla and hint of spice. With the creamer, it almost reminds me of a roasted chestnut boba I had recently… I think it’s one of the better CS holiday teas, and I would consider picking up another box if I could find it easily/cheaply near me.

I like this one more than I remember. This is one of the holiday teas that I recall sipping on with my sister when we still lived at home, along with Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride.

It’s a nice sweet and nutty black tea, with a bit of vanilla and maybe caramel in there. The cinnamon is just a hint but adds a nice festive touch. I appreciate that it tastes like almonds and not so much like marzipan, although there is a hint of that too.

Overall, it reminds me of a buttery almond cookie, not unlike Simpson & Vail’s Almond Sugar Cookie. The only downside is the black tea is extremely thin and flat here, and doesn’t really contribute much other than a base for flavoring. Still, very nice for a grocery store teabag!

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 7/19

Yeahhhh, this one is not for me.

It tastes more like cherry than cranberry, and it’s definitely a candylike cherry. Add on the stevia, and it ends up tasting like a cheap cherry lollipop, or even a cherry throat lozenge. I don’t really taste the rooibos much under the flavoring and sweetness. The hibiscus is an attempt at balance, but there’s not enough to combat the overwhelming sweetness.

I think this one will go in my rehoming pile… :P

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 4/19

Sipdown! (4 | 193)

I just find this one weird. Like yeah, it has peppermint, hence the candy cane. But then there’s cinnamon and chicory, both odd choices to me. I guess I kind of get holiday vibes? But the extra ingredients make it taste less like a candy cane.

Not one I would buy again.

This one is a bit strange? It’s called candy cane and then it has cinnamon and chicory…?

It tastes good, but it doesn’t say candy cane to me. The peppermint is quite herbaceous and then the cinnamon adds just a hint of warm spice. I’m not sure I get why the chicory is here, it’s a bit odd. But the vanilla is nice and adds some creaminess.

It’s pleasant and interesting, and I can see it being festive. Not sure I would feel the need to purchase it again though.

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 2/19

Usually love Celestial Seasonings but this one is a miss. “Tea” is somehow bitter yet flavorless, combined with a phony pear taste.

Definitely lives up to its name – maple and ginger scent permeates the packaging, and upon steeping, those are the major flavors this herbal tea delivers. The ginger is nice and spicy, and the maple is a tad on the “syrup” side but not overly sweet or artificial. I find double-bagging and a slightly longer brew time really brings out the spiciness of the ginger, which helps the maple not be overly sugary. It’s a good cool-weather option (I can’t imagine enjoying this iced). If you see a box and it interests you, I think it’s a pretty safe buy.