When I first opened the package of this tea, I was surprised to smell just how spicy the aroma was. It is almost as pungent as the MarketSpice tea! It isn’t quite as oily in presentation, though, so I didn’t think it would be quite as spicy tasting as the MarketSpice.
And it isn’t. This is actually what I’d call a warmly spiced blend, but not spicy or hot. The black tea is about as strong a flavor as the cinnamon, and the cinnamon is the strongest of the spices, with the cloves appearing about mid-sip. The orange sort of peeks its way through, appearing throughout the sip, but not becoming a really strong flavor. More like a pleasant accent to brighten up the cup. At first, I found myself wishing that there was more vanilla flavor, but as the tea cools slightly, the vanilla flavors begin to come forward.
This is a pleasant enough tea, but the black tea base is a bit on the mellow side, and I found myself wishing for just a bit more roundness. I suspect that this is a Ceylon, and I think this blend would have been even better if there was a little bit of Assam or Nilgiri added to it, to add some roundness and maybe a touch of malt to the cup.
It is good as it is, but, it could be even better, I think!