Fireside Spice

As i was brewing this up i was trying to figure out what it was reminding me of. kittenna nailed it – David’s tea: glitter n gold. Less gold spinkles, more cinnamon and less sweet than David’s IMO. Over all not a bad tea but i really only needed this one cup to drink. The rest can go into the swap box!

I won a 1oz sample of this through a facebook contest! Woohoo!

It totally sounds like an evening tea – something to drink while you’re wrapped up in a bunch of blankets and reading a book under the light from a lamp. I decided to have it now because I’m a rebel! :P

It smells really great. So much cinnamon and vanilla!

The first few sips – it’s really heady. So much vanilla! I get a bit of ginger and cinnamon at the beginning of each sip, but it’s quickly replaced by all the vanilla. It does have a bit of a warming effect though!

I’ll rate it when I’m not sleepy and a little dizzy and in need of some actual food instead of tea in my belly. :P

Backlogging a cuppa the afternoon from a few days ago……

I have been meaning to log this for about a week now. I have had it twice, now, so I thought I had a pretty good handle on it. Today my the cuppa the afternoon is Della Terra’s Oatmeal Raisin. Really, I am glad I waited, because I feel like I can compare the two flavor profiles and maybe help someone else out when trying to choose between the two.

Fireside Spice is not your usual spiced tea. There are notes of cinnamon, ginger and clove. The main note in the tea is vanilla, though, which is quite lovely. This one comes across more as a spiced vanilla cookie like a snicker doodle, or it really reminds me of those Belgian Biscoff cookies of which I have an unhealthy obsession. Now, I can be happy with them in tea form. This will definitely be a repurchase for me.

Onto how this compares to Oatmeal Raisin Cookie……the spices are very similar. Still, the raisin note is the top flavor note I catch. I do love a good oatmeal raisin cookie, but for me the top note of vanilla is preferred.

Usual mug method.

Sooooo I definitely forgot I was steeping this, and it got 9 minutes! Yikes! However…. no bitterness/astringency! Della Terra teas seem to be remarkably resistant to becoming such.

This smells much like DavidsTea’s Glitter & Gold (cinnamony), and tastes similarly… except I must admit that it’s… sickeningly sweet. I suspect it’s because I left the cup brewing so long, and I think cinnamon imparts a bit of a sickeningly sweet flavour when left infusing too long.

I’ll have to try this once I’m healthy again, but I think it’s reasonably tasty!

This blend is heavy on the cinnamon but not in a spicy way. For those who like chai teas and cinnamon this is a great tea. This seems like a mix of Glitter & Gold (DAVIDS) and Hot Cinnamon (Harney & Sons). Not bad but also not that special. It is a warm and fragrant cup. I used a little milk and it really added to this one.

I believe the exact words out of my mouth at first sip were “Whoa momma!” This is one beauty of a blend. Complex and warming and mmm I just wanted to sink down into it forever and ever. Definitely helped me through a rough day at work!!

The plan today was to try to go the entire day without tea. I’ve been feeling fuzzy brained lately and wondered if it had to do with tea consumption. Then the mailman delivered a package of tea I ordered from Della Terra. Each of the teas were calling to me…so I gave in.

This tea was nearly everything I had hoped for. The dry tea smells heavenly and could be a potpourri to scent your house (if you wanted to waste it). The first flavor I tasted was a strong cinnamon. Kind of like a red hot. But quickly the other flavors come out – vanilla and ginger. YUM! The more I sip it the more I enjoy the smooth flavor of the vanilla.

Now the question is, can I resist the urge to make a second cup?!?

My first order from Della Terra came! It’s taking all of my restraint not to try them all consecutively. But I overslept big time today so I figured getting all hopped up on caffeine so late in the day would not be a wise idea. So I chose this to accompany my breakfast-for-dinner. This is a nice chai blend with just the right amount of spice that it’s very present without being overwhelming. I just added milk and because of the vanilla bits it was sweet enough as is without adding anything else. My only complaint is that the sweetness was a little artificial tasting; I probably could have done without it and just added my own honey as I usually do with chais, but overall it was a nice winter-warmer-upper.

I can smell the cinnamon, but I can’t taste it or much of anything besides black tea, although there is a hint of sweetness and vanilla at the end. I will try a longer steep time next.

Mmm, this was nice. Exactly what was needed when the heating in our office broke! Just shut my eyes, take a sip, and I’m sat by an open fire in a log cabin that’s surrounded by snow.

It’s does smell spicey! Quite sweet thanks to the vanilla, but the ginger and the chai spices really come through.

It’s nicely reflected in the taste. At the start you get a warming sensation on your tongue, and it’s a definite winter spice mix. This is followed by the vanilla coming through and the everything blends in to a natural of sweetness and spice (and all things nice!)

I think the neighbors construction is stirring up dust because I’ve been sneezing and have a runny nose this morning all of a sudden. This is a nice, spicy tea. Perfect to cut through my runny nose and help me clear up. I notice more sweetness as it cools.