Hot Cinnamon Spice

NOT backlogging — I drank this tea a few hours ago!

We got Indian takeout (cauliflower and potatoes, spinach and chicken, and lamb with onions and bell peppers) earlier this week and I really wanted a cup of Hot Cinnamon Spice after dinner. But, it was nighttime and I was all no-caffeine-this-late so I did not have one even though I knew I was going to be up late that night.

Tonight, I ate the leftover takeout while my husband was at work and then had a mug of Hot Cinnamon Spice cause I knew I was going to be up late and I really wanted one again. I steeped it up in a real big mug cause I knew it didn’t resteep and I thought I’d be wanting quite a bit of it and might get out of making two mugs this way. It was quite good, but I think I could have used more leaf.

So I’m bumping up the rating 5 points cause I really love this tea to an 88, which is on the high end of the great range (80-90) cause it’s nearly awesome (90+).

Which brings me to be bit of a brief ratings rant. This makes this tea my highest rated tea. (Yes, I am a hard grader.) But I have other teas that I like better than this one. But those teas are plain blacks and such, which I’ve rated in the mid-80s, cause I’m sure as my tea drinking career progresses, I will have better examples of these teas. I try to drink a tea and rate it as far as where it goes on my words scale (awesome, great, good, and so on down) then place it numerical on whether it’s towards the higher or lower end of each category. I do this instead of ranking teas compared to each other in general or with in a certain kind of tea. I trusted that it would work fairly well on lining teas up with how much I liked them and it has so far. But this tea definitely falls where I put it for me on my liking scale. It’s just odd for me that it’s higher than teas I like more. But I feel they should also stay where the are for what they are. This discrepancy bothers me a bit. But I don’t want to change it. I’m trying to tell myself it’s okay because it takes into account somewhat how much I like a tea for whether it’s a good example of a darjeeling, sencha, flavored black, or whatnot. Anyways, this did not end up being a brief rant. Sorry to write so much. =)

Backlogging. Yesterday.

I made a pot early afternoon for my husband and I. I was curious to see what he thought of this tea as he’s liked some flavored black but I haven’t tried him on anything but fruity ones yet. And cause frankly, I really liked this tea when I tried it earlier in the week and I wanted more. I steeped it for the full five minutes recommended and think it’s fine like that, not too strong or overpowering. It could go 30 seconds less but more than four minutes, I think. As for my husband, I expect him to like it or really dislike it. He liked it but didn’t comment enthusiastically as he has on others.

Thump, thump, thump… Another one bites the dust… that’s right a sip down. This is good. It is sweet and heavy on the cinnamon but I don’t find it overly hot. It reminds me of my early days with Bigelow Cinnamon even though they taste nothing alike. I always had a box on the shelf but I seldom craved it. I think a box of this in bags would be nice to have around or just a sample size of loose. A full tin would go stale long before I would use it all.

Not been able to post much lately as I am battling a rootkit (since last Saturday). If you don’t know what a rootkit is, you should learn or prepare to spend a lot of money with a computer diagnostics person. Your anti-virus will likely not catch these things. This one is a nasty little booger buried deep and was hidden in my master boot registry. It is on the move. I’ll get you my pretty… and your little malware too!

Brought this home for the weekend and added brown sugar. Didn’t really add anything. More importantly, I have figured out how to make tea brewed with microwave water taste like it is supposed to taste. I heat the water in my mug then pour it into my press. I make sure to pour it so that it splashes against the glass. This puts the oxygen back in the water so I get full flavor. My kettle at work is still faster but I have conquered the microwave.

A loose leaf act of kindness from ashmanra. I could smell this the moment my wife brought the envelope in the house. Intoxicating aroma. Heeding ashmanra’s warning I quickly surmised this should not be stored in the drawer with my other teas. I only thought the Peach Apricot green tea I had from Empire Tea Services was aromatic.

When I first started drinking tea I bought a lot of Bigelow Cinnamon. I had a love hate relationship with that tea. I really wanted to want it but it never delivered. HCS is what I wanted out of the Bigelow – a cup of liquid Red Hots.

I was not sure how much leaf was needed. I used the scoop that came with the French press and filled it almost to the top. There is a LOT of cinnamon in this and I was concerned it would need a bit more leaf. It was fine. This really smells spicy but my system craves spicy so to me it isn’t hot. Did two steeps. Actually enjoyed the second more than the first. This leaves a lot of sediment in the bottom of the cup but you have to expect that will happen. The pot still smelling strong of cinnamon I tried a third steep but it was a bit flavorless. I almost added a good quality black to give it some oomph but didn’t. It would have been tasty – note to self add more tea next time.

The difference between this and the sachet is subtle. The loose is a bit fuller and more alive. Of course this is not in a paper cup at BN. I enjoyed both but this I enjoyed more. The best part was the people stopping at my office door and asking, what’s that smell?

Backlogging from Friday – Started the day with this one. The others in the office always comment on the smell. They like it but I have only gotten one of them to accept a cup. I keep trying. Today I am noticing the black tea in the aftertaste more than before. Could be the cup of rice I had with it bringing it out. If I can remember at quitting time, I am going to take this with me and add some brown sugar. I know its already pretty sweet but brown sugar cinnamon just belong together – I hope.

This kept calling me yesterday. I was right to wait. Perfect sip on this cold day.

Tea of the morning…..

Fall is in the air! Yay! I love Fall. This is my most consumed cool weather tea. Red hots in a cup, no sweetener necessary. It is like magic.

Usual teapot method.

Tea of the afternoon…..

Curled up with a book I can hardly put down. The perfect afternoon! And I am getting so addicted to this one now that the weather is cooling off……

Steeped the usual way…..

I have heard instances where one drinks a tea while ill that becomes unpalatable once one is feeling better. That is so not the case with this one. I really am starting to think I have a problem. What do they put in this stuff?! I get a craving for tea…and this one is the first one to come to mind. I was heading to knitting group last night thinking I was going to drink something else, but the Herbal Hot Cinnamon was what I ended up drinking, and nothing else would do. I don’t know if I really need help, but I can say I have never gone through a tea so fast…and I feel I am neglecting the rest of my precious tea stash! I know this is not a tea for everyone….but for me it is definitely the tea of the moment. I love the sweet spiceyness with no additions!

Anyway, Thank You Mr. Harney for making this fantastic tea!

Steeped by the usual parameters. No additions.

Tea of the morning……

Yes, I am still on a Hot Cinnamon Spice kick. I tried some other teas yesterday and the day before, but with all this congestion, they just don’t taste like I remember. I am feeling a ton better, but I am definitely not quite back to normal.

What I love about this tea…it is sweet without additions. (The spicy part is nice, too!) Let’s face it, I am essentially addicted to anything sugary, or fat-laden, and it is very refreshing to find something that I love in the world of beverages that is without any sugar, sweeteners, (or fat…..mmmm…milkshakes!).

Made by the usual parameters.

(Is anyone on IE 9 having issues with the slider bars for Steep Time and Water Temp? I just upgraded and I can’t make them work consistently.)

Oh yes….I am sure you are thinking, ‘Another review of Hot Cinnamon Spice from SimplyJenW…..’ Well, I do have something new to offer and I think it is interesting. So here it goes.

I was out of town for a few days. (Long story short, my nephew was born a few days earlier than expected so I had to go out of town to care for my niece for a few days…he is adorable and tiny, and she was lots of fun….) I packed my usual Hot Cinnamon Spice in filter bags for ease of prep while visiting… But it was not really that great of an idea…..

What resulted in putting the Hot Cinnamon Spice in a teabag…it was mostly just Cinnamon Spice. I guess the ‘hot’ could not escape the paper like it does my fine infuser basket. It was all right, but not nearly as good. The Herbal Hot Cinnamon was even more disappointing in a teabag. I won’t make that mistake again!

Tea of the afternoon….

Darn. I am getting a cold. I usually do this time of the year, but I though I had missed it for the most part. So I am trying to drown myself in spicy teas….it has been this, a ginger peach tea, and holy basil. Well, my ChOTD, too.

I did a few things different this time. For the first steep, I completely forgot to sweeten it. Turns out, it does not need it…at all. I think I need to start buying the herbal version of this by the pound. I also did a second steep on this one for the first time. It was lighter on the cinnamon, but still very enjoyable. I amy have to add honey tomorrow just to kick this cold to the curb.

1st steep 4 minutes, 2nd steep 6 minutes.

Tea of the afternoon…..

Yeah. I am addicted. And I just got a pound of this yesterday. All to myself. :D

Made the usual way…no additions.

Tea of the early morning….

I am going through this one so fast. I do sound like a broken record, though. I keep drinking the same 4 or 5 teas while I am sick and this is day 4. Honestly, I can’t taste the subtleties in most teas when my sinuses are this messed up, but I can taste the Hot Cinnamons! Plus, the cinnamon helps to clear out the sinuses a little as well as soothing the throat. I have to buy more soon! The other teas on the list for recovery: I Love Lemon, Herbal Hot Cinnamon Spice, and Holy Basil, with the occasional chai thrown in.

Steeped in the usual way.

Tea of the morning…..and usually every day at some point. Yesterday, I had this while running errands.

For now, I seem to be drawn to this particular tea. I have gone through over a half pound since August..maybe more than 10 oz. I have another pound on its way (when the tea you are obsessed with runs around $20 a pound it is BLISS!). And it has been the perfect complement for this Fall weather. Must.Not.Run.Out. :D

Steeped the usual way….no additions.

Tea of the morning….

This one is so good for a sore throat. I think I had one pot of this today, but it might have been two….. I am so hoping I feel better tomorrow. As I write this in the evening, I am feeling better, but I am upright. Why is it that things go down hill as soon as you lay down?

Steeped by the usual method. Sweetend with Manuka Honey. (This does change the flavor a little…I prefer my usual Splenda.)

Gloomy, rainy … this calls for some Hot Cinnamon Spice! I believe this is my first of the season! What more can I say about a tea I drink at least once a week all fall and winter? The proof is in the 1 lb bags I go through!

It provoked a conversation at work about how we need to order yet another big bag to split for the coming months … which made me peek at the Harney site … which made me realize it has a redesign! It looks quite nice – take a look :)

Truly chilly today — perfect for two little pots of Hot Cinnamon Spice! Excellent for clearing through the tail end of my flu, too. The spice and energizing black tea were both appreciated.

I’ve been doing well with not buying any new tea like I said, but it sure is making for boring tasting notes for you guys :( My apologies! They would read like Diamond Jubilee, Diamond Jubilee, Hot Cinnamon Spice, Gong Fu Black, Gong Fu Black, Ceylon Black Tips, Ceylon Black Tips, Diamond Jubilee, Goldfish crackers, goldfish crackers, goldfish crackers ad nauseum!

Just a little note to say yikes, just dug into the new pound I ordered of this to split with my coworker (this is after ordering a pound in September, and a big tin last spring!). Our order was comical because it included a one pound bag of this AND a 7 oz tin for my other coworker who got hooked on it (she wanted the tin as she is a new addict and does not have many spare ones).

I think the next time we order, we may have to get two pounds!

Sweetspicy and warming. You either love it or hate it. You know which side I’m on ;)

Oh, woeful Monday. You are hard. I needed something sweet and delicious and powerful to coax me out of my blissful weekend cocoon (what, you don’t sometimes stay in your pajamas hibernating and reading and knitting the entire weekend?). During my train ride all I could think about was making a cup of Hot Cinnamon Spice as soon as I got to the office…and then another…and then another! I now have 3 cups of Spicy Fireball Goodness in me, and can deal with The World!

A good morning: working hard and enjoying three steeps of Hot Cinnamon Spice. One of my magic teas that always improves my mood. It’s so flavorful and sweet sans additions. I hope to always have it in my cupboard in the fall and winter!!! I am noticing that the way I drink this a ton in fall and winter, I drink Earl Grey a ton in spring and summer. Interesting!

I chose this tea today specifically because we are out of spring water at work, and I had to use tap water to make my tea. I hoped that the strong flavoring would mask the bleeeeeaaaachhhh Philadelphia water taste. Alas — I can still taste it (feeling very princess and the pea here!). Moral of the story: when the experts tell you water matters when preparing tea, they are not exaggerating one little bitty bit!

I needed a sweet and spicy little something after walking allllllll the way to Whole Foods to get Zhena’s Coconut Chai and…they did not carry any Zhena’s! Was I hallucinating seeing the tins when I was there before!?!? So dissapointed! Anyway! This is hitting the spot. Warm fuzzy tea :) So flavorful and good in the afternoon – the tea is mild but the cinnamon is HOT! Nice pick me up as my vim and vigor is flagging after my sad fruitless coconut chai journey.

Ahhhh! Finally, after months and months of “waiting til the fall” to order this tea, I have more in my hot (cinnamon spice) little hands! It’s completely over the top in the best way possible. Sweet, oh so cinnamony, and just the right touch of orange and clove. It’s pretty much screams “autumn in a cup” to me! It never fails that someone tells me how good my tea smells when I make some of this.

Cold snowy Hot Cinnamon Spice morning!!! So sweet, delicious, warming. Makes the whole room smell good too!

Story: Remember the ginger peach tea my coworker gave me from his partner? He brought in the rest of the tin because he said I am so generous with sharing my tea with him. Awww! I was right – it’s Republic of Tea! Anyway – I like to keep the Tea Love flowing, so I gave him the rest of my tin of Hot Cinnamon Spice! He’s absolutely wild for it, and I heard it was his birthday recently. I’m always ordering from Harney, so I’ll replace it as soon as I can. I have to admit – it was a little hard – I did hesitate a moment because I love this tea so much! I’m glad my more giving impulses took over, because it’s really nice to have a tea sharing relationship in Real Life, too :)

Ice Storms plus First Day of Semester Crazies!

Scream!

After coming in damp and frizzled to a line out the door, I threw some tea from the first tin I grabbed into my brewer mug. Thankfully luck was on my side, and it was Hot Cinnamon Spice! PERFECT tea for the cold, and very invigorating. It is now 5 (5!!!!) hours later, and I finally have a moment to have a second steep. Spicy, sweet, cheerful, warming. Instant pick-me-up.

Snowy commute (beautiful in my town, slushy and gray in the city! The courtyard at work looks pretty though…). Chill + Snow = Hot Cinnamon Spice!!! The ultimate tea for this weather. Sweet and spicy and perfect sans additions. I admit it – I’m addicted. My tin is half full (I’m an optimist!) even though it’s only a month old! My coworker asked if I was drinking “that cinnamon tea again…it smells so good!”

This tea is saving my life today! I have a cold (can you believe it?! The day before my break!?) and this tea is so sweet, spicy, and strangely soothing on my raw throat.

My hot cinnamon magic elixir! This is a great one for the sick people out there – delicious sans additions, warming, and you actually can taste a bit of spice no matter what the state of your taste buds.

I wonder what tea base is in this tea, because it is IN! VIG! OR! A! TING!! There are just a few teas that make me feel like zipping around like a nut, and this is one of them :) and I mean that in the best way possible :) :) :) It doesn’t hurt that I find it absolutely delicious, especially in crisp, cool weather!

Today we are having our holiday celebration for the office, and what better tea to drink to anticipate it than Hot Cinnamon Spice!? It embodies all of the best things that the holiday season has to offer: cheerfulness, exuberance, sweetness, and cinnamon, cinnamon, cinnamon. :)

laurenpressley gave me an awesome idea with her tasting note yesterday :) I have been craving Hot Cinnamon Spice like nobody’s business since reading it! It’s so chilly, and this tea is especially fantastic when it’s chilly out :) Spicy and sweet. Invigorating! Great sans additions (in fact, I think additions might be completely sickening in this!).

My coworker told me that my tea smelled really great today. :) I put a nice sized sample in an envelope for he and his partner to enjoy over the weekend. I told him to watch out, this stuff is addictive!

This tea is growing on me. Today is just one of those days where anything with cinnamon will do. It’s still pineapple expressing outside, and everything is grey and hella wet. Even for Van city this is ugly weather. Not to mention this shift is brutal and I need a daggum nap and a snuggie. Pout.

The thing that bothers me with this tea is the sweetness. It’s almost cloying, but not enough today to make me dump it out. One more cup left in this sample. Upping the rating slightly.

Eh the sun is apparently out here in Albany….but from my office cave your wouldn’t know it (lots of vines + huge garage blocking view = gloom) from where I am sitting. Right now I’m trying to stay awake at work. I REALLY need a nap. So I plucked this out of my World Tea East samples I brought to work. I picked it because I wanted something familiar and comforting this afternoon as I plug through very boring things at work.

This cup brewed up a nice autumn orange/brown color. This time I’m really getting a nice mix of the sweet/spicy and I am loving it. I had forgotten about this tea all summer. But now it’s time to dig it out of the back of the tea cabinet. :)

Woke up late. My daughter missed the bus. My cat decided this morning was a good time to play hide-and-seek. Yeah. It was obvious I wouldn’t have time this morning to make a pot of tea, so I looked at my bagged teas and chose this one. Such a good choice. After scraping the ice off my car windows I had a lovely cup of spicy tea waiting for me. Between my Hot Cinnamon Spice and my daughter’s cup of Candy Cane Lane the car smelled divine, and we had a nice talk as I drove her to school. Bad day averted.

I’ve been cold all day and wanted something to warm me. As soon as I saw this in my cupboard I knew it was exactly what I needed. Warm cinnamon-y goodness. One cup took away the chill. I’m thinking a second cup will warm me completely.

I was in a cinnamon mood, and this is most definitely a cinnamon tea. While the cinnamon is the main flavor there are notes of orange and clove as well which give a bit of balance at the end of the sip. Love it!

This is a happy tea for me. I don’t drink it to re-energize or relax. I drink it because it makes me smile. Every. Single. Time. (Side Note: I can’t believe I’ve only logged this tea three times. I’ve used one and a half canisters since joining Steepster!)

Well, goodbye 64 degrees. cold, Today is rainy, blustery, and cold. This is the perfect tea for keeping the chill away. Lots of warm cinnamon and a bit of orange and clove. I think I will always have a soft spot for this tea.

Now… rain, rain go away….

This is my afternoon tea of the week.

See previous notes for my thoughts on this tea.

Aigh! I had a lovely big pot of this and Sunday and used up almost all my tea before today, and today GIANT SNOWSTORM. It would have been perfect for today.

As always, love this tea.

It’s been a crappy day after a crappy week (surgery on my left hand last week). I needed some liquid comfort. This makes things a little better…

I love this tea. So much like red hot candies, but no calories and just made of yum.

Well, Harney & Sons, aren’t you clever? Here I thought I didn’t like Hot Cinnamon Spice, but you threw in two sample bags with my order the other day. Now I’ve gone through both and I miss it already! Good move. Now I’ll have to order more. :)