Almond Cookie

I got some mail today from Auggy and I did a dork-out dance by the mailbox. The first thing I did upon reaching my desk was find the almond cookie and get it started while I caught up on what I missed earlier today.

It’s raining again today, which has painted a gloomy background for the day’s activities. This is going to be a tea that begs me to be imbibed during any form of precipitation, because it is super comforting. But also, to be imbibed on most days.

I mean, let’s begin with the smell, shall we?

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.

I think that pretty much sums it up, but in the interest of fairness to the tea, I’ll elaborate a bit more. It smells like almonds. And cookies. Almonds and cookies. Maybe even almond cookies? [I know, OF ALL THE COINCIDENCES!] But also, sometimes mint and chocolate. I’m not sure where I’m getting that from; maybe it’s the plastic bag. Or maybe it’s because I sat there smelling it for minutes while I waited for the water to heat and the tea to steep and for my internet to stop re-enacting Chariots of Fire’s slow motion sequence and function normally.

The tea. Again.

OM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM.

That’s like, three more noms.

The magic of this tea happens for me in the aftertaste. Letting it sit on the tongue brings out that dry spiciness that cinnamon gives you, and there’s not much else that I derive from it from the actual liquid taste itself. But after the first swallow, I was like, “Oooooh! There it is. COOKIES!”

The almond taste is there, and I get a little puff of the cinnamon. The base is reminiscent of a sugar cookie, but not quite as sweet. [Hah, clearly trying to avoid the now infamous “bake-y” here.] Sometimes I tasted almond croissant, too. All in all, there is no way that trying this isn’t going to result in an order.

Because, really, if a tea can trick me into thinking that I just ate a cookie, I’m all for it.

This is absolutely delicious !!!! It’s toasty, doughy, almond cookie deliciousness!!! I’m so happy this is in my life now. :P

No, seriously. I am. This is like almond croissants in a cup. Or almond biscotti. Or cinnamon toast with giant dollop of almond butter. All that delicious stuff is in my tea right now.

I can swear now—that any tea seller who sells anything remotely almond cookie-like is reselling this. I think this is the original. It’s sooo inexpensive—only $5.95 for 4 oz! This has to be the original!! And it’s so yummy, it can’t not be.

Almond-lovers, you must have SpecialTeas’ “Almond Cookie” in your tea repetoire. Your life is incomplete without it.

_{(wanders off in an almond cookie induced haze of happiness)}

Okay, so can I say this was an absolutely DELICIOUS tea experience. Seriously. Auggy, you just brightened my day by twofold just by allowing me to taste the amazingness that is this cup of tea.

First off, the try tea is gorgeous. All sorts of browns and russets, mixed in with the eye-catching orange-red safflower blossoms. Nice slivers of almonds and a smell to die for. Seriously. I’ve actually been saving this tea since Auggy sent it to me, because I had a feeling that I would fall in love with it. And I’m one of those save-the-best-for-last kind of girls.

The leaves did a little dance (but not by much, really, since they’re kinda tiny), and I had a cup of absolutely amazing smelling tea in front of me. Seriously. This smells buttery and bake-y and almond-y and cookie-like. There’s the cinnamon mingling with a tea smell and the entire thing really does smell like an ALMOND COOKIE. Well, that would explain the name, then, right?

First sip gave me a little shiver of happiness. MMMMMM. You get the tang of the tea, followed by the sweetness of the cinnamon, which then mingles into the almonds. And somehow, on the swallow, this produces an amazing likeness to almond cookies. I don’t know if any of you shop at Italian bakeries, but if you do, try the pignoli nut cookies. They’re made with pine nuts (aka pignoli in Italian) and the cookie itself is made with almond paste. They’re soft and chewy and delicious. Sweeter than marzipan and sugary, with the absolutely amazing taste of pine nuts. I grew up eating them. They’re the epitome of an awesome almond cookie, and this tea really just brings all those feelings to the surface.

The flavor dynamics and balance here are absolute perfection. I really couldn’t ask for a better-tasting cup, especially after my very bizarre experience with lapsang souchong this morning. Yay for delicious dessert tea! And yay for Auggy and her wonderful samples!

Can you feel the LOVE!? After re-reading everyone’s ‘say’ about this lovely tea – I felt the LOVE. After reading that so many people are SHARING this tea…I am totally feeling the LOVE.

I must say the LOVE continues! Received this from LENA in the mail today! thank you SO MUCH!!!!!

After running out of the same kind from the other company that MandyB sent I have been missing it BIG TIME. This tastes exactly like the other brand…not sure if they repackaged or resold the same blend from SpecialTeas or if there was inside blend/recipe trading going on but regardless…I am ONE HAPPY DRINKER! I LOVE THIS! It’s what I have been craving! Ta-Dah! Wah-Lah! YAY! Happy Dance!

I can smell and taste the almond and the cookie taste. It’s pretty and fun to look at helps with my mid afternoon munchies!

I finished off the last that I had of this treat in a teacup! I love this tea. It is especially good “Latte” – I warm the milk and then froth it foamy, and top it with a grind of fresh nutmeg. YUM!

The cinnamon is sweet (not a spicy cinnamon) and the almond has a beautiful nutty character. The black tea is bold enough to taste, but not so bold that it overwhelms the cup. A very pleasant way to start the afternoon!

A big “thank you” goes to Auggy for including this one in our tea swap. :)

The smell is so warm and inviting and the taste is equally as good. Very almond-y with a little cinnamon thrown in. I was worried that the cinnamon would overpower the tea (like quite a few others tend to do) but this was not the case. A very tasty cup for a rainy, funky day.
I want to dip homemade sugar cookies into this tea!!! Mmmm…

It’s like baking in a cup. Part of me now wants to make cookies, part of me feels like I already have. Not that I have made cookies that taste exactly like this (I am a chocolate chip girl so I don’t think I’ve made cookies with cinnamon before) but still. Cookies!

After reading everyone’s rave reviews, there was no way I could not order this tea when I put in an order with SpecialTeas.

But my first experience with the tea was not the most positive. I brewed up a cup last night, and while the scent of the tea was LOVELY, the cup itself? It was bitter. I could taste the nutty cinnamon cookie goodness that everyone raved about, but it was overshadowed with the bitter bite of overbrewed tea. I’d even timed it this time (I admit, I usually forget and just wing it on steeping times).

So, before coming out here and writing a meh review, I tried it again this morning. Much better. I steeped it a much shorter time (2.5 rather than 3 minutes) and added a little less tea to my brew.

Much better. I understand now the extreme NOM factor previously stated. I’m glad I went ahead and actually ordered a full 1/4 lb of this one rather than just a sample.

im speechless! this tea is amazing! it is liquid cookie! the scent you can pick up the cinnamon but also the almond. no flavor over powers the other they play along with each other nicely. its very sweet but i like that alot :)
mmmmmm

Yummy! Thanks to Spohkh for this sample….For some reason, I was expecting this tea to taste like amaretto and syrupy sweet. I was quite suprised by the cinnamon combined w/ a subtle almond flavor. This really did taste like a cookie. Next time, I will need to try this tea with milk….

I’m totally shocked at how much flavor this tea has with just a 3 minute steep. Awesome. I agree with pretty much every other assessment here – this is delicious. Tastes like almonds and cinnamon and baked goods.

Having your knee in a splint sucks. This tea makes it better. I had to add milk, I usually love tea naked, but no, not this tea. It just adds to the luxury creaminess. This is a diabetic/gluten free’s dream! I like how others describe it doughy, perfect word for this tea. It has a slight Fruit Loops smell and taste, as if this tea could be any better! I love teas that are called something, and they are exactly that. This is that. Thank you wombat for a sample! This is on my Shopping List.

This is a delicious tea and it’s so very sad that SpecialTeas is no longer around. The scent is of an almond cookie, perfectly spot on! The taste is deliciously nutty, smooth and sweet. I love the bakery-like flavor that is left in the mouth. Definitely dough, flour and sugar. There is also a hint of butter at the tail end! This is a rich, perfectly pleasant tea! Yummy! Now I just have to find a replacement tea that tastes just like this.

This is my first 100% rating on a tea yet! I absolutely loved everything about this tea. The smell of the dry tea leaves, the brewed leaves, the liquor, and (of course) the exquisite flavor! It’s like drinking a calorie-free almond cookie. The cinnamon flavor is not overwhelming and it allows the almond to stand out more prominently. This is my new favorite tea (for now. Haha!).

Last night my partner and I had a “date night” 60 miles from our home. All day I had been waiting for this tea parcel to arrive, but I knew it wouldn’t be delivered until the evening. After having indulged James’ affinity for microbrews, we were back on the road home. Pulling up the drive, I saw a quaint package sitting on our porch and my excitement was stoked. After having unloaded our purchases, I quickly ripped open my desideratum.
The dry leaves evinced my grandma’s almond cookies—okay, my grandma never made cookies, she made sopaipillas, but regardless, it was an olfactory orgasm.
I made a pot in the Beehouse pot I had bought earlier in the day.
The liquor was creamy, ripe with almond flavor and filling— I was sated.
I think it was worth the restless night to have tasted this delightful tea.

I seriously need to start paying more attention to water temperature and steeping time when I make this. When they’re perfect, it’s AMAZING… and I never remember what the perfect combination is.

It is so sad that specialTeas.com was taken over by Teavana… now this blend (called Almond Biscotti Black) is more than double the price.

Amazing. The dry leaves smell so incredible. My boyfriend, who’s not into teas, was impressed with the amazing scent.

And it tastes like liquid cookies. That’s all I kept saying while drinking the first cup. It’s full of the sweet, warm taste of almonds and vanilla. Also reminds me of an almond bear claw. Or french toast! I drink this with sweetener but no milk. It’s almost as great after a second steep (slightly astringent, which isn’t present on the first steep).

This is the first ‘100’ I’ve rated on Steepster so far. I wish I had ordered more than a sample. I think I’ll be placing another order with SpecialTeas real soon (by the way, quick shipping and beautiful packaging are icing on the cake with this company).

UPDATE: I tried a 3rd steep… still has the wonderful almond flavor! I think I taste a hint of cinnamon in this 3rd steep that wasn’t there before. Yum!

Another tea given to me by Wombatgirl that makes me question reality. Truly delicious…I could be biased because I was actually craving a cookie when I drank this, but I doubt it!

Comforting and mellow. Nicely balanced, no flavor takes over.