White Christmas

Bag of undetermined age (gee, I think that may describe me, too ;) … peppermint—-got it; white tea—-maybe; ginger—-not catching it.

Not a bad minty afternoon pick-me-up, though.

My morning cup today. I’ve been drinking this tea the last three to four years between Thanksgiving and New Year. I am finishing last years supply, and it is surprisingly still fresh, thanks to foil wrapped teabags. It’s a good Holiday tea.

In the past, it was hard to detect the Ginger-I usually never noticed it. Today I was focussed on the teas qualities, intent on noticing the Ginger if it was there. The white tea is subtle, but noticeable, while the dominant flavor is the peppermint. The description is accurate regarding the ginger. When I swirl the tea in my mouth I detect a hint of ginger. Upon swallowing the ginger hits the back of my throat. The tea-ginger included-stays nicely on my tongue. I guess in the past, I was expecting more kick and intensity from the ginger and it eluded me. The subtlety of the ginger is perfect here. I’m sure the longer steep time brings it out. Overall a really good, satisfying blend I’ve come to enjoy during the Holidays!

Cupped and reviewed: Thursday, December 1, 2011.

First off, I have the bagged variety, and I know there is a difference.

Secondly, this isn’t too bad. I taste a nice medley of ginger and peppermint…but it makes me think of pine & evergreen… Maybe it’s just the power of suggestion with “Christmas.”

Overall, this is a nice cuppa – something I would choose over, say, plain black teas, but not one I would go out of my way to buy.

NOTE: I also steeped this for the length of the cup, which I tend to do with bagged varieties; there’s a stronger flavor and essence when I do that.

So, I’ve been in Orlando, FL with my family all week. I’m not going to bother trying to log the tea I drank while I was gone. I took some bags with me (Lupicia and Stash), but nothing that I only had a bag or two of, just stuff that I have plenty of so it’ll get logged at another time.

My Mom also bought me a cute tea ball that she found. Here’s a picture I found online of it: http://www.yourwdwstore.net/Disney-Tea-Ball—Mickey-Mouse_p_8196.html

So, I’m back in the office today, and congested and not feeling well from the travel. This tea sounded like it could help me feel better – peppermint for the headache and ginger for the upset stomach.

I taste peppermint, but not ginger. That’s fine, I wasn’t sure how they would mix. Perhaps there’s a bit of ginger right at the end.

It’s a nice tea, but more something that my husband would drink than me, I think.

I have mixed feelings about this tea. I didn’t realize it was peppermint…I had Harney and Son’s Wite Christmas in mind and was looking forward to a deep, warm flavor. Still, if one has had a tough day and feels a bit bruised in the brain, I can see this tea being very comforting.

I drank the first cup plain, and got mostly plain peppermint, not too aggressive. The package recommended a bit of sugar to bring out the flavors so I tried that, and it is okay but not amazing.

I liked their Holiday Chai better, and will probably use that, Cranberry Autumn, and Boston as my holiday teas.

Bagged,
Aroma when Dry: Sweet, spicy, frosty, delicate
After water is first poured: crisp, can detect both the mint and ginger notes.
At end of steep:
Tea liquor:
first color: grassy brown
At end of steep: notes blend, deepen and warm.
Color: deep tea brown
Staple? YES, hope to stock up for full year this time. -looking into ordering the loose leaf. Would be a go-to tea if it were not seasonal.
Time of day preferred: Any, though lovely in afternoon.
Taste:
first notes: sharp, crisp, bright. The mint mellows the ginger through
Additives used (milk, honey, sugar etc)? No
Lingers? Yes, with a clean, crisp light texture, with same notes, though mint is a touch more prominent. It is here that the floral nature of the white tea is most noticeable.
As it cools? Fresh, fragrant. Mint takes lead note, with floral and ginger following.
Want to try chilled sometime.

This is the best tea that ever existed.

The Mint smells great but the ginger not so much. The taste is about the same…almost like the two are fighting each other. I don’t think I like that. It might be better cold. This isn’t a sipping tea hot…maybe after it cools to ‘luke-warm’ I will chug…to try and get thru it.

My go-to tea for when I have a cold during the winter holiday season (which I inevitably always do, grr!). Bagged is actually preferred in such situations, when I can barely crawl out of bed to boil water let alone deal with loose tea.

I have drunk this only from the bags. I think this tea is a delightful but delicate blend for the holidays. Although it’s not too different from many other varieties of Christmas tea, the subtle ginger note adds a great deal. This tea is a great one to let steep for a long while as you drink it; the subtle notes only become more pronounced. Stash is correct when they add that a bit of sweetener goes a long way, also.

Tried this Wednesday as per a recommendation of my supervisor… do not want. I just can’t stand herbal teas. I think this theoretically would be great for my stomach problems since it has both ginger and peppermint, but if it tastes bad, no can do.

I passed this tea out to my co-workers and it was a hit during the holiday season. A nice tea for the season.

Mmmm. This is a great tea to drink when you have an upset stomach. One cup of this and all your tummy woes just disappear.

I primarily drink this when I’m not feeling well, but it certainly doesn’t hurt its case that it also tastes pretty good. It’s very strong peppermint with a hint of ginger spice at the end. The delicate white tea is probably there, but my palate isn’t quite sensitive enough to pick it out. I imagine it soothes the overall blend a bit, though.

One thing I do have to warn about is that this is a strong tea. You WILL be hit with a sack full of peppermint bricks and then drizzled with burning ginger. It is not for the weak of heart! But if your mouth can handle it and your stomach has a need for it, this is a good tea.

I really like this one, but it can not be steeped for a long time. It’s perfect in the first few minutes, but if you leave the bag in the ginger will become too aggressive.

I specifically steep this for no longer than 2 minutes though to keep it tasting mellow. This is one of my favourite year long teas to drink, even if it is suppose to be a seasonal holiday tea. It was rather hard to find in the stores but I ordered a large box from Amazon. I drink it with milk, no sugar.

Peppermint is the strongest flavor here. The ginger is in the background. I think I feel it more than I taste it, it adds a nice warmth to the tea. I really enjoyed this one.

I didn’t add sugar, tempted to try it with a little, but I think it is just fine without.

I have the bagged tea on this one and while it’s ok, it’s not really great.

Surprisingly good iced… even out of season. ;)

Yummy!

Yum! I added honey, but didn’t think the flavor mixed well. It’ yummy without any sweetener,but will try with a touch of sugar.