Winter Dream

I went to go see an odd surrealist film tonight called “Alice” by Jan Svankmajer which is loosely based on the ALice in Wonderland book. It was complete with creepy dolls, stuffed animals, playing cards and skeletons. This is what pseudo intellectuals do for fun in San Francisco :P

Anyway after the film we went to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and I decided to try this. Its a mix of black tea and rooibos, and it has lots of spices including cinnamon and clove and maybe some nutmeg? It was very spicy and a bit too much for me… not sure I would get this again but I can see how it would be nice for cold weather. A little simple syrup made this more palatable.

This is really strong. As other reviewers have said the cinnamon is a little overpowering. But when I made it as a latte it was a lot better. The milk tames down the intensity a little bit. I love the smell of it. It definitely smells like winter. This was given as a gift to me for Christmas, so not something I would buy again but still tasty.

While the flavor of this blend is bold and daring, the holiday spirit kicks you in the face with a bit to much cinnamon. First tried in a latte form, which was great for the chilly evening stroll I was on, but became overwhelming after half a cup. Second tried straight. Still to much cinnamon. Sorry guys, maybe next year. :-/

This tea is amazing. It is truly Christmas in a cup. The spices can be warmed down by adding simply milk and sugar. Grab a blanket and cozy on up by the fireplace.

The store made version latte:The immediate smell conjures up a crackling fireplace, cozy blanket and Christmastime. The taste is at first applealing, but as you drink it more, the spices seem to take over. Sipping it sparingly becomes necessary not to have the clove take charge and be overwhelming. There may be just a hair too much cinnamon as well, but clove really stands out a bit much. For the home version, I will steep 15 sec less to see what that yields.