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I chose to try this tonight because it was one of my few caffeine-free holiday teas, but I wasn’t expecting to love it so much! This has some pretty amazing staying power, which left my mouth tingling after each sip. And the flavor? It really is like a high quality candy cane, with just enough kick to perk you up and calm you down at the same time.

I wonder if my husband would like some in his Christmas stocking?

You can see pictures here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/12/organic-candy-cane-by-simpson-vail.html

Jake’s been working very late hours, so I was delighted to be able to wake him up early so we could have tea before going our separate ways today… and not seeing each other until tomorrow morning. Because he is such a Whovian, we decided to sample this blend. Here’s what I did:

Teaware: 16oz travel mug
Measured dry: 2tsp
Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 4min
Additives 4tsp raw sugar

While this doesn’t really harken to the weeping angels for us, it does, as Jake said, remind him of something strange and jumbled that could have been mixed up in the Tardis. “Wibbledy wobbley timey wimey” sorts of stuff.

It does have a creaminess that lends itself very well to being sweetened, and the toffee stands out prominently. There are some other flavors mixed up on top of that, but at the moment we’re having a difficult time picking them out.

I was rushed and uncaffeinated this morning when I made this up, so I made a couple mistakes. For some reason I thought it was a black tea, so I boiled it when I should have used a lower setting. I also didn’t have time to comb through the other reviews to estimate a steep time, which is another reason steeping directions would be nice.

Here’s what I did:

Teaware: 16oz travel mug
Measured dry: 2tsp
Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 4min
Additives 4tsp raw sugar

I tried a three-minute steep first, but ended up adding another minute. I might have even gone more if I hadn’t been rushing out the door and grateful to have a hot caffeinated drink of any kind.

I’m going to have to make this up again and try to get it right, but for now I’m not really getting much of the green. There’s lots of cinnamon candy flavor and a hint of smokiness, but (and again, this could have been because of the messed up steep) little more than that.

For now, I’m just glad I have something to wake me up, but this will take some tweaking if it’s going to live up to expectations.

Thank you, Frolic, for your insight into steeping up these directionless miscreants!

Based on the other honeybush teas I’ve had and what notes other Steepsterites made about how they steeped this tea, this is what I ended up with:

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2tsp
Temperature: Boiling
Steeping Time: 8min
Additives 4tsp raw sugar

While my drink steeped merrily away, I had to sniff the dry blend again. I was shocked at first at its sharp bite, because on its own it smells like dried fruit and vinegar. Fortunately the raving of other reviewers made me curious enough to try it despite the… aroma.

My first sip was very reassuring, but it tasted like some additional time was needed. I started at 6 minutes because it’s heck of a lot easier (and possible!) to add time than take it away. I wasn’t surprised, since some of the top reviewers were at 8 minutes or more.

Once it was finished doing its thing, I think my tastebuds actually cheered! It is a very sweet, creamy concoction that hints at the wonderful tang of cheesecake. I’m also getting a wee bit of the peanut butter cup, although it’s more of a dark chocolate nip than something smoother and milkier.

All in all, this has been a pretty fabulous surprise, and if I hadn’t gone a little tea crazy in my recent ordering I might be tempted to keep a little of this on hand!

This one tastes a little more like mulling spices than a tea, and I couldn’t taste the black tea at all. If my husband didn’t have a strange appreciation for it, it would be going straight into the swap pile!

Read the full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/11/christmas-by-adagio-teas.html

This is sweet and mild, with only a hint of spices. It did take me a while, but luckily I was making cookies to send my dad and hit upon it: snickerdoodle cookies! Add a dash of almond extract to the dough, a hint of nutmeg to the cinnamon sugar coating, bake, and you’ve got it!

Here’s a link to my full review:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/11/nutcracker-sweet-by-celestial-seasonings.html

Want to drink candy? Here’s your chance! This rich, syrupy tea is the illegitimate love child of a candy cane and a thin mint. It’s a tasty treat, but so rich it’ll have to be special-occasion-only for me!

You can read the full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/11/santas-secret-by-davidstea.html

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to do a creme brûlée sugar crust on pumpkin pie? With this tea, you don’t have to wonder anymore! There are two distinct waves of flavor – the browned and melted sugar of a creme brûlée crust and then, almost as an aftertaste, a super creamy pumpkin pie. It’s rich and decadent, but doesn’t bring on the same wave of regret the real thing would inspire. This is going on the shopping list!

You can read the full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/11/pumpkin-creme-brulee-by-butiki-teas.html

This came my way as part of the Pageant of Winter Teas – thanks, Piccolo!

Opening this package was like unpacking a stocking on Christmas morning. The dark chocolate and plant-based raspberry flavoring work beautifully together to bring to life one of my favorite holiday treats! I didn’t really taste the base as much as some of the other reviewers (different steeping methods?), but the chocolately-goodness of this blend more than made up for it!

You can read the full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/11/raspberry-chocolate-bark-by-teajo-teas.html

This was a wonderful way to kick off our Thanksgiving break! After we dialed in the perfect match of tea and time for us (1.5tsp/8oz for 3min) I was amazed at the balance and creaminess.

The taste of this tea actually hit me in stages: first came the slight smokiness of the cloves and black base, then the cinnamon and an almost pumpkin-pie creaminess. Finally, all the notes combined to create a real gingerbread cookie flavor in the aftertaste.

This is one I wouldn’t mind keeping in the cupboard full time!

You can read the full review here:
http://wordsabouttea.blogspot.com/2013/11/gingerbread-black-tea-by-simpson-vail.html