gmathis Send Message

This was the big hit at work tea time today, spurring the inevitable discussion: “Is it the same as Hot Cinnamon Spice?” The Harney answer we found on Facebook is yes. (You may already know that. I’m slow to join the parade sometimes.) It’s a lovely red-hots candy flavored tea if you haven’t tried it. The orange is more evident in the scent than the flavor. When it comes to cinnamon-orange-clove combos, I think I still prefer good ol’ Constant Comment because of its less sweet properties, but this is a nice pick-me-up that might keep me out of the chocolate before lunchtime.

This is/was/will be one of my favorites from Cuppa Geek; it filled the void left when Celestial Seasons pulled my favorite Sweet Apple Chamomile out of rotation. It was just a little sharper in flavor thanks to a reasonable shot of hibiscus. My packet is almost out of apple bits, so this cup was mostly chamomile and hibi. Then (light bulb! duh! I have a cupboard full of additive possibilities, but never think to use them) I added a big beautiful glob of honey from the Bee Trace Apiary in Macon, MO (isn’t that a delightful name?) and now we’re back to a sweet slice of pie.

What a nice surprise! I pulled this sample from the Bits-N-Pieces bin for a change of pace this evening, expecting a little bit of muddiness from the hazelnut/rooibos combo. Not a bit of it! The apple pieces and cornflower add the perfect balance of fruit and brightness. Reminds me just a little of my mom’s fresh apple cake with raisins, minus the spice. Nostalgia always makes tea taste better.

I wanted different this evening. I got different, thanks to this little sample packet sent my way by Nichole. I prefer my bergamot toned down by other ingredients so the potential of marigold, lemongrass, and green rooibos intrigued me. It smells beautifully light and citrusy, but I may not have gotten the right mix of ingredients on my spoon (that happens with tiny samples of “busy” tea), because the light and citrusy vibe is definitely overpowered by the green beany sencha. My next spoonful may be completely different.

I’m less in love with this than I used to be … you people have spoiled me to the finer things, but I still have the better part of a box to tend to. Had I referred to my previous reviews, I would have taken the time to add a glug of milk to even things out. Without, it’s mostly just minty licorice. Drinkable, but a little doctoring improves it greatly.

Steeped my last bag, and I don’t think I’m particularly sorry to see it go. I’m sure age had something to do with it (the tea, not me. Or maybe both), but the apple was AWOL. Nice maple scent, but without a little fruit to provide a good buffer, it didn’t mesh well with the rooibos. On to bigger and better things.

I forgot how nice this one smells in the cup. A decent black base with fruity cranberry-sauce notes. (Flashback to a glop in a little paper service cup in the school cafeteria. I loved to spread it on the cafeteria ladies’ homemade hot rolls, back when they really cooked, and didn’t just throw reheated stuff on the tray.)

Nothing new to say about this—it’s still an evening favorite, and it looks like most of the reviewers agree that it is spot-on, flavor-wise. My only other observation last night was “I wonder what it would taste like if I put an extra shot of lemon in it?” But by the time I thought that thought, I was just too tired to do anything but rock and read and enjoy what was already in my hand.

My only previous review mentioned that this tastes a little like H&S Hot Cinnamon Spice with a rooibos base…couldn’t find the whiskey part. Since I’m nearing the end of the pouch, I went nearly double on the leaf and left it more than six minutes (which I should’ve done previously, but never actually read the package). Doing so didn’t make a huge change, but it did intensify the clove part of the blend and created a pleasant little burn on the tip of the tongue—maybe that’s what was intended to emulate the whiskey. I’ve been so crabby all week, a burned tongue to help me keep my mouth shut wouldn’t be a bad idea ;)