Christmas in Paris

0.65 tbsp from 1 pre-prepared teabag for 188 ml of water

Good flavour combination. Thin mouth-feel. Peppermint flavour at the forefront with trailing mild cocoa flavour. Hint of lavender. I think the vanilla gives it a bit of a sweetness but the actual flavour is difficult to detect.

I saw this tea while I was shopping online at Sobey’s and gleefully added it to my cart, only to discover that it was out of stock. Bah humbug! After I asked around, including here on Steepster, my mom managed to find a box at Bulk Barn of all places, and gave it to me during the holidays. I steeped two teabags in 355 ml of 200F water for 3, 5, and 7 minutes.

This tea smells like an After Eight: strongly minty with hints of chocolate. In descending order of prominence, the flavours in the first steep are mint, cocoa, lavender, and vanilla. I tried to up the lavender quotient by using two bags, and while it kind of worked, there really wasn’t as much lavender as I hoped. Not surprisingly, the aftertaste is quite sweet. I don’t mind the milk chocolate flavouring, though it does come off as a bit artificial. The second steep is much like the first, though the mint is a bit tamer. The lavender peaks out in the final steep, though that’s probably because the other flavours are starting to fade.

This is a nice holiday tea, though not as unique as I anticipated. As chocolate mint teas go, it’s pretty good.

Devon Bartholomew Advent Day 25

There’s a lot going on in this blend, but somehow it works! The lavender is subtle enough that it just adds a bit of interest to an otherwise typical milk chocolate peppermint Christmas tea. My only complaint is that I found it a bit thin and lacking in body; I think I would have enjoyed it more on a black tea base. Still an enjoyable end to the Advent, though! Now on to trying the new tea I got for Christmas. :)

Courtney sent me 3 tea bags of this festive tea; thank you!
I was a little hesitant brewing this while it’s still just November; but decided to give it a try as I wanted something simple (yep, tea bags were preferred), if possible mouth (throat) coating and had a tooth for something sweet.

Well, as I have a sore throat, I wanted to have it coated with a good tea and well this quite delivers it! It had all expected flavours. Hot chocolate, refreshing peppermint and floral lavender. Not much of vanilla in my cup; but maybe I wasn’t just focused enough. Definitely an easy-drinker and I liked it in the mug. I wasn’t a fan when I took it from the outer wrapping, the aromas were sooo strong.

Backlog

My friend who met me at the tea exchange recommended that I gave this one a try. It was the second cup for the afternoon and it was fairly good. I liked that there were gentle peppermint with chocolate notes. While my taste for Christmas-y teas has gone, I enjoyed this cup.

Not gonna lie, was pretty much dreading this one. I tend to dislike both chocolate and lavender teas, and this has both.

But actually it’s quite good?! Mostly I taste peppermint supplemented by lavender, which is a nice enough combination. The lavender is mellow enough that it doesn’t taste like soap to me. I do get a bit of the chocolate flavor, but mostly it’s a creamy milk chocolaty taste from the cacao shells and the vanilla.

Pretty good for a chocolate-mint tisane, and the peppermint seems like it’s good quality – fresh and clean without tasting like a wet rag. The addition of the lavender keeps it interesting with an almost savory edge. Pleasantly surprised!

Holiday grocery store teas tried: 13/19

This has a nice, gentle flavor. I taste the cocoa shells and a light floral touch from the lavender. I’m drinking this cold sweetened with milk, and it’s a pleasant enough cup that I’d actually consider buying a box of it. Everything combines to be a little desserty and very relaxing. Thanks tea-and-cats!

This is a sample from last year’s Christmas order. I have a student who loves Stash White Christmas and a daughter who probably has it running through her veins. They both usually get some Stash tea for gifts.

I fell asleep at 7 pm last night and woke at 11:40 pm unable to sleep again, so I decided to grab a good book and make a cup of caffeine free tea and get rid of a sample.

At 2 am, this is a surprisingly decent tea. It is nothing worthy of comparison to Cuppageek blends, but there we have it. The chocolate was in front for me with mint running alongside, and the lavender was very mild.

I would possibly even buy a box at Christmas if I didn’t have so much other tea I need to finish.

We lost the run of ourselves a wee bit and headed out to the shops to find holiday bagged teas. I’m quite happy with this! The peppermint is mellowed out by the combination of lavender and chocolate. All three flavours take a front seat, but none are overly obnoxious.

This reminds me a lot of Teavana’s White Chocolate Peppermint Rooibos but without the strong licorice root aftertaste. I don’t taste any lavender, but I’m okay with that. I like this one more than I expected, but probably not enough to buy a whole box. Thanks for sharing, Devon Bartholomew!