985 Tasting Notes
Tea of the morning…..
I have not had this one in a while. It is warm and toasty with is notes of sweet smoke. And I will be needing more soon….I am down to about an ounce in the tin….. Definitely remains my smokey tea of choice.
Steeped the usual way….
Another note….I have my slider function back. Mostly because I quit using IE9 and went with Google Chrome. So much better!
Preparation
Oh yes….I am sure you are thinking, ‘Another review of Hot Cinnamon Spice from SimplyJenW…..’ Well, I do have something new to offer and I think it is interesting. So here it goes.
I was out of town for a few days. (Long story short, my nephew was born a few days earlier than expected so I had to go out of town to care for my niece for a few days…he is adorable and tiny, and she was lots of fun….) I packed my usual Hot Cinnamon Spice in filter bags for ease of prep while visiting… But it was not really that great of an idea…..
What resulted in putting the Hot Cinnamon Spice in a teabag…it was mostly just Cinnamon Spice. I guess the ‘hot’ could not escape the paper like it does my fine infuser basket. It was all right, but not nearly as good. The Herbal Hot Cinnamon was even more disappointing in a teabag. I won’t make that mistake again!
There is also a significant difference between this and the bagged version of this tea from Harney. The loose is so much better. I mean, it goes without saying that loose leaf is better than bagged, but it is really very apparent with the Harney teas … much more so than with other teas that I’ve tried.
I thought it was very interesting to see what happened when the loose was put in the bag…..I am pretty sure Harney uses the same tea loose and in their Hot Cinnamon Spice bags, but it explains the huge difference in taste….not all the spices can get out because the paper is too fine of a filter.
It is interesting that there is such a difference between the loose and bagged tea – I know that definitely holds true for Vanilla Comoro as well.
This has become quite an evening ritual. I love this. It is relaxing and just plain yummy. There is mostly cinnamon with a hint of anise from the Holy Basil. The perfect ratio is a 1:3 Holy Basil Purple Leaf to Herbal Hot Cinnamon.
24 oz pot, 4 1/2 actual tsp Herbal Hot Cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp Holy Basil Purple Leaf, freshly boiled water, 8 minutes. No additions.
Preparation
….plus peppermint. Ha, I have not logged this one in a while. Tea of the evening…..
I needed something with a little flavor, no caffeine, and a little peppermint to settle the tummy. This worked out marvelously. I added a scant tsp of peppermint to the brew of a normal pot of Vanilla Comoro. Perfect.
24 oz teapot, 4 1/2 actual tsp Vanilla Comoro, 1 scant tsp peppermint, freshly boiled water, 3 minutes. Lightly sweetened.
Preparation
Tea of the afternoon…..
I have had this sample since last Winter. I figured I had better try it now that it is the prime season for this tea. I like the balance of the cranberry with the hint of orange and the black tea base. I am guessing that Harney’s African Autumn is the rooibos counterpart to this tea. The black version is definitely much more appealing to me than the rooibos. I guess that should not be a surprise as I prefer black tea in general.
Edit to add: After drinking the whole pot, I am not so sure on this. The first few cups were good, but by the end of the pot I am not liking it as well. It is reminiscent of hibiscus even though it is possible there is not any in there. In thinking about it, cranberry and orange flavoring could be kind of like the tartness I do get from hibiscus….. Final verdict…not for me.
(from the website) Ingredients: Black tea, cranberries, orange peel, natural orange oil, and artificial cranberry flavor.
No hibiscus. I am guessing I just don’t do well with this flavor combo……
Steeped the usual way….
Preparation
You are guessing wrong :P. African Autumn is like Celestial Seasoning’s Red Zinger. Hibiscus galore!
It was definitely a cranberry/orange, though. It was one of my whole pound purchase regrets (of which there have been 4, ACK!)….. I rehomed most of it.
aisling…Didn’t I even send some to you? :)
I love Cranberry Autumn and Boston. Almost out of Boston and I mustn’t let that happen! Have you had Boston?
ashmanra…I did have Boston last Fall. I did like it, but have been out for a while. I must not have been compelled to rebuy.
And I just had to edit my post on this one. It tastes too much like the African Autumn that I really did not like much after the first few cups. Just like the African Autumn…this tastes good after the first cup or two, but it goes downhill from there for me.
lol yup. I’ve had a whole one cup.
LOL! I gave away my tin of African Autumn and told the recipient that if she didn’t like it she could regifting it or throw it away – I didn’t care! Rooibos = Robitussin.
ChOTD…..
Oh, yes. This is much better with less tea. I used 1 1/2 actual tsp for a 2 cup yield and it is really good. I can taste the caramel and vanilla now, and it is still pleasantly spicy. I will be watching for other chai blends from Frank. Yum! It is so nice to have a twist on an old favorite!
Preparation
Tea of the morning…..
I purchased this one hoping for the taste of tea and cider. It does have a light flavor of cider and a hint of cinnamon, but I wish it was a little more present. I mostly taste tea. I seem to gravitate toward stronger flavors as of late, and this one is subtle. Still, it is a good tea for Fall.
Preparation
ChOTD……
I purchased a sample of this on a recent Harney order. I wanted to try the rooibos chai offerings from the places I usually order before I go hunting elsewhere. I like this one! It is minus the anise in the rooibos chai from Upton, but still has the cinnamon, clove, and cardamom flavors I really love. It falls kind of mid range on the spice…you know it is there, but there really is not a punch that you get with the blends that contain pepper. Some fresh ginger would definitely make it even more wonderful. This will be on an order when my tin of the Upton rooibos chai is getting low.
Prepared by my usual pan method with a little longer brew times.
Preparation
The end of this sample…..
I was glad I had enough to make a whole pot as this is one I would consider buying when it is back in stock. I get honey notes, and it is definitely in the profile of tea that I like best, but I think I like more roasty notes than this one has to offer. Still, I am leaning more toward choosing another China Black when the time comes that I actually need more. I did enjoy it very much, though.
Oh goodness, I miss this tea. I must get some in my cupboard soon!