Holiday Blend by Simpson & Vail

The next tea to be featured in the Pageant of Winter Teas is this festive blend from Simpson & Vail. 

Seller Description: "This blend of tea and herbs was created to capture the tastes and treats of the winter holiday season. It is a magnificent blend of black teas, rooibos and peppermint that has been delicately scented with vanilla and vanilla pieces. This Holiday Blend tea will enliven all of your holiday festivities." 
Ingredients: Black teas, rooibos, peppermint leaves, organic alfalfa leaves, flavoring, malva blossoms, erica flowers, and vanilla beans.
Website: Holiday Blend by Simpson & Vail

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

I knew from the start that this would be a peppermint blend, but my first whiff of the dry aroma promised so much more than that. This is not a single-note tea, and the different elements give it a surprising complexity... more like a journey through a Christmas village than a single destination.

The promise of the dry aroma transitions in an interesting way into the steeped cup. It's a much lighter flavor than I had anticipated, and I think in the future I will use 1-1/2tsp instead of 1tsp per cup. It's coming across more like an herbal than a brisk black, and I'm having a difficult time picking up many of the other elements.

Teaware: 8oz Depression Glass cup with tea ball
Measured dry: 1-1/2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 1-1/2 teaspoons

For my second cup, I went ahead and made a smaller, more concentrated batch. I do get a little more of the vanilla and floral notes here, but the black base is still proving light and elusive.

While it does still taste like an herbal, the presence of the black tea base does add a caffeine kick. This would be a nicely relaxing cup for a lazy morning.

Prominent Notes: Peppermint and vanilla

Aftertaste: Floral elements and just a hint of the black base
Overall: A black tea that keeps a low profile

Rooibos Vanilla Chai by The Persimmon Tree Tea Company

Seller Description: "Our Vanilla Rooibos Chai tea features a delightful blend of masala chai spices, red rooibos and a hint of vanilla. Rooibos Vanilla Chai is naturally caffeine, making it a perfect any-time tea. Much like its caffeinated cousin Masala Chai, this tea tastes delicious with milk and sugar."
Ingredients: Organic Rooibos, Vanilla Flavoring, Ginger Pieces, Cinnamon Pieces, Cardamom, Clove, Orange Pieces
Website: Rooibos Vanilla Chai by The Persimmon Tree Tea Company
Facebook: The Persimmon Tree 

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

The Persimmon Tree is a tea company out of California that offers a wide variety of organic, fair-trade, and biodynamic teas. They also pride themselves on using recycled products in their packaging and shipping. Now, it can be difficult to get to know an online tea company, but The Persimmon Tree makes it a lot easier by offering a variety of $5 sampler packs, which I found irresistible. The company was kind enough to provide me with a cute little 3oz tin of today's tea, but just in case you were wondering, the Rooibos Vanilla Chai is also an option in their Rooibos sampler.

But on to the tea itself! Today's blend has all the wonderful spices you'd usually associate with an eye-opening, caffeine-packed cup of black tea. By substituting a red rooibos base in lieu of the black, this becomes a caffeine-free drink that you can enjoy whenever you feel like it. As someone who tends to bounce from the walls with too much caffeine after noon, I can sincerely appreciate that!

Rooibos can often leave me with a caramel aftertaste, but this blend has managed to avoid that. The base slips into the background and lets the cardamon, clove and vanilla take center stage with the ginger and cinnamon off to the side singing the chorus. The effect is nicely balanced, with no one element standing out too strongly and causing dissonance.

As it cools, the vanilla stands out further and gives it a lovely creaminess. It becomes less and less noticeable that I used water instead of milk while preparing it. Now, "chai" itself is a bit of a misnomer, as it actually means "tea" in several languages and not the specific blend of spices that we tend to associate with it. Actually, if I'm getting into semantics, this isn't even tea, technically. There's only one actual tea plant: the camellia sinensis. How it's treated determines the kind of tea (i.e. black, green, oolong, etc.) that it will steep.

But for a not-quite-chai and a not-quite-tea, it's quite yummy!

Prominent Notes: Cardamon, clove, and vanilla
Aftertaste: Light hints of cinnamon and lighter still of ginger
Overall: A harmonious chai blend for any time of day

As a final note, The Persimmon Tree has asked me to give you their coupon code TEABLOG for 20% off at their online store: www.persimmontreetea.com. Enjoy!

Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Rated as the best of Chinese black teas, Keemun is an absolute delight to drink. TeaVivre's Premium Keemun represents the highest quality of this tea generally available to the public, and has a taste, aroma and appearance that completely justifies its reputation as one of the best black teas in the world. Handmade in Keemun's birthplace of Qimen, this tea is simply stunning."
Website: Premium Keemun Hao Ya Black Tea by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

This tea is a departure from the last two Teavivre blacks I've tried. Unlike their colorful leaves, these are dark in appearance, chopped and with lighter tips in some cases. The dry leaves don't have much of an aroma on their own, but what scent there is comes out cleanly - a hint of dried summer grass. My husband swears he's picking up slight minty notes, but that's not coming across for me.

Because today is his birthday, I served this tea up Western-style in my glass infuser cups. It went beautifully with the pancakes I made him. It's a gorgeous copper color, and the flavor is bold, straightforward, and unapologetic.

While the caffeine may be slightly lower in this tea, the taste doesn't relay that - it grabs you and shakes the sleep from your eyes. It's strong and malty, and while I used raw sugar to sweeten it, I'm getting slight honey notes despite that. There is a mild to moderate astringency now that it's cooled, but there was little more than a hint of it when it was freshly hot.

Prominent Notes: Maltiness
Aftertaste: Hints of honey
Overall: A good choice for Jake's birthday tea, as he really enjoyed it!

Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea - Golden Tip by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Dian Hong black tea, also known as Yunnan black tea, is one of China's most famous black teas. This is the highest grade Dian Hong generally available in China – called Golden Tip Dian Hong. It has lots of orange pekoe in the dried tea, and brews into an absolutely great tasting, golden coloured tea, with very rich taste and aroma."
Website: Yun Nan Dian Hong Black Tea - Golden Tip by Teavivre

Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

After my last experience with one of Teavivre's black teas, I knew to expect the unexpected.

The light, honey-butter flavor was a surprise, though. I guess after their Golden Monkey Black I was expecting something a little brisker. The aftertaste packs a little nudge of it, but for the most part this tastes like a combination of a black and a green, with slightly grassy notes.

A lot of that comes out in the dry tea's aroma, which brings to mind cool saturdays spent raking up autumn leaves.... and the joy of taking a running jump into the pile!

I'm glad that I have more of this sample left, because I can't wait to take it to school. There's something kind of wonderful about the way it both wakes you up and calms you down, and the smooth, mild flavor allows you to savor it without needing to brace yourself for an intense jolt of caffeine.

Now, sometimes I really do need that, but it's nice to switch things up now and again, and this tea is perfect for that.

Prominent Notes: Honey butter (almost a combined flavor) and fresh vegetation
Aftertaste: Mildly brisk, slightly smoky black
Overall: A smooth, wonderful way to ease yourself gently into the day

Golden Monkey Black Tea by Teavivre

Seller Description: "Coming from Fujian, the Golden Monkey is made of the fresh buds and leaves of Fuding Pekoe, by lightly sun withering, rolling, fermentation and drying. Golden Monkey has the particular aroma of black tea. You could scent the fruity flavor through every sip of the tea."

Website: Golden Monkey Black Tea by Teavivre
Sample source: Provided

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 2 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 3 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

When I opened the sample, I was initially surprised at how green and yellow this black tea looked... enough so that I double-checked the label! Sure enough, both the sample and the website list this as a black, and once I steeped it there was no question at all.

Whatever the color of the actual leaves, this steeped up into a gorgeously smooth tea with that distinctive briskness you'd usually encounter in an English Breakfast or an Earl Grey.

Actually, I'm enjoying this one so much that I have to force myself to slow down and savor it! I usually gravitate more towards black blends, and it's been only recently that I've tried more of the straight black teas. This tastes like a balance in between the two.

Sipping this, I'm impressed again by how smooth this tea is. There is little to no astringency, without any jarring notes at all. I think this is one I'll want to keep around!

Prominent Notes: Brisk black tea with a mellow buttery
Aftertaste: Slightly citrusy, fruity notes
Overall: Time for a second cup!

Swiss Mountain Black Tea by Della Terra Teas

Seller Description: "If you are a fan of minty chocolate, especially when combined together in a candy then this tea is for you.  With real peppermint and chocolate pieces along with mint brittle you will be left with a minty, refreshing and chocolaty treat in your cup.  A true breath, errr, drink of fresh air... I mean tea!"

Ingredients: Black tea, chocolate bits, peppermint
Website: Swiss Mountian Black Tea by Della Terra Teas
Sample source: Facebook Giveaway

Teaware: 16oz glass infuser mug
Measured dry: 3 teaspoons
Water Temperature: 212º F
Steeping Time: 4 minutes
Additives: 3 teaspoons of raw sugar

This tea came my way via one of Della Terra's Facebook giveaways, with some of their Almond Biscotti green tea. Oddly enough, this is the second time they've sent me tea this way - I think that means more people need to "like" them so there's more of a pool!

Now when I make hot chocolate, I tend to stir up more of a thick soup than the lightly accented drink you'd get by following the directions. As such, I've never really gotten into chocolate teas because I always find myself craving more chocolate and less tea. I met with that same quandary this time as well.

It's a sweet, refreshing tea that reminds me strongly of thin mints. The slight bite of dark chocolate mixed with the soothing refreshment of the peppermint. If I make this again, I will definitely throw another teaspoon of sugar and couple extra chocolate chips in, but I know several friends who would definitely enjoy this as is!

Prominent Notes: Chocolate and peppermint
Aftertaste: Black tea
Overall: I'm going to go make some hot chocolate

Another Traveling Tea Box?!?!?!

Since my last blog entry, another tea box has come my way! If you didn't catch my last post about the Traveling Tea Box C, this is a fun thing we do on Steepster. One person puts a bunch of tea in a box and mails it to the first person on the list. They then sample the teas they want to try, remove a couple they like, and add more tea of their own. It continues through the list like this until it comes back to the first person... who might continue it on for another round!

This particular box had a bit of a longer journey on its way to me, as you can tell from these pictures!

 A close-up of the left side, featuring a surprisingly wide variety of ESP Emporium teas, Harney & Sons, Tea District, Butiki Teas, and Verdant.

Looking at the middle in more depth, you can see the incredible variety of hand-labeled teas and even a couple tins. Let me tell you, those were fun to try to fit back into the little box that birthed all this!

But it didn't stop there! This little box was starting to remind me of Mary Poppins' carpet bag. For a while I wondered if I would ever find the bottom! It finally came clean, with a large assortment of Adagio teas. 

As you can see, it was a bit more extensive than the last one. Unfortunately, between a bout with strep throat and another cold that came in on its heels, I've been off my game lately. I only tried a small handful of teas before guilt (and a sense of obligation) had me sending it back on its way.

Here are the teas I sampled and/or removed:

Pineapple Bacon Rooibos by 52teas
Cinnamon Fig by Art of Tea
Mint Verbena by Harney & Sons
Coconut Lavender Rooibos by Tea District
Cuppa Paradise by Tea District
Earl Grey by Tea Forte
Laoshan Black by Verdant Tea

And the teas I tucked in for their new journey:

Chestnut by Adagio
Christmas by Adagio
Gingerbread by Adagio

Pumpkin Spice by Adagio

Easy as Pie by Adagio Custom (by Lariel)
Pumpkin King by Adagio Custom (by Lariel)

Earl Grey by The Tao of Tea

Pu’er Tonic by Verdant Tea (from Blends subscription)