Sunday, March 1, 2015

Cozy Comfort Black Tea by Simpson & Vail



Seller Description"It's like a "throw-back" tea….brings up thoughts of snuggling in a cozy comforter by a fireplace, or being a little kid snuggled in a comforter sitting on your Grammie's lap, wrapped in the comforter and her hugs. It's like watching cookies bake in the oven and drifting off to peaceful places on the aroma wafting from the oven."

Ingredients:Black teas, organic cinnamon pieces, orange blossoms and Black Walnut flavor.
WebsiteCozy Comfort Tea by Simpson & Vail
Sample source: Provided

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

I made this tea up a couple times in a couple different ways, but it is amazingly consistent. It has a very light, buttery cinnamon flavor with hints of something like caramel, although part of that may be due to the raw sugar I used to sweeten it. It's not all of it, though, because I didn't use that much!

After trying it, I understand why the seller had such a difficult time naming it... and why the original name of Black Walnut didn't stick. There doesn't seem to be much nuttiness at all, for having walnut flavoring.

All in all, it's pretty difficult to pin down. The black tea blend remains firmly in the background, if not backstage. There is no astringency at all, and nothing in this tea even hints at a brisk bite of caffeine. It's just so incredibly gentle. If I hadn't brewed it myself, I wouldn't think it was even a black tea.

So I guess this blend is for people who'd like a sweet, slight hit of caffeine without the taste normally associated with it. 

Prominent Notes: Butter and cinnamon
Aftertaste: Butter and an itsy bitsy teeny tiny hint of the black tea blend
Overall: An interesting tea, but probably not a cupboard staple.