This was an unexpected treat! My sister bought a tin of this tea at Barnes and Noble, and graciously allowed me to try a cup with her tonight. (I’ve been converting her to the ways of tea, slowly but surely.) White Christmas is a white tea with almond and vanilla flavor, plus cardamom and a little chamomile. I tried to err on the side of under-steeping it, since my sister doesn’t like bitterness in her tea. And I think it turned out well!
As you may know, fellow Steepster users, I love spicy teas. So I tend to be a fan of holiday blends with lots of spice. Oddly enough, what I like about this tea is that it isn’t especially spicy. Instead it’s sweet, with lots of almond and vanilla (and just enough kick from the almond and the cardamom to give it a little warmth). It’s a nice change from all the cinnamon and clove in the holiday blends I’ve tried.
And I love the white tea base, too. It’s light and gentle and goes well with the sweet flavors. The second steep of this tea wasn’t quite as delicious as the first, but I still enjoyed the muted flavors (and the chamomile became more noticeable, which I liked). Something about it even tasted a little minty, but I think that was the combination of chamomile and almond? It gave the blend a even more wintry feel, in any case. This tea tastes like standing outside on a cold winter night and taking a bite out of a slice of almond cake. I might have to beg my sister to let me borrow a few more sachets!
