I would like to thank Andrew at Simple Loose Leaf who provided me with a $50 credit to use towards their subscription service. This was the third tea that I was sent in my six month plan.
This tea didn’t immediately wow me, in fact, I found it a little lacking at first. It had a subtle creamy texture, likely from the Irish Creme flavoring, but the Assam base seemed to mask the flavor of the cloves, ginger, and cinnamon. I was disappointed because I really expected those to be the dominant flavors of the tea, they certainly are in the gingerbread I make. Despite this, there was one thing that really blew my mind, especially since it’s something I find lacking in most gingerbread teas. I could taste a molasses-like flavor in this tea and it wasn’t even listed in the ingredients. Are you wondering why this is important? Molasses is one of the key ingredients in making gingerbread cookies, without it all you have is a nice spiced cookie. I really enjoyed the deep earthy flavors of this tea and its strong resemblance to mild flavored molasses. This fact certainly changed my opinion of this tea, but it wasn’t the only thing.
Had I reviewed this tea several weeks ago when I first received it I might have written something completely different about it, but there is something special that changed my opinion. I received a tin of cookies in the mail as part of a holiday swap, they were the most delightful tasting gingerbread cookies I’ve had in awhile. And guess what, they tasted just like this tea. They also tasted completely different than the gingerbread cookies I make myself. This is where personal bias really comes into my tea reviews. Sometimes I have an idea in my head of what I want a tea to taste like, but am disappointed when it doesn’t resemble the idea I have in my head. As a writer it can be very difficult to distinguish between what is bias, what is fact, and what is opinion. I try to be as honest as possible in my writings regarding all of these things and honestly, I really enjoyed this tea. I think it is a great addition to my already full holiday line-up.
Check out the full review on my blog:
http://www.notstarvingyet.com/index/2013/12/3/tuesday-tea-santas-gingerbread-holiday-simple-loose-leaf.html
If you’re considering an order with Simple Loose Leaf use coupon code NSYSELECTION25 to receive 25% off.
