Pulled this 2018 tea over to the sipdown corner for the February sipdown prompt, “Drink a black tea.”
I’m really enjoying this one! The maple is sweet but not overpowering; it goes well with the base, which is a Ceylon/Keemun blend with a really nice natural smoky note from the Keemun. I was worried the spices would be too much for me since the ingredients list chili pepper, but it isn’t at all. The sweeter cinnamon blends nicely with the maple, and I’m left with a sort of cardamom flavor late in the sip (cardamom isn’t listed in the spices, but I’m guessing it’s a combination of the ginger and clove I’m tasting), and there is a bit of warmth on my tongue after the swallow. Licorice root is listed in the blend, but I don’t taste it at all.
The maple makes this sweet enough to take without milk, but I’m sure it would be great as a latte as well (which I’m sure I’ll try while I’m working my way through the package). I really love the soft smokiness of the base without using (the far more abrasive for me) Lapsang Souchong, and it’s a lot smoother than their Canadian Breakfast.
Flavors: Cardamom, Cinnamon, Malt, Maple, Smoke, Smooth, Spices