Hot Apple Cider

This sample came from albertocanfly. I’m finding that I actually really like a lot of these Republic of Tea teas even though they’re tea bags and probably not the best quality leaf. They’re definitely nailing the niche of combining convenience with pretty good teas, especially with their caffeine-free options. Anyway! Dry, this actually smells a little bit sour which is odd. I used two bags in about 10 ounces of water.

This is a fairly accurate tea representation of apple cider! Granted, it’s quite a bit milder in flavor, but it has that same sweet and tart full apple flavor. The spices are very mild, which makes me very happy as it lets the apple flavor shine. There’s just the lightest touch of cinnamon that gives it a nice, warm holiday feel. I think I may have to pick up a tin of this one the next time I go to my local retailer!

And I said to myself, “its autumn. Why not try that apple cider tea you bought?” And so I did.
It smells fantastic, ooey, gooey apple goodness. Cider with a pinch of something extra.
It does not taste quite as it good as it smells, but its alright. I think I’ll be able to manage it.

This may be my shortest tea review ever.

Shout out to Megan for coming out to my place for a swap! There is quite a bit of tea in that package! The boyfriend is drinking Moroccan Mint. I don’t find this particularly tasty. I’m going to let it steep longer next time.

This tea smells delicious, but it tastes bland with a bitter aftertaste. Not impressed.

Last cup! This one has to be absolutely boiling to taste best. I’ve realized this the last few cups I had, and I thought I had it hot enough before! When the water is as hot as I can possibly get it the cinnamon comes out much more and it’s a much better cup.

As of right now I’ve had this tea an entire year, so finishing it off feels like a big accomplishment. Bye, Hot Apple Cider.

it smells like heaven but has almost no taste.

I’ve deeply enjoyed this tea in these early winter months… it surprised me, but unlike reviewers who went at it with cider in mind, I approached gently, within a ritual of mild evening tea, and so was surprised when this drink answered back with Cinnamon And Cloves! It works if you expect the smell to oversell the taste, which isn’t such a major adjustment with tea, I find.

It Requires Honey. No point in trying or even assessing it without. And I assume if you’re on this site, you pay attention to everything you add to your tea, and your honey is Good Tasty Stuff, because life is too short to buy mediocre honey. I’ve enjoyed this tea with both Wild Orange Blossom and Sage honey (on separate occasions, not mixed, heavens!). Highly recommended thus.

I like this tea, but it does not have the flavor of an apple cider tea I would expect. I first tried steeping it a little longer to see if that added more flavor, but that didn’t work either. After adding two bags to 8 oz of water and a tsp of honey it tasted great. I think they could have done a better job flavoring this tea. Maybe a little more “zing” to it to add that cider taste, so I can use only one bag instead of two.

This tea is fairly weak with only one teabag. May require 2-4 bags and perhaps a dash of cinnamon to obtain your desired flavor if you prefer a stronger, cider-like tea.