Author: Michelle

Posted on

Lemon Lily’s Apple Pie Chai

Apple Pie Chai by Lemon Lily
Black Tea / Flavoured
$10.00 for 50g

I received Apple Pie Chai from Lemon Lily via the Dessert by Deb tea subscription box that I subscribe to.

First Impressions

Apple Pie Chai came in a clear plastic pouch that’s resealable with some information about the tea itself on the label. One thing I did note is that there were steeping instructions lacking on the label. I was able to find that information on the tea’s online product page, which is really awesome. If you’re ever stuck and can’t find that information, you can always find some general steeping information for the tea that you’re wanting to make on the internet – like even here on One More Steep, I’ve got an article from 2016 titled Steeping Times for Different Teas that still gets used a lot by people for just giving you some general steeping guidelines.

Apple Pie Chai has some great spice notes to it, I can smell the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom and star anise. Those are honestly the strongest aromas, with a nice warm apple aroma in the background. It reminds me of an apple pie, for sure. Apple Pie Chai consists of organic: black tea, apple, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, vanilla bean, star anise, pink peppercorn, and maple flakes.

Preparation

Lemon Lily recommends steeping Apple Pie Chai in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I followed the steeping instructions and did an initial steep of 5 minutes.

First Taste

Apple Pie Chai steeps to a lovely golden orange. I found that the aroma reminds me a lot of a chai – just gentle warming spices. I can smell the cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and star anise. Those spices are very fragrant and I can smell them in the steeped tea, along with some sweet notes. I found that the flavour was pleasantly spiced, nice warming qualities in the flavour. The apple is very much in the background, with that fruity sweetness. I do wish that the apple had been stronger, but it’s hard for a softer flavour like apple to really be present with all those strong spice flavours.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Apple Pie Chai and found the majority of the spice flavours were quite muted in comparison. I would recommend Apple Pie Chai for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Lemon Lily’s Apple Pie Chai. I thought that the spices were fantastic and came together to make a wonderful spiced chai blend. I really enjoyed the balance between the ginger, cinnamon, and cardamom. Surprisingly, I didn’t find the star anise to be overwhelming (which is nice, because I’m not that big of a fan of licorice flavours). While I do wish that the apple had been stronger in flavour, I do understand the difficulties it had with all those other stronger flavours in the ingredients list. I definitely think this is a contender for a nice hot latte, as the addition of milk would balance well against the spices.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.

Posted on

Happy Holidays!

Warm wishes to you and your loved ones during this joyous holiday season! There’s a couple more posts still coming this month on One More Steep, and I’ve got quite the year coming up in 2020 so stay tuned.

Merry Christmas & best wishes for the new year, tea friends!

– Michelle

Posted on

Dessert by Deb’s Earl Grey Tea Cake

Earl Grey Tea Cake by Dessert by Deb
Black Tea / Flavoured
$6.00 for 25g

First Impressions

Earl Grey Tea Cake is a black tea blend that is part of Dessert by Deb’s Afternoon Tea Dessert Tea collection and I got it as part of the Dessert by Deb subscription box. Earl Grey Tea Cake came in a sealed, clear plastic pouch that’s resealable, with a label on the front with some information about the tea. It had a sample label, so steeping instructions were not present – but I was able to find this information on the tea’s product page located on the Dessert by Deb website.

The loose tea smells like Earl Grey with hints of lavender and honey. The bergamot is pleasant and inviting, which is one of the aspects that I enjoy about a traditional Earl Grey. Earl Grey Tea Cake consists of organic: black tea, bergamot, honey, bee pollen, Canadian maple, brown sugar, calendula petals and lavender.

Preparation

Dessert by Deb recommends steeping Earl Grey Tea Cake in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I opted to do an initial steep for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Earl Grey Tea Cake steeps to a lovely golden orange. There’s a pleasant Earl Grey aroma – the fresh citrus notes of the bergamot and the black tea base. I can also smell the lavender and honey. Surprisingly, this twist on an Earl Grey isn’t as sweet as I expected because there’s honey, Canadian maple and brown sugar in the blend. The bergamot and lavender work well together, and there’s a nice creamy note to it that reminds me of a cream of Earl Grey blend even though vanilla isn’t in the mix. The creamy notes make me think of cupcakes! I did add a touch of honey to sweeten it, and found that it helped brighten up the lavender floral notes. A touch of evaporated milk really makes it taste like a cake with an Earl Grey twist.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Earl Grey Tea Cake and found that the flavour reminded me a lot more of a traditional Earl Grey, it’s missing the cream and honey notes, but is still pleasant. If you enjoy a classic Earl Grey, I would recommend doing a second steep of the leaves.

My Overall Impression

I loved Dessert by Deb’s Earl Grey Tea Cake. I don’t make it a secret here that I enjoy Earl Grey, and the addition of lavender really makes this one a treat! The combination of honey, Canadian maple, and brown sugar is not overpowering (surprised? I was too!), and I recommend using one of those three to sweeten your tea if you want to make it a touch sweeter. I think it would pair well with some tea cakes for sure though, if you want to set the mood.

Curious about the cup rating system? Click here to learn more.