Tag: The Sugared Teacup

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Lemon Lily’s Candy Cane Chai

Candy Cane Chai by Lemon Lily
Black Tea / Flavoured
$9.00 for 50g

Lemon Lily’s Candy Cane Chai came to me as part of The Sugared Teacup’s December themed subscription box.

First Impressions

It’s never too late for a little peppermint and cheer in your cup, right? I received Candy Cane Chai as part of my December box from The Sugared Teacup and I’ll be zooming through those teas before they get out of season. Candy Cane Chai comes in a familiar white, matte foil bag that is resealable (which is awesome!). The aroma of the tea itself is heavily ginger and cinnamon, I can’t really make out the peppermint from the candy cane at all, which is a shame. The candy cane pieces that I do see are speckled and mostly covered with the other ingredients.

As per the label on the bag I received, Candy Cane Chai consists of: black tea, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, candy cane and natural flavours. According to the product page on Lemon Lily’s website, Candy Cane Chai consists of: black tea, cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, candy cane, and vanilla bean. I also see the shells of cardamom pods in my tea, so I’m questioning how accurate the ingredients lists are. I didn’t really smell any peppermint in my blend, so I’m not sure when the blend was changed.

Preparation

Lemon Lily recommends steeping Candy Cane Chai in 212°F (100°C) water for 4 to 6 minutes. I did a 5 minute steep.

First Taste

Candy Cane Chai steeps to a cloudy brown, which is due to the candy cane pieces. The tea itself has a strong cinnamon and ginger aroma to it, and I can smell the peppermint from the candy cane pieces. There’s a nice sweetness to it, but I do wish that the candy cane came through more since it does have some heavy chai spice flavours to it.

I did add some cream to my cup and found that it was tastier with it, and I also happen to have some leftover candy canes to stir into my tea… This also helps boost the peppermint flavour a lot! Highly recommend doing this to make it live up to its name.

A Second Cup?

I attempted to resteep Candy Cane Chai and found that it didn’t hold up to being resteeped. The peppermint aroma was gone and the spices weren’t as strong as the initial steep.

My Overall Impression

I thought that Lemon Lily’s Candy Cane Chai was just okay. I’m a little torn between giving this one or two cups, because there’s some confusion for me with the ingredients listed on the packaging versus on the website. Did I get old stock? When did the blend change? I found the chai spice level to be pretty good and tasty, I just wish that the peppermint/candy cane flavour stood out more, was stronger, and had a presence in the steeped tea. I would definitely recommend adding in some milk or cream, and then using a candy cane as a stir stick to make it more like a tea latte – I think the addition of a candy cane and cream would really help it to live up to its name. Overall, I think the blend works well as a chai blend, but it doesn’t live up to my expectations on the holiday flavours.

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Clearview Tea Co’s Cinnamon Roll

Cinnamon Roll by Clearview Tea Co
Black Tea / Flavoured
$7.50 for 40g

Clearview Tea Co’s Cinnamon Roll came to me as part of The Sugared Teacup’s October themed subscription box.

First Impressions

I learned about Clearview Tea Co via The Sugared Teacup! The tea itself comes in a sealed (resealable!) foil bag with a clear, plastic back so I can see the tea before even opening it. The name of the tea is handwritten on the label – what a nice touch (and lovely penmenship!). The steeping instructions and ingredients list are on the back, along with the contact information for the tea company.

Cinnamon Roll smells like cinnamon – there’s a hint of sweetness that makes me think of those cinnamon heart candies that show up around Valentine’s Day. I love how easy it is to see the ingredients in this black tea blend, and the strength of the cinnamon in it. The aroma of the black tea base peeks through the cinnamon, and it reminds me a bit of an Assam – just a slight malty aroma to it. Cinnamon Roll consists of: black tea, cinnamon, and natural flavour.

Preparation

Clearview Tea Co recommends steeping Cinnamon Roll in 190-205°F (88-97°C) water for 3 to 5 minutes. I opted to use my Breville IQ Kettle‘s Oolong setting (195°F/91°C) and steeped Cinnamon Roll for 4 minutes.

First Taste

Cinnamon Roll steeps to a beautiful golden orange. The cinnamon aroma from the steeped tea is lovely, it’s warm and inviting and does remind me a lot of baking. The black tea base is more obvious in the steeped tea than in the dry leaf form, there’s a mild malty flavour that I’m fully attributing to the black tea. It’s a nice tea on its own, I think it could be really elevated by sweetening it with a little bit of brown sugar, and adding a bit of cream – which I did do. I found that this made it both taste and smell more like a cinnamon roll.

A Second Cup?

I resteeped Cinnamon Roll twice – adding an extra 30 seconds for each steep. I found that the first resteep was very similar to the initial steep in terms of flavour and strength, while the second resteep was lacking the cinnamon flavour. I would say that Cinnamon Roll is good for one more steep.

My Overall Impression

I liked Clearview Tea Co’s Cinnamon Roll. I think the cinnamon flavour was on point, and the black tea base is pleasant to steep and drink. The cinnamon flavouring doesn’t make me think of cinnamon roll – yet! If you add a touch of brown sugar and cream to it, it really does make it taste like a cinnamon roll (which is the namesake for the tea, after all!). Like the black tea on its own, love it with the brown sugar and cream because it just really elevates the flavour and reminds me so much of an actual cinnamon roll. This is definitely a dessert black tea, and would highly recommend pairing it with afternoon tea goodies or all those holiday baked goods you’ve got in your house (you know the ones I mean!).

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Tealish’s Maple Cream

Maple Cream by Tealish
Herbal Infusion / Flavoured
$9.50 for 50g

Tealish’s Maple Cream came to me as part of The Sugared Teacup’s October themed subscription box.

First Impressions

I was intrigued when I unboxed my October box from The Sugared Teacup and found Maple Cream – mostly because of the name, it sounds like a chocolate I’ve had from a certain local chocolate company (yum). I found the tasting notes on the back of the packaging were fairly accurate. The first thing I noticed when I opened the resealable bag was the fact that it smells like maple syrup and walnuts. I didn’t notice any apple fragrance, despite it being the first in the ingredients list.

The ingredients in Maple Cream are: apple, orange, rosehip, walnut, safflower, sunflower, calendula, maple sugar, and natural flavours. The aroma of maple syrup is pretty distinctive, and with the name like Maple Cream I’m glad it really comes through.

Preparation

Tealish recommends steeping Maple Cream in boiling water (100°C/212°F) for 3 to 5 minutes. My initial steep of Maple Cream was for 5 minutes.

First Taste

Maple Cream steeps to a lovely yellow colour, which I think can be attributed to the safflower, walnut, orange and possibly the apple. The aroma of the steeped herbal tisane smells of sweetness, maple syrup, and a little bit of the walnut. The flavour of the tisane matches the aroma of the steeped tisane really well. I can taste maple syrup, there’s a good amount of sweetness in it, and there’s a bit of nuttiness in the undertones that are quite pleasant. I don’t really get a lot of fruity flavours (there is apple and orange in the blend), but I trust that both add to the sweetness.

A Second Cup?

I did attempt to resteep Maple Cream, but found that the flavour just wasn’t there. I would say that Maple Cream is good for just one steep.

My Overall Impression

I  liked Tealish’s Maple Cream. I found that the flavour really made me think of autumn and fall, which makes it a great seasonal option for those who want a caffeine-free beverage. I think it would be a great tisane to mix with a hot apple cider, to have that nutty flavour of the walnut with a boost of apple flavour and sweetness.

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