Red Christmas Tea by TWG Tea

By / Life / November 13th, 2017 / 2

Now that the weather is cooling down, it’s time to go back to hot tea. There’s nothing like a nice mug of something hot on a cool fall evening or cold winter’s night. Tea is my go to hot beverage (though I have been known to whip up a hot chocolate and baileys from time to time).

Red Christmas is TWG Tea’s special blend for the holidays. This rooibos (red) tea is decaffeinated and theine-free, which makes it a good evening/nighttime tea. All of TWG’s teas are fine harvested from a single estate; in the case of Red Christmas, it’s from an estate in South Africa.

I received my case wrapped in a beautiful little box (gift wrapping is available when you order online, just let them know you’d like it wrapped). The moment I took the seal off my tin, even before I opened the lid, I could smell the powerful spices in the tea. TWG’s exclusive blend contains red tea, hibiscus petals, apple pieces, orange peels, cinnamon bark, sultana, clove buds, ginger pieces and cardamom seeds. So, it makes sense that it’s overpoweringly spicy on the nose – all of the spices in it are individually very aromatic.

For the first pot, I followed the suggested two to three minute infusion time. It was a lovely pale amber colour with a soft spicy nose (much softer than my initial reveal led me to believe it would be). The aromas blended citrus, fruit and spice – I just wanted to stick my nose in the mug and leave it there.

The flavour however was a bit too subtle for me the first go around. With such a strong nose, I was expecting it to be equally as strong in the mouth. Instead of giving up however, I decided to try again, this time letting the tea steep a bit longer – long enough that it was a dark, rich amber colour in the glass.

The second time around, it was wonderful. While not all of the aromas end up in the glass, it still had a good long spicy flavour. It reminds me a bit of chai, only softened by citrus, fruits and a floral note; it a soothing, calming tea that makes you want to go back for more.

I think the name is perfect – Red Christmas Tea – because it’s a cozy tea for the winter months. And the packaging is great for gifts.

Red Christmas Tea by TWG Tea / $28

Sold in Canada by Vansing Distribution Group.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A freelance writer and editor, Lisa Hoekstra loves learning and trying new things. She can be found with her nose in a book or multiple tabs open on her browser as she researches the latest and greatest in the world of food, style and everything in between.

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