Harvest Spice from The Tea Spot

I didn't do tea words last week again - and I'm actually disappointed in that. I'm not giving up on the project. I just need to set up a reminder for a few days until it becomes a habit.

I didn't get any tea ordered last weekend either, but it's on my list for this morning. Now I'm getting down to the teas in my cupboard that I've set aside for whatever reason (normally because I either didn't like them, or something put me off. 

Hence my cuppa this morning. 

Last fall, I ordered a tin of Harvest Spice from The Tea Spot. I expected more of a chai-like experience, but when I opened the tin, it smelled more like a Cinnamon gummy bear, or hard cinnamon candy. Neither of which I'm particularly fond of. Cinnamon in tea tends to make the tea rather drying at the back of the throat anyways, a feeling I don't care for, so I set it aside and never got around to actually trying it. 

Friday morning, I found myself nearly out of the teas I truly like, and searching for something different so I could save the rest of those for random mornings while I wait for another order to arrive. Harvest Spice was sitting on the counter, and I decided to be brave and go for it. If nothing else, hot cinnamon would keep me warm at work. I just hoped it wouldn't dry out my throat too bad. 

Surprisingly, it wasn't as drying as I'd expected - a little more than the smoother teas I generally drink, but certainly "drinkable". And while it *smelled* hot (spicy), the taste was milder than expected as well. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as a smoother tea, but it's not bad, and actually very warming on a cold winter day. 

So this morning, I thought I'd try making a latte out of it. Half a tsp of sugar, and a splash of milk. It's pretty good, the sugar really brings the cinnamon flavor out, and the milk sort of buffers the spicy effect on the tongue a bit. 

This will never be my favorite tea - I prefer the cardamom/cinnamon roll flavor of chai to the true cinnamon flavor, personally. I think my husband might like this though - he's a cinnamon candy fan, and I'll certainly finish off the tin before warmer weather sets in. 

Next week, tea words! And with any luck at all, some new tea in the mail. The tins and bags I'm staring down now don't excite me in the slightest, but I may have to find a way to make them work in the short term...