Tea Time Tuesday - Stash vs. Celestial Seasonings Holiday Teas

Good morning!

I'm implementing a new topic for my blog, and it should be pretty obvious: tea! I talk about writing, my number one passion, and now I want to talk about tea, my other favorite thing in the world.

And since it's December we'll start off with a comparison of two holiday lines of teas that come out this time of year.

I really want to like Celestial Seasonings. They've been around forever, I drank their Mint Magic, Bengal Spice and Sleepytime teas as a kid, and they have a variety of flavors at inexpensive prices. I took a hiatus from them in the last decade when I discovered higher-end and loose-leaf lines of tea. But. Every holiday season they bring out their limited edition flavors, such as gingerbread, candy cane, and sugar plum spice. I have tried them all. The only one I really enjoyed was Nutcracker Sweet, a black tea with flavors of vanilla and cinnamon. But I drank it so much in 2007 I made myself sick. So now, one whiff, and I'm gagging. Unfortunately. Because it comes in a really cute box with gorgeous imagery. The year after that I tried the Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride, but it was a bust. And the year after that was Gingerbread Spice. Yuck! And this year, after much hesitation, I purchased Sugar Plum Spice, hoping and wishing for the same magical tea experience as Nutcracker Sweet. But I have come to a conclusion: I don't like Celestial Seasonings. It's not for lack of trying, I really wanted to like it. But after much tasting and label perusal, it boils down to two things. And keep in mind, these are flavor preferences - just because I don't like them doesn't mean you won't. Try them for yourself!

In my opinion, Celestial Seasonings teas all taste the same. It's because they are heavily flavored with massive amounts of hibiscus, chicory, and Vietnamese cinnamon. All three of these ingredients are very strong, and overpower the subtle, delicate tastes they wanted to evoke. Don't get me wrong, I love these flavors on their own, or when they're intended for a punch to the tongue. Hibiscus has a very tart, raspberry flavor, chicory tastes like burned roots (it's often used as a coffee substitute), and Vietnamese cinnamon is the kind used in Red Hots candy. So just imagine how these three scents and tastes can overwhelm the palate.

But never fear. If you are looking for an inexpensive grocery store brand with awesome holiday teas, check out Stash. For a few pennies more you get teas with simple names, like White Christmas, Christmas Morning, and Holiday Chai. They don't touch those horrid three ingredients unless it absolutely lends to the flavor. Like in their Cranberry Pomegranate tea. It. Is. Lush. I love it so much, I'm thinking of stocking up for the year. It steeps to a deep burgandy color and actually tastes like cranberries and pomegranate seeds, tangy and naturally sweet. Perfect for the season!

But don't take my word for it. Challenge yourself to find your own favorite holiday tea and share it with me!

Ta for now.  :-)