Why does Autumn have such comforting flavours? Delightfully fresh fruity apple character with delicious cinnamon notes. Make your own Gluwein by adding cinnamon and red wine.
From the Supplier:
The flavor combination of apple and cinnamon spice is as American as apple pie - that's because it is the flavor of apple pie. But although apples have a long history in the United States, the cultivation of apple trees is thought to have originated in ancient Rome. The Romans brought the trees with them to England, then part of the Roman Empire, and in turn, the British brought them to Massachusetts. Specifically, it is believed that John Endicott, one of the early governors of the Massachusetts colony brought the first trees to North America in 1629. From there, the apple spread across the States thanks to the hard work of a man named John Chapman, otherwise known as Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed traveled the country on foot planting apples wherever he went. Somewhere along the line someone struck upon the idea of baking apples sprinkled with the spicy flavor of cinnamon. We're sure glad they did. Brewing a pot of this tea is like baking an apple pie in a teapot - an absolutely delicious tea.
What type of tea do we use, how do we flavor the tea and why do we use natural flavors?
Firstly... we only use high grown teas from the top 3 tea growing regions of Sri Lanka - Nuwara Eliya, Dimbula and Uva. These three high-grown districts produce flavorful teas that have classic 'Ceylon' tea character which is noted by floral bouquet and flavor notes, touches of mild astringency, bright coppery color and, most importantly - perfect for use as the base tea of our flavored teas. (We have tested teas from various other origins around the world as base stock for our flavored teas, but none of these teas made the grade.) Dimbula and the western estates of Nuwara Eliya have a major quality peak during Jan/Feb, whereas Uva and the eastern estates of Nuwara Eliya have their peak in July/Aug. This 'dual peak period' allow us to buy the best for our flavored tea blends several times during the year, ensuring top quality and freshness.
Secondly... we use flavoring oils not crystals to give the tea drinker an olfactory holiday before indulging in a liquid tea treat.
Thirdly. we specify natural flavors. High quality tea tastes good and natural flavors do not mask the natural taste of the high grown Ceylon tea. (The norm for many making flavored tea is to use overpowering artificial flavors, which can be used to hide lower quality tea). Natural flavors do not leave an aftertaste giving the tea a clean and true character. It should be noted that natural flavors tend to be somewhat 'soft ' and the flavors slightly muted, but for many this is a refreshing change and one of the desired attributes of our naturally flavored teas.