Leaf Appearance: small, very green with large chunks of cinnamon bark
Ingredients: whiskey barrel smoked yerba mate, full leaf peppermint and Saigon cinnamon
Steep time: 5 minutes
Water Temperature: 212 degrees
Preparation Method: Breville One-Touch Tea Maker
Liquor: deep gold
I had been hemming and hawing over signing up for the monthly tea club Handmade Tea for some time and finally decided to bite the bullet. Each month a different hand blended tea is sent out, along with a tasting video. Hark! was my first shipment and I was beyond excited to give it a try. The first thing that struck me was the packaging. The hand stamped wax seals were such a nice touch. I also really loved that in addition to a tin of the blended tea, there were mini tins containing a sample of each of the individual ingredients. Since this was my first shipment, I also received a tiny glass tea cup and a metal strainer.
The yerba mate really blew me away because the whiskey barrel oak imparted such a unique flavor. It was woody (of course) and slightly smokey with notes of vanilla. The peppermint was some of the best I’ve ever had. It was extremely pungent and gave the blend a sweet, cooling aftertaste. This tea really brought out my inner cinnamon junkie. The cinnamon pieces added a subtle spiciness and notes of citrus. I really cannot wait to see what next month will bring. I would definitely recommend signing up.
I loved your review, thank you so much! Really happy you enjoyed it 🙂