As winter’s chill settles in, there’s no better place to be than in front of the fire, sipping a cup of seasonal tea. With warm and comforting aromas of spices, citrus, and herbs, there are plenty of winter teas available to choose from. I tested out several flavors of Christmas teas and winter blends to see which ones are sensational for seasonal sipping, great for gifting, or just a pass.
Whether you’re curled up by the fireplace with a good book, hosting loved ones for a festive gathering, or simply taking a quiet moment for yourself, finding your go-to winter tea can bring you a sense of peace and relaxation. Join me on this journey through a winter tea wonderland!
What Makes a Great Winter Tea?
Winter is the time of year when warming spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves become prominent in our baked goods and tea. Seasonal fruits, like apple, pomegranate, and pears, also make a strong appearance in tea infusions around this time of year.
To me, a great winter tea is a flavorful tea that evokes the coziness of the season. It’s not necessary a particular flavor, but more of a feeling. If the tea claims to have a certain flavor, I expect it to actually taste like it and not some artificial version of that flavor. Bonus points if the tea has a fun (and applicable) name!
Now, let’s introduce the winter lineup and get some tea in our cups!
Adagio Tea Winter Tea Sampler
First up, I tried the Adagio Tea Winter Tea Sampler. It contained four flavors of seasonal loose leaf tea:
- pomegranate grove – Lightly spiced with cinnamon and ginger to accent the gently sweet notes of pomegranate. [No caffeine]
- christmas – Warming Ceylon black tea with fresh, cozy spices and orange. Zesty with a sweet finish. [High caffeine]
- rooibos nutcracker – Smooth, rich flavors offer natural sweetness and depth. This is the ideal blend to sip by the tree, on a snowy winter’s evening. [No caffeine]
- yuletide toddy – This herbal blend is a lovely duet of classic holiday flavors with the added sparkle of cinnamon spice. [No caffeine]
Source: adagio.com
I really liked the sampler overall because it was inexpensive (only $14) and had quite a lot of tea! Each flavor bag contains 0.8 oz of tea and reportedly makes about 10 cups each. For me, it was just the right amount to be able to try the tea and share it with friends, without having too much leftover in case I didn’t like it.
In general, I like sampler packs because I get to try several flavors and only buy larger quantities of the ones I actually like. So, what were they like?
Pomegranate Grove
Pomegranate Grove was a fruity, caffeine-free tea. It contains apple pieces, rosehips, hibiscus, cinnamon, ginger, pomegranate flavoring, rose petals, raspberry, and orange. Although it had so many ingredients, it lacked flavor and was a little weak.
Christmas Tea
This Christmas tea was great! It was black tea with cinnamon, orange, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. It tasted kind of like chai but with orange added. Great with milk or without.
Rooibos Nutcracker
Rooibos Nutcracker was my #1 favorite Christmas tea that I tried! Inside was rooibos tea, apple pieces, cocoa nibs,?caramel flavor, hazelnut flavor, chestnut flavor, and blue cornflowers. It was like toasty rooibos with what tasted like walnuts to me. Earthy, toasty, complex, and caffeine-free! Not mention, the blend was so pretty!
Yuletide Toddy
Yuletide Toddy was ok, but it didn’t exude Christmas to me. This blend contains rosehips, hibiscus, apple, orange, and warming spices. It tasted mostly like hibiscus tea with some apple chunks and spices. Hibiscus is more of a spring/summer tea to me, and I am just a little sick of dried apples in things especially after the Fall Baking Mix Showdown.
Adagio Tea Christmas Tea Sampler
The Adagio Tea Christmas Tea Sampler is similar to the Winter Tea Sampler, but has four new seasonal flavors. The same amount of tea is in each bag, so you can still make about 10 cups of each flavor:
- chestnut – A comforting reminder of the season of giving, perfect to share with a few close friends. [High caffeine]
- gingerbread – Both Gingerbread men and women agree: this unique tea is the perfect addition to any house (gingerbread or regular). [High caffeine]
- candy apple – A taste reminiscent of the carnival favorite with sweet caramel and fresh apple notes. [High caffeine]
- candy cane – This wonderfully smooth, minty treat will fill you with Christmas spirit. [High caffeine]
Source: adagio.com
This sampler was the same price and had four additional flavors in it. So in total, I got to try 8 seasonal tea blends for $28! I’m glad I bought both of these samplers because I liked some flavors from each.
Chestnut
Love love loved this tea! I love the flavor of chestnut; it’s so festive! This was simply black tea with natural chestnut flavor, and it tasted amazing. It was just warm, cozy, and nutty. Similar to the Starbucks Chestnut Praline Latte, if you’ve tried that.
Gingerbread
The Gingerbread black tea was very similar to the Christmas tea in the Winter Tea Sampler. Black tea with spices like cinnamon, orange, and ginger, plus gingerbread flavor. It was a tasty but a little weak. I had it with milk but I found that the milk suppressed the flavor a little bit. This would be a good black tea to drink without milk
Candy Apple
Candy Apple tea is black tea with dried apple pieces, candy apple flavoring, and cinnamon. Not my favorite. The apple flavoring tasted a bit fake and the cinnamon didn’t seem like it really fit here.
Candy Cane
Candy Cane tea was good, but maybe a little too strong. It contains black tea with candy cane pieces, candy cane flavoring, and peppermint leaves. Tasty and minty, but after a few sips it started to taste a little like toothpaste to me. I had it without milk and I’m not sure if adding milk would make it worse or neutralize it.
The Best Christmas Tea
Overall, I really liked the price point and presentation of the Adagio tea sampler packs. I’m glad I got to try all eight of their seasonal flavors. But if I could mix and match, I would make my own sampler with 2 flavors from each box: Christmas tea and Rooibos Nutcracker from the Adagio Tea Winter Tea Sampler plus Chestnut, and Gingerbread from the Adagio Tea Christmas Tea Sampler.
The way these samplers are packaged with about 10 cups-worth of each flavor, they are perfect for gifting. That way, if?they don’t like the flavor, they’re not stuck with a ton of it. If they do like, There’s enough to enjoy more than once, and they can just order more of that flavor when it’s done.
Do you have a favorite winter tea flavor? What other seasonal teas should I try out?
