Celestial Seasonings, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin

Celestial Seasonings Description:
"Just like big piles of pumpkins at roadside stands and perfectly baked pumpkin pies on kitchen tables, Sweet Harvest Pumpkin™ Holiday Black Tea in tea cups everywhere is a sure sign that the holidays are near. Featuring rich black tea, harvest-fresh pumpkin flavor and traditional spices like cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg plus a touch of natural sweetness, this festive blend is a delicious little slice of the season."

Ingredients:

Black Tea, Cinnamon, Ginger, Roasted Chicory, Natural Pumpkin Flavor With Other Natural Flavors (Soy Lecithin), Luo Han Guo, Cloves, Nutmeg, Natural Sweetener (Stevia Extract) and Pumpkin.

My Review:

The leaves are turning brilliant colors and covering the yard. The afternoon air has a chill.  Yep, it's fall here. We all know what that means. It's time to break out the fall teas. This one was actually the very first Celestial Seasonings tea I had tried. Apparently, I never reviewed it, so let's do it now.

The bags are packed inside the box in a kind of re-close-able bag, kind of. It doesn't really seal but is better than nothing. The bags themselves are stringless, tagless, and staple free. What that means is you are going to need a spoon to get the hot bag out of the cup.

Dry, the bag smells intensely of spicy pumpkin pie filling. Mmmmmm. I used lightly boiling water and steeped for..... uhm..... a long time. Probably 5 minutes. I was watching the season premiere of Grimm, and got a bit distracted. 

The cup did not suffer with the long steep. It was not bitter and I could actually taste the black tea base. It was nothing amazing, it is just that flavored bagged teas often overpower the actual tea. I was pleased.

The taste does not quite live up to the promise of the scent. Where as the dry aroma is unmistakably pumpkin, the cup is more pumpkin spice chai. The pumpkin just kind of gets lost. Even so, this is very tasty and pretty sweet (contains Stevia). 

This is one of the better bagged teas of the type. Honestly, I have never had a pumpkin pie tea that lived up to my expectation. Then again I have never put a dollop of Cool Whip on top either. So maybe it is my own fault.

Pumpkin tea check. Christmas teas will soon appear on the shelves, then I'm ready for spring.  

Celestial Seasonings, Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride

Celestial Seasonings Description:
"This cheerful holiday blend will warm your heart with the inviting aroma and delightfully simple taste of freshly baked sugar cookies straight from the oven. Like all of our teas, Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride has no refined sweeteners or added sugars — giving you a guilt-free way to partake freely in the pleasures of the season."

Ingredients:
Milk thistle, roasted barley, orange peel, natural sugar cookie flavor with other natural flavors and vanilla bean.

My Review:
After being blown away by Candy Cane Lane I commented that I would have to find this one, so my tea friend gmathis sent some Sleigh Ride bags my way. Her preference with this one is to use two bags in each cup. Instead I am going to try it in my tiny 6oz cup with one bag. If I mess it up, I get a few more tries at getting it right.

I can’t imagine anyone (at least in the western sugar addicted world) not smiling when they smell this stuff in the bag or brewing. Almost makes you want to check to see if the oven is on. They absolutely nail the aroma of sugar cookies.

The taste of my first attempt didn't make me think sugar cookie as much as butterscotch. I looked up recipes for both and they seem to use the same basic ingredients in differing amounts. Well, I recall sugar cookies used white sugar and butterscotch uses brown. Anyway, I think this has too much buttery flavor for sugar cookies. It is really good, just different than the aroma suggests. My granddad always had butterscotch disc candy around when we would visit. So bonus points for memories.

On my second attempt I used one bag and a 12 oz mug. Of course it turned out much weaker (a little too weak) but I thought overall it had a truer sugar cookie taste. I did add a packet of Splenda. I am glad I have multiple bags of this. I am still looking for that sweet spot of water to bag.

Next, I tried this in an 8 oz cup. I heated the water to heavily steaming, but not boiling. The steep time was about 3 minutes. I must say this tastes magically like sugar cookies. I have definitely found the method that works for me and I will definitely own a box of this the moment I find it on the local shelves.

I admit having avoided Celestial Seasonings for years. I thought the boxes were too cutesy to be taken seriously. I believe I am going to have to reconsider. Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride makes for a fun cup and I can definitely see why it is a holiday favorite. Me, I just happen to like cookies any time of year.

According to Bonnie, also from Steepster (and an awesome story teller), you can buy this year round directly from Celestial Seasonings. I also found it on Amazon available in a six pack. Christmas year round. Woot!

Celestial Seasonings, Candy Cane Lane

Celestial Seasonings Description:
"This delectable holiday blend starts with naturally decaffeinated green tea and adds unmistakable seasonal flavors like cool peppermint, creamy vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. Candy canes have been cherished symbols of holiday spirit for centuries, and Candy Cane Lane® is sure to become a festive and healthy tradition at your celebrations!"

Ingredients:
Peppermint, decaffeinated green tea, orange peel, natural vanilla and mint flavors with other natural flavors, cinnamon, milk thistle, blackberry leaves, roasted carob, roasted chicory and vanilla bean.

My Review:
OK, what gives? It's not Christmas. Heck, I can't even claim Christmas in July. Oh well, I have read rave reviews of this one for ages. I stumbled on a box, left over from the holidays, and I knew I had to have it.

Removing the outer wrap and opening the box reveals an inner waxed coated looking bag. Opening the bag, my senses are filled with a blast of peppermint. It reminds me of little peppermint candies that come in a roll. I can nearly smell the peppermint dust in the bottom of the roll. I sure hope this isn't too overwhelming.

The bags are tagless and stringless. They are joined two bags to a sheet. Removing one, I placed it in the cup and pour on nearly boiling water. The brew is golden and turns darker as the cup cools. I left the bag in the cup just because I could. It never got bitter. I added a packet of Splenda. Come on, its candy tea. It's supposed to be sweet.

This stuff is seriously awesome. The peppermint strong but somehow just right. The icy blast is followed by just a touch of vanilla. Enough to add a creamy texture late in the sip. I can only barely make out the cinnamon, but I think it works as support to the cup. I only detect the green tea in the aftertaste. I am not sure what the other ingredients add as I can't separate them out but they are surely there for a reason.

If you are looking for a flavorful green tea with some background flavoring, this isn't it. If you are looking for a candy adventure in a cup without the calories, this is the cup for you. This seriously lives up to the hype. You can probably find it at your local grocery store - during the holidays or maybe you can stumble upon a box out of season like I did. Now if I could only find a box of Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride....

Celestial Seasonings, Sleepytime Extra

Celestial Seasonings Description:
Nothing promotes physical and mental well being like a restful evening. So if you’re wondering how to sleep better or just looking for something to help you unwind, try a cup of Sleepytime Extra®. This relaxing and delicious herbal tea starts with the time-honored blend of chamomile, spearmint and other soothing herbs found in our beloved Sleepytime herbal tea. We then add valerian, trusted as a natural sleep aid since the days of the Greeks and Romans because of its mild sedative properties. The result is a tea with the trusted calming effect and great taste of Sleepytime, plus just a little “extra” to help you rest.

Ingredients:
Spearmint, Chamomile, Tilia Estella, Valerian, West Indian Lemongrass, Hawthorn and Orange blossoms.

My Review:
So I had the television on for noise. It was on the Food Channel. A show called Unwrapped was on. I wasn't paying attention until I heard the word 'tea'. Huh? What? The segment was on Celestial Seasonings and how they pioneered the marketing of herbal teas. Sleepytime is their top selling tea. I found it interesting to see the lemongrass used in Sleepytime comes in bales. The show caused me to pick up a box of Sleepytime Extra. It is the same herbal product as Sleepytime with the addition of valerian root.

Upon opening the box I was meet with an inner self sealing storage bag containing the paper 'tea' bags. They are joined two together. Not sure why. I was a little afraid I would tear into the contents pulling them apart - but I did not.

The dry scent is spearmint. I used boiling water and steeped about 3 minutes then spooned the bag out, as there is no string or tag. The aroma of the cup is still mainly mint. I have read reviews that said this smells medicinal. I did not get that impression.

The taste is first mint, but well behaved. This is followed by the lemongrass. This is another example of flavors I would not have used together but it works. Look at that, me liking a spearmint herbal. The mint and lemon are the only distinct flavors I can pick out of the cup. I did add Splenda and that may be masking other flavors. What I can say is I do not taste the apple like notes of chamomile or the light bitterness of valerian. I thought it was a pleasant nighttime taste.

Did it knock me out? No, but it did relax me. I could definitely feel its affect. It helped my mind shut down allowing me to fall asleep naturally. I woke up 8 hours later feeling refreshed. I hope it does the same for you.

An update as I post - I normally do not recommend leaving the bag in the cup but since this is an herbal, go ahead as in won't hurt anything. If you leave the bag, towards the end of the cup you can begin to lightly taste the valerian. It is not unpleasant and adds another layer of interest to the cup.