If two words could describe this product, they are "unexpected complexity." As with the other recent Benner ratings, this one came from a 2025 holiday gift pack that apparently has a limited run, though some of these teas have appeared before and may again.

The dry-bag aroma was weak and mostly fruity (pear), but with the base tea detectable and the cinnamon fairly faint. Then things switched around! The in-cup aroma is the most-balanced element, with cinnamon and pear pretty much even, but elements of nutmeg (not a listed ingredient) occasionally getting through. Then the taste was still different than that, and the aftertaste different still! Curiously, the more I sweetened this tea, the more prominent the cinnamon flavor, with pear there but solidly secondary. The aftertaste was almost jasmine-like, or some similar floral element, even though this is not a jasmine green.

None of these aromas nor flavors were particularly intense across the board. If this were a stronger blend, it would be really exotic and definitely unique, like something one would expect from a new loose-leaf blend in an artisan-tea shop, but also, would overwhelm the base tea. So even though it was not a very strongly flavored tea by any stretch, it seemed to have a lot going on, and was weirdly complex for an inexpensive bagged tea, without being overly disjointed or incompatible on the detectable flavors. It's well worth a try if one can obtain some.

Add your own review

Login or Sign Up to comment on this review.