The dry leaf for this tea smells so, so good. It smells like everything i’d hoped Santa’s secret would smell like but didn’t. I found Santa’s secret to taste like a very generic, mint black tea. I also didn’t like the peppermint in it—it seemed rather sharp, a bit grating on the throat, and just unremarkable in the grand scheme of things.
I found it interesting that DT suggests a brew time between four and seven minutes, because despite liking a strong black tea, I wouldn’t steep most for seven minutes. I steeped this one for five, and imagine I might like it at four, even.
This tea still tastes creamier than Santa’s secret, and I find the mint to taste a bit more muted and gentle. I don’t really get any coconut at all, although maybe a distant hint of butterscotch or, as variaTea suggested, dark fudge—something is lurking around in the distant leaves, that’s for sure. I got a little too much base, which I didn’t find jived well with the creaminess I was hoping to elicit, so that’s why i’m hoping a shorter steep time will result in a creamier cup. Overall, I’m not blown away, but I do find I enjoy it more than Santa’s secret, and I’m happy to try it again.
At least the name is cute :-)
Oh yeah, the name is adoreable!