Tonsillitis!!
I know, it's wonderful. And over my boyfriend's birthday too. One night at his house turned into three when I was too sick to trek home, and I commandeered his air-conditioned room while exiling him to the stuffy guest room so I could keep my fever in check. After two days of hermitage (his father is going through chemotherapy, so I had to avoid the rest of his family for fear of infecting them) I was finally able to drive myself home this morning. When I finally arrived home, my throat was aching dryly and all I wanted, despite the horrific temperature and worse humidity, was a cup of hot tea.
That's when I turned to my new pack of Black Celebration tea from My SpecialTea. I bought at Mars New York, a Zakka store in the Mistuwa plaza when I went the other day. It smelled rich and spicy, a quality I'm always a sucker for when it comes to tea, so I bought a bag. At $10 for 15 servings, it was a nice price for loose tea, which I always have a problem locating in my area anyway. It's really a beautiful tea; it has orange peel, dried papaya, and cornflowers blended in with it, among other things, which really make it very visually appealing.
Unfortunately, the brewed tea was not exactly what I was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, it was light and refreshing and very tasty, but I had expected something with more depth of flavor- something more like a chai. I tasted it after steeping about two or three minutes (as recommended on the bag), five minutes (as personal experience dictates best for loose black teas), and ten minutes (as a last resort), and the tea really didn't get any deeper or darker. Mixed with honey, the light, flowery tea was very tasty and wonderful on my sore throat, and when I let it get cool to simulate an iced application it was even more soothing. I suppose it was just my expectations that prevented me from enjoying it as much as I could have.All in all, I'd give the tea a 4/5 because I prefer my spiced teas spicier. This is just my own nitpicking, though: I'm sure anyone else would love this tea, and I definitely recommend it!
Also, the Lumpy Loves You giveaway is now officially CLOSED! Thank you all for participating! The winner will be announced later this week.
