Leaf Tea Shop: Autumn Fire

It's quite odd to be reviewing a tea entitled Autumn Fire in April, just when the British weather is calming down. The snow and cold weather has hopefully gone, the sun and warmer temperatures are on their way. However, as I was treating myself to a hot cross bun this morning - a Be Good To Yourself one, naturally, - the lovely flavour of mixed spices immediately reminded me of something and after rifling through my tea box, I found the tea I was thinking of.

That tea is Autumn Fire by Leaf Tea Shop. This gorgeous little gem was handpicked for me to try but the wonderful and talented team at teatourist.

It's more than fair to say that I absolutely adore autumn and winter when it comes to tea, at least. I love how warming and comforting the tea's become as we head into the colder months. Everything is blended with tasty spices with subtle floral or fruity flavours. The tea is indulgent, rich, moreish and perfectly reflects those autumnal and winter events; bonfire night, carol singing, firework displays and the joy of coming home to such tasty teas is part of the fun.

However, due to the ingredients of this blend which are: black tea, cinnamon, orange peel, rose blossom and almonds, this could also be perfect for Easter. This reminds me as much of hot cross buns as it does Christmas cake, so it's a perfect all rounder, despite it's name.

The aroma of this blend is simply gorgeous and it strikes you immediately. The main scent is of the orange but the sweetness of the cinnamon does come through - it is truly mouthwatering. In fact, as I sit here in bed blogging, I had left the tea in my bedroom whilst I nipped to the loo, and when I came back the whole room was filled with a glorious fruity scent that immediately took me back to Christmas when all the shops were full of wonderfully scented candles. It was a really lovely experience to walk back in the room and be greeted by such a aroma.

The base tea used in this blend in Ceylon black tea. I have had the luxury of drinking plenty of tea from Sri Lanka recently, and I'm really loving it smooth and delicious taste. As the norm with Ceylon tea the leaves are really, really dark and are always striking to look at. But the orange peel and red rose blossoms add vibrant splashes of colour, much like fireworks against a black winter night sky.

So far this tea was perfectly suited to my senses. How would it taste though?

I filled my infuser with a generous amount of tea and let the blend brew for four minutes. The information on the card that came with the tea said three to five so I went for one in the middle. For me, it was lovely but next time I think I will try for the full five minutes. As this is a black tea it's perfectly fine to use boiling water but always make sure you use freshly drawn water.

From the very first sip I realised that this is a tea that will take you on journey with each sip. Some teas, when you take a sip you are hit, face on, with the flavour. This tea though, and partly why I love it so much, is that the flavour develops through the sip. So the taste is very different at the start of the sip then when you swallow the tea. It's interesting and keeps you on your toes.

I suppose, not surprisingly, the first flavour that comes through is the sweet cinnamon. Cinnamon, especially hot in tea, is a strong flavour. So its the first to come through and I loved how it's spiciness dotted around on my tongue, making it feel slightly prickly. This tea has a texture as well as a lovely scent and wonderful flavour. The addition of the cinnamon makes this tea warming and tasty and, after a stressful period, which I have been going through recently, very comforting and relaxing.

There is a very slight twang midway through the sip which I think comes from the orange. The orange isn't sweet, like you'd get from a clementine, it's rather, not bitter exactly but sharp. So that sharpness is a nice contrast to the sweet cinnamon. The two work well together balancing well and making a very even and well blended tea.

I will admit that I didn't detect much from the rose blossom, but I think it's one of those things that had it not been added the tea would of tasted completely different. Maybe because the cinnamon and orange are so strong that they do cancel out the most delicate of flavours.

Towards the end of the sip there is a slight marzipan taste coming through from the addition of almonds. It does remind me a little of cherry bakewell cakes.

As with many tea's blended for winter, there are also cloves added as well which brings a familiar taste to this tea.

Overall this is a really well balanced and blended tea. I was sad to not be able to detect the floral element, however, that doesn't detract from the fact that this is a damn fine cup of tea. I am so impressed with it. It's a shame that I only have it in sample size, so I probably have enough left for another couple of cups of tea which is a huge shame - but it has been added to my list of teas to buy. Thankfully, it still seems to be available on the companies website.

I love how this tea perfectly reflects autumn - which is my favourite time of year. Everything that is nice is reflected in a single cup of tea. It's warming and comforting and also interesting and refreshing. It's familiar and at the same time, due to it's wonderful blending, new and exciting. It's a tea that can be enjoyed whilst snuggling down, yet light and refreshing enough to sit and admire the lighter evenings.

Despite it's name it is a all rounder of a tea.

This is the first tea I've tried from Leaf Tea Shop and I'm hugely impressed with it. I'm very much looking forward to having a look around their elegant and modern website to see what other delights they have on offer.  Already I have my eye on their Blood Orange and Baked Apple! They sound so scrummy!

I look forward to reviewing more of their blends on Laura's Tea Room.