As you may recall, during my last review I mentioned I recently found myself longing for summer similar to the way I pine for Santa’s mythical sleigh to skim the treetops as he makes his way across the sky in the wintertime. As I was choosing the next tea in my delicious arsenal to review, I got to thinking- pshhh, waiting for Santa? I can have Christmas whenever I flippin’ want! Time for some of Tippy’s Tea’s North Pole Estate!

As I pulled out the tea packet, I found myself excited and intrigued to see just what it would be like to indulge in drinkable Christmas cheer in the middle of a particularly sunny and warm English day. The dried leaves carry the sweet scent of cinnamon, and with it, happy memories- that comforting potpourri smell my grandma’s house always seemed to have, the magic of walking into one of those beautiful old shops that sells Christmas decorations year round- to name just a few. The scent makes me long for the simple pleasures of the holiday season, and simpler times in general. 🙂

Brewing Temperature: 100 C

Leaf Amount/Steep Time: 1 tbsp per 400 mL of water/3 minutes

My first sip had the bold taste of cinnamon with a faint hint of dark chocolate as well. The characteristic taste of the base Assam tea is also delightfully present, and admittedly I mini fist-pumped when I correctly identified it before formally checking the ingredients list. There’s a sweet cherry-like aftertaste, with no apparent astringency.

While North Pole Estate is very satisfying on its own, I can imagine it being a lovely accompaniment to some gingerbread cookies or any other kind of Christmas sweet. I was impressed with the way Tippy’s has paired the natural flavor of the Assam Keemun base blend with the added flavors in a way that allows them to all be expressed in the brew.

Let it be known, the warming powers of this tea are not to be underestimated- after a few cups of this blend I felt like I had a giant winter coat on indoors and was practically sweating. North Pole Estate may not be the most appropriate drink for Christmas in July- er.. May, but would make sublime sipping while watching the snowflakes fall in the dead of winter. Pesky polar vortexes don’t stand a chance!