Orange Spice Black (Stash)

Friday is Black Tea, Floral Tea, Fruit Tea, Chai and Pu’erh Review Day!

I’ll state for the record, I don’t tend to frequently purchase teas by companies which don’t offer them as loose. This is largely because loose teas offer a much more robust and intricate flavor since the leaves have more room to expand than if enclosed in a tea bag or sachet. I made an exception. 😉

Quick Info
FAB* Rating	2/3/4
Company	Stash Tea
Blend Name	Orange Spice
Blend Base	Black Tea
Country of Origin	USA
Package Type	Tea Bags
Price per Package	$4.59 USD via Amazon
Quantity	20 tea bags
*Flavor, Aroma, Boldness

Stash is a well known American brand popularly stocked in grocery stores. I can’t knock brands carried in the grocery as they’re what helped me identify with tea in the first place and they’re what most Americans identify tea as. That being said, Stash does offer loose teas via their own website and via Amazon. However, Stash also isn’t my first choice when I look at the shelves for something interesting or innovative from creative retail minds.

Stash’s Orange Spice black tea caught my eye for more than just having a brightly colored box. The hope of a well balanced ‘spiced’ tea available in the grocery was an exciting thought. So, I grabbed a box of it.

The inclusion of cinnamon is very evident in this blend. It’s combination with other lighter spices only seem to make this fact more apparent, especially towards the tail. Any blend with cinnamon will be rather aromatic. It’s a consequence I can live with, since I happen to enjoy cinnamon… but for those who don’t be aware it’s omnipresent.

The flavor isn’t bad but I could tell the balance was a tad bit off. the Orange Spice was also a bit bolder than I’d have preferred acting more aggressively than I’d anticipated. This specific blend seems to dry the palette more and more as you drink it. This made wanting a second cup, a deffinite no-go for me.