Name: Mercedes Apple Spice

Brand: English Tea Store

Type: Herbal infusion (tisane)

Form: Loose leaf

Review: If you are an apple pie fan, Mercedes Apple Spice may well become your next favorite tisane. If you don’t like either, pass this one by.

The English Tea Store notes that the apple flavor in this tisane is “intense”. That is putting it mildly. The blend is chock-full of of dried apple bits and the resulting tisane tastes profoundly “apple-y”. It also boasts a strong cinnamon kick. A bit of hibiscus adds some sweet-tart notes as well. This is not one of those cloying fruit tisanes that leaves you guessing as to what fruits actually make up the blend: This is all about the apple, so if you like apple cider or juice, but not their calories, check out Mercedes Apple Spice as it just may prove to be a good substitute.

Preparation Tips: Mercedes Apple Spice contains both hibiscus and cinnamon, both of which can be troublesome (but for different reasons) when it comes to brewing. Hibiscus often dominates blends, making them too tart, but you can prevent this by not over-steeping the tisane. Instead, use boiling water for a quick flavor extraction and allow to steep for no more than five minutes. If you want stronger flavor, use more leaf.

Cinnamon is problematic because its scent is very hard to remove from teaware. Brew this tisane using metal, coated ceramic or glass teaware and then scrub the teaware thoroughly after use. You may also want to use disposable T-Sac filters instead of standard teaware.

Serving Tips: This is definitely a tisane for experimentation. If you drink alcohol, try making a toddy from Mercedes Apple Spice by adding a bit of bourbon or whiskey to your cup. You may also want to try it as a punch base.

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