Tea Review: Starry Night

Thirsty Thursday #8

Capital Teas

Starry Night

Kaya, Kirsten, both

Today we're going to look at Capital Teas' Starry Night blend.

And we're doing something slightly different.
Is that why we have two teapots?
Yep.
Cool.
We're going to review a steep and a re-steep in the same day.
Nice!

The Starry Night blend includes black tea, cinnamon, star anise, and orange slices.

Slices?
Yeah, take a look!

Neat!
Smells great!

Oh, yeah!

The big pieces of orange and star anise make it a little difficult to measure, but I was able to get a tablespoon of fresh for the clear pot.

And my measure for re-steeping is ready to go. Just have to add water.

I've added the water to mine. Xyra said her initial steep on this was 4 minutes, so I'm going to add 1 more and re-steep for 5 minutes. Timer...go!

I've added water to mine and am setting the timer for 4 minutes. Go! (giggles)

[Time passes. One timer beeps...second timer beeps.]

Done!
Nice color for the tea.

You can't see mine as well, but it does smell lovely.

Yes, mine does too. (giggles)

Next to each other you can see the first and second steeping have similar color to them.

First Time Plain
Oh, yum! This barely needs anything added to it. The orange and star anise sweeten it nicely and the flavors blend well with the cinnamon.

Yeah, you get a hint of all three. I wonder how it would taste sweetened?

Well, what should we try?
You know, I think honey is best for this one.
Yeah, and no milk.
Absolutely. There is no doubt with those orange slices in the blend.

Second Time Honey
Wow! Tasty!

Like the drizzle on a bundt cake...just enough icing without being too much.

Yeah. The honey glues the blend together.
But you wouldn't need it.
Right.

Re-Steep Plain
This is nice too. A bit lighter flavor than in the first steeping.

Yeah, but still well rounded and lovely. You can pick out all the different notes.

You can definitely re-steep this blend at least once.

I have a feeling Gramma Enne wouldn't like this one. The anise is prominent in aroma and taste.

True.

If you like anise, orange, and cinnamon then you'd like this blend. 

The flavors mingle nicely in the cup whether you take it plain or sweet. Plus you can steep it more than once.

Xyra's Notes

• The big bits of orange and star anise were a shock and make measuring tricky, but you can see the blend has "fresh" ingredients and not just added "flavors."
• The second steeping resulted in a weaker cup, but the notes were still evident and tasty.
• The little green pot holds more than it looks like it would. I was able to try this over ice as well. Superb as iced tea. Fresh, clean, crisp flavor.
• The information section on the Starry Night page mentions the Van Gogh painting. I chose this blend because it reminded me of my dear friend, Rhone Cow.

Happy sipping!

Note: [Oops! I've forgotten this piece on our last few reviews.] Tea Time with Melody Q is not affiliated with American Girl or Capital Teas. The tea reviewed was purchased online for our collection. The review is unsolicited and comprised of our own words and honest opinions. All links provided are for educational and informative purposes; no purchase is required.

#CapitalTeasStarryNight