Twinings: Apple, Cinnamon & Raisin Tea

I have to admit that when I think of tea, fruit tea isn't in the forefront of my mind. I do like fruit tea, but it tends to have to be of a very good quality (Bluebirds Strawberry Lemonade is my favourite, and one not to be missed!) and normally I just tend to avoid it as it usually lacks any type of oomph.

But, on a recent tea shopping trip in London I stumbled on a tea that I've wanted to try for ages and simply not been able to get my hands on. This tea was Twinings Apple, Cinnamon & Raisin Tea.

This is a tea that in the UK isn't readily available. It's actually part of Twinings International range and in the UK is only available in their shop on the Strand or online, though abroad it could be a bit more easily available.

This evening I decided to make a cup in a new mug. This mug was purchased during my recent visit to London's Her Majesty's Theatre to see Phantom Of The Opera. It's a magic mug, when hot water is added the Phantom's mask appears, when the tea cools or when the cup is empty his mask disappears!

Apple, Cinnamon and Raisin Tea is a wonderfully aromatic tea. It fills the air with a simple sweetness, and instantly reminds me of apple pie. For a weight watcher this is brilliant. It's like having a traditional, nanna baked dessert without any of the naughty points! The aroma swirls around the kitchen, it's simply delightfully scented.

Each individual flavour makes this tea special. It reminds me of building bricks, the flavours have a foundation, a middle layer and a top layer. And each flavour develops with each sip.

Firstly, you get the very strong flavour of the apple. It's extremely refreshing and though this could possibly be considered a autumnal tea, as my friend Julie just pointed out, it's equally brilliant for summer time. The apple is mouthwatering, very fragrant and I will happily admit that one thing Twinings do very well is apple based tea. It tastes very natural indeed.

The raisin is the second flavour that comes through for me. It's very rich and warming and it's as if there are acutal plump, tasty raisins in your cup. It's a very well balanced flavour that compliments the apple perfectly. The sweetness of the raisin balances out the slightly sharp apple flavour, making for a nicely satisfying tea.

And after the sweet flavours of the apple and raisin you get a slightly sharp aftertaste of cinnamon that packs a punch.

All the flavours happily compliment each other.

But the star of the show has to be the apple flavour and even after the cup of tea has long been demonished (and you're thinking of making a second!) the apple flavour remains, fruity and inviting.

This tea could be considered seasonal. It's perfect for those autumn nights, and I could just imagine handing cups of this around on Bonfire Night or Halloween. But, strangely, it's great for this time of year, too. It's light and refreshing and incredibly moreish. It's just delicious.

I will never be the worlds biggest fruit tea fan. I like my tea to be a bit more full bodied. But this tea is one of the exceptions. I can't say how lovely it is, how well the flavours are blended, and how comforting this tea is. I was really, really impressed and when I'm next on the Strand I will certainly be buying a box, or two, or maybe even six or seven!