Thursday, February 14, 2019

Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice vs. Hot Apple Spice


Whenever I remember to check my blog stats, there is one post that always comes out on top, an old review of Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice tea. This is Harney's best selling tea, and in my review I was surprised to learn that it contains artificial flavors. Turns out that many of you were surprised as well, and sounded off in the comments section. I was content to leave it all at that, until I had the pleasure of attending a tea and cheese tasting at The French Cheese Board with tea pairings from none other than Harney & Sons. Emeric Harney, grandson of founder John Harney was on hand to discuss the teas they served along with the delicious cheeses. During the event he happened to mention Hot Cinnamon Spice, and how it contains natural and artificial flavors. Well, at that point I knew I had to tell him about my post, and ask him what he thought.

Hot Cinnamon Spice- The Redemption
After I gathered up the courage to discuss this controversial post, Emeric was a great sport and explained why they keep the artificial flavor, which I will discuss in a bit. He also thought it would be fun to have me compare two teas that are very similar- the Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice (HCS) and Hot Apple Spice (HAS). These two teas have similar main ingredients, but the HCS contains artificial flavors, and the HAS does not. I decided to do a thorough tasting of both teas and see how they compare and contrast. 


Harney & Sons Hot Cinnamon Spice vs. Hot Apple Spice
Looking at the blends of each tea, they are almost identical. Above, you'll see a photo of both. On first glance, it's almost impossible to tell the difference! I had to be very careful when preparing each pot of tea to make sure I didn't confuse them. They both contain black tea leaves, although the HAS looks like it has a bit more dust, but that is likely from the ground spices. Both teas have pieces of orange peel and the HAS has apple pieces as well, but on initial glance it's tough to tell what is orange and what is apple (on closer inspection it's easy to see the difference). 

Here are the ingredients for each: HCS: black tea, orange peel, cinnamon, cloves. Contains natural & artificial flavors. HAS: black tea, orange peel, cinnamon flavor, ground cinnamon, apple pieces, apple flavor, cinnamon pieces, ground cloves. Contains natural flavors. 

Hot Cinnamon Spice vs. Hot Apple Spice- The Assessment
The brewed teas have similarities and differences. For the dry leaf, HCS has a very strong cinnamon aroma that takes center stage, while the HAS has cinnamon along with a mellow apple aroma. The citrus is a bit more present in HAS as well. The brewed teas also have a similar flavor profile, but the overall effect is different. The HCS is a wallop of cinnamon with slight citrus and clove notes. But cinnamon and sweetness was what I detected most. There is also a strange lingering aftertaste which I'll say is from the artificial flavor. The HAS definitely has the cinnamon, citrus and cloves, but a juicy apple flavor calms the spice a bit. Both teas have a good level of sweetness as well.  Both teas have the same preparation instructions (1 teaspoon per cup with boiling water, steep for 5 minutes). 

To get more feedback on the teas, I decided to poll a few different people with a blind tasting. A few family members along with the Office Tea Club were given a cup of each tea, and they didn't know which was which. They tasted them side by side, and gave honest opinions. The results were very mixed! My family all preferred the Hot Apple Spice, while the OTC members were split between the two different teas. 

So, I have to admit, I can understand why Hot Cinnamon Spice is such a popular tea. It has a super strong cinnamon punch that is spicy and sweet. It's a nice tea for the colder months. Personally, I find the cinnamon flavor to be a bit overpowering, and as one Office Tea Club agreed, it leaves a bit of a strange, lingering aftertaste. I find myself preferring the Hot Apple Spice, as it's a little bit more balanced and nuanced in flavor.

Hot Cinnamon Spice- The Artificial Ingredients Explained
Emeric mentioned to me that even though the HCS has artificial flavors, there are no added sweeteners, artificial or otherwise. The cinnamon extract and cloves they use are sweet on the tongue. In my aforementioned blog post, Emeric noticed a commenter mentioned Harney's uses cinnamic acid in the HCS, which actually isn't the case. The commentator had talked to a Harney & Sons customer service representative who gave them them incorrect information. Per Emeric:
While one of the cinnamons we are using is artificial, it's not cinnamic acid, it's not a pre-cursor to sweetners of any kind, but rather just an artificial cinnamon flavor that tastes sweet in combination with the other sweet ingredients in the tea (sweet cloves, orange peel).

Emeric also told me Harney & Sons chooses to keep the artificial flavor in the blend for a really good reason- the consumers love the blend as it is, and they don't want to see it changed! It turns out Harney's has tried to change the formula to a more natural one, but there was major backlash from customers. Since Harney's is aware many customers look for a more natural alternative, Hot Apple Spice is the tea to recommend.

The Conclusion
As usual, tea preference is a personal choice. If  you're looking for a wave of cinnamon and don't mind artificial flavors, Hot Cinnamon Spice is for you. If you're like me and prefer your flavors a bit more balanced and muted, Hot Apple Spice will be your go-to. But perhaps you're like Emeric, and have a place in your tea cabinet for both. Whatever your preference, go with what you love, and enjoy!

6 comments:

  1. So fascinating! I didn't even know they had Hot Apple Spice but it is good to know that there is a natural flavoring alternative. It sounds like that one is much more up my alley. I know so many people who are raving fans of Hot Cinnamon Spice. It makes total sense that they wouldn't want to change it.

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    1. right? I totally agree! Better to add an alternative than to change what everyone loves.

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  2. For years, I've had customers ask if we could replicate Harney's Hot Cinnamon Spice Tea. We've tried many times but are unable to match the sweetness found in their blend. I'm embarrassed to say that my wife picks up several teabags every time we travel through a Delta Club. She even took it on a vacation to Hawaii where we sat down to breakfast next to a couple who were drinking HCS. I had a hard time convincing our new friends that I was a tea blender because my wife stashed Harney tea in her purse. Having been a longtime friend of the late John Harney, I know he would have gotten a kick out of that!

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    1. Oh, I love this story Bruce!! So funny! Thank you so much for sharing it. I admit to also stashing a few Harney tea bags while in the Delta Club (although not HCS) just in case, even though I always bring my own tea! Always good to have back-ups on hand while traveling.

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    2. ps- It's also an exciting day when the author of one of your favorite tea books comments on your blog post!! :)

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  3. Hi Sara! This is SUCH an interesting blog post. I am really interested in tasting the Hot Apple Spice tea now that you have introduced me to it!

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