I'm a big fan of Twinings for solid, basic tea. In years past, their Winter Spice herbal (http://www.twiningsusashop.com/winter-spice.html) has been a nice mellow tisane. This year, however, it seems to have taken a steep fall-off in quality.
It's supposed to be a blend of apple and camomile, with hints of cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. In earlier years, it's been a bright, sunny and warm cuppa, slightly suggestive of apple strudel but not overly sweet. It was a great match for winter baking, with the cinnamon notes carrying through.
Unfortunately, the two cups I just made have tasted like hot water that has been passed vaguely in the vicinity of an apple and then shown some camomile flowers. They were nasty and insipid. I'm terribly disappointed. Maybe I got a very old box and the tisane has aged too much to brew well. Maybe Twinings is "reformulating" again, which never goes well for them. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2030922/Earl-Grey-drinkers-dismiss-new-recipe-affront-tea.html)
Putting two teabags into my mug has made the tea palatable, but still a shadow of its former self. Throwing out tea is anathema in most cases, but this one has got to go.
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