Adagio's Candy Cane Black Tea

I've been crushing candy canes and pouring them into tea since at least high school age.  In college, this particular hit of sugar and caffeine got me through many a winter final exam.  Therefore, when my sampler pack gave me Adagio's Candy Cane black tea, I looked forward to seeing what they'd do with the idea.

Ingredients: Black Tea, Candy Cane Pieces, Natural Candy Cane Flavor & Peppermint Leaves

Brewing Instructions: Steep at 212° for 3 minutes.

Whelp, it's exactly what it says on the tin.  I'm not sure what "natural candy cane flavor" is apart from sugar and some sort of mint.  It's a mystery.

The tea is good, very minty, with a bit of sweetness that is just enough for me but likely not enough for those who like sweetened tea.   It doesn't need the full 3 minute brew - I find closer to 2 minutes to be a better balance of mint and tea.  The 3 minute steep puts the mint level higher than I prefer.  

The real question is whether it's better than just crushing candy canes into tea I already have in the house.  Not really.  It's equally as good, but that also probably depends on the quality of your tea and your candy canes.  The main advantage of going with this brew is that both the tea quality and the candy cane quality seem to be high.  And it's a bit less sticky to clean out of your cup.

I'd rate this good enough to spend money on once a year.