Hot Cincinnati Spice Decaffeinated Black Tea

Our caffeine-conscious take on a beloved cinnamon-spice profile—bold decaffeinated Ceylon black tea layered with intense cinnamon, sweet clove, and bright orange, with no added sugar or sweetener.

The Experience

Hot Cincinnati Spice Decaffeinated Black Tea delivers an unusually bold cup for a decaf.

The blend starts with decaffeinated Ceylon black tea from Sri Lanka, then turns up the spice with three types of cinnamon, complemented by sweet clove and orange. The cinnamon is immediately aromatic and naturally gives the tea a remarkably sweet impression, while clove adds warming depth and orange provides just enough citrus brightness to keep the cup lively.

This tea is full-bodied, intensely cinnamon-forward, warming, and naturally sweet-tasting—without added sugar or sweetener. It's a customer favorite both hot and iced, and an especially good choice when you want a bold flavored black tea later in the day without the caffeine level of a traditional black tea.

Tasting Notes

Top: Intense cinnamon • Orange
Mid: Sweet clove • Warm spice
Finish: Cinnamon • Lingering sweetness • Citrus
Body: Full

Why You’ll Love It

• Exceptionally bold flavor for a decaffeinated tea
• Made with three types of cinnamon
• Warm sweet clove and bright orange complement the spice
• Naturally sweet-tasting with no added sugar or sweetener
• Full-bodied enough to satisfy traditional black-tea drinkers
• Delicious hot or iced
• A warming choice for fall and winter, but popular year-round
• A great option when you want less caffeine without choosing a delicate tea

Tea & Ingredients

Tea Type: Decaffeinated Flavored Black Tea
Base Tea: Decaffeinated Ceylon Black Tea
Origin: Sri Lanka
Flavor Profile: Cinnamon • Sweet Clove • Orange
Ingredients: Decaffeinated black tea, cinnamon, sweet cloves, orange
Added Sugar or Sweetener: None
Caffeine: Decaffeinated*
Body: Full

*Decaffeinated tea is not necessarily completely caffeine-free; small residual amounts of caffeine may remain after processing.

How to Brew

Use approximately 1 teaspoon per 8 oz / 237 ml of water at 212°F / 100°C and steep for 5 minutes.

This tea is intended to be bold, so a full five-minute infusion allows the cinnamon and clove to develop alongside the black tea.

Enjoy it straight to experience its remarkable natural sweetness, add a splash of milk for a creamier cinnamon-spice cup, or brew it stronger and pour over ice.

Perfect For

Hot Cincinnati Spice Decaf is particularly satisfying for cool mornings, cozy evenings, holiday gatherings, after-dinner tea, or anytime you're craving something sweet and warming without actually sweetening your tea. Pair it with apple pie, cinnamon rolls, shortbread, ginger cookies, chocolate, vanilla cake, oatmeal cookies, or toasted nuts.

Why Does It Taste So Sweet Without Sugar?

This is one of the most common questions customers have about a strongly cinnamon-forward tea. The important distinction is: Sweet-tasting does not necessarily mean sweetened.

Cinnamon contains aromatic compounds that our senses strongly associate with sweetness. When cinnamon is used generously—especially alongside naturally sweet-smelling clove and orange—the resulting aroma can make the tea seem surprisingly sweet even though no sugar or sweetener has been added.

That's part of what makes this blend so distinctive. Instead of tasting: Black tea → spice you experience something closer to: Intense cinnamon → perceived sweetness → clove → orange → warming cinnamon finish. For customers accustomed to adding sugar to flavored tea, we recommend tasting this one before sweetening it. You may find it doesn't need any.

Why Three Types of Cinnamon?

Cinnamon isn't a single uniform flavor. Different cinnamon varieties can emphasize different qualities—some sweeter and more aromatic, others deeper, warmer, or more assertive. Using three types of cinnamon creates a broader cinnamon profile than relying on one alone.

That's why this isn't simply a black tea with a light dusting of baking spice. Cinnamon is the central flavor. The orange and clove are there to give it dimension rather than compete with it.

Hot Cincinnati Spice vs. Traditional Chai

Although both are warming spiced black teas, they offer very different experiences.

• Hot Cincinnati Spice Decaf - Cinnamon • Sweet clove • Orange
  → Best for: intense cinnamon lovers who want a naturally sweet-tasting decaf
• Traditional Masala Chai - Cardamom • Ginger • Cinnamon • Pepper
  → Best for: customers looking for a more complex, savory-warming spice structure that's especially good with milk

Chai distributes attention among many spices. Hot Cincinnati Spice makes its priorities very clear: Cinnamon first.

A Note on the “Cincinnati” Name

The underlying cinnamon-orange-clove flavor profile is a well-loved style of spiced black tea. At Churchill's, Hot Cincinnati Spice gives that warming character a name connected to our own home and community.

It's particularly fitting for Cincinnati's colder months: intensely aromatic when brewed hot, comforting without needing added sugar, and bold enough to fill the room with cinnamon as it steeps. But don't put it away when winter ends. Brew it over ice and the same cinnamon, clove, and orange combination becomes a completely different experience.

Hot or Iced?

• Hot: Cinnamon feels warmer and deeper, while clove becomes more prominent.
  
• Iced: Orange becomes brighter and the naturally sweet impression can feel even more refreshing.

For iced tea, brew it stronger than usual before pouring over plenty of ice. Taste before adding sweetener—the cinnamon may already provide all the perceived sweetness you want.

Packaging: Our loose teas are sold by the ounce and packaged in food-grade resealable bags.

Explore Our Decaffeinated Black Teas

Hot Cincinnati Spice Decaffeinated Black Tea (This Tea)
Cinnamon • Sweet clove • Orange
→ Best for: maximum flavor, warming spice, and a surprisingly sweet-tasting cup without added sugar

English Breakfast Decaffeinated Black Tea
Floral • Apricot • Balanced
→ Try next if: you want a traditional unflavored breakfast-style decaf

Earl Grey Classic Decaffeinated Black Tea
Bergamot • Citrus • Classic
→ Try next if: you prefer fragrant citrus over warming spice

Blackcurrant Berry Decaffeinated Black Tea
Blackcurrant • Cassis • Dark berry
→ Try next if: you want an intensely flavored decaf built around fruit rather than spice

Ceylon Decaffeinated Black Tea
Clean • Light • Classic
→ Try next if: you want the simplest expression of decaffeinated black tea without added flavors