3986 Tasting Notes
Sipology Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 13
GAH far too much work happening today, and not nearly enough tea drinking!
This is actually really good, definitely my favorite from Sipology so far. The flavoring is quite restrained, so I’m getting a lot of the actual peppermint leaf and coffee bean flavor. Not noticing a ton of chocolate, but I’m also bad at tasting natural chocolate/cacao notes in tea.
Nice smooth black tea with coffee and mint! Too bad I love Winter Cabin from Old Barrel much more, or I would be considering ordering some of this. :P
Flavors: Cacao, Coffee, Cooling, Fresh, Mint, Peppermint, Roasted, Smooth
Preparation
Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 13
Created a new entry for this, since the old version had a rooibos base. But apparently this year they reformulated it, and now it’s actually matcha! :P
This is quite nice, and very festive. The strongest flavor to me is orange zest, with some clove and other spices mixed in. I’m not super familiar with mince pies, but based on my limited knowledge, I would expect this to be more apple-forward? But that could be my own lack of experience talking ha ha.
To me, it’s a bit like an orange spice matcha, and I really like it! The zesty orange really brightens it up and makes it lovely for the morning. I can really taste the matcha itself as well, which I like. It’s smooth but still very prominent, giving it an earthy and grassy base.
Flavors: Citrus, Clove, Earthy, Ginger, Grassy, Orange, Orange Zest, Smooth, Spices, Sweet
Preparation
Sipology Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 12
I steeped this one quite strong as fruit tisanes usually need it IMO, and wow did it come out sweet ha ha! That candied fruit is coming on strong. :P
Other than the extreme sweetness, there isn’t a ton of flavor. I do get a mild raspberry-esque fruity flavor, but there’s not really anything “cream soda” about it IMO. It’s more of just a very sweet, vaguely fruity tisane that lacks hibiscus. There is hibiscus in the ingredients list, but there certainly wasn’t much in mine, and I can’t taste it at all.
So sweet but not much else! :P
Flavors: Artificial, Fruity, Raspberry, Sugar, Sweet
Preparation
Tea at the White House Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 12
So, this doesn’t taste anything like gingerbread ha ha. It mostly tastes like very earthy ginger root, with maybe a hint of some other spices. There’s a hint of sweetness, but nothing caramel-like.
Anyway, very earthy ginger rooibos. Not awful, but definitely not gingerbread either.
Flavors: Earthy, Ginger, Rooibos, Spices, Spicy, Sweet, Woody
Preparation
Compagnie & Co Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 12
This is nice enough, it reminds me of a similar tea from Dammann (Paul & Virginie I think?). Mostly red fruits, heavy on the strawberry, with a bit of a creamy vanilla note just smoothing out the edges. It’s a bit watery, I probably should have used 6 ounces of water instead of 8 for this one.
Pleasant for the evening, though I think I prefer Lupicia’s Strawberry & Vanilla if I wanted this type of tea.
Flavors: Creamy, Fruity, Light, Red Fruits, Smooth, Strawberry, Sweet, Vanilla, Whipped Cream
Preparation
Thésaurus Tea Fandom Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 12
More orange blossoms today? :P
This smelled very rosy in the bag, I admit I actually recoiled a bit ha ha. It tastes quite floral too, but luckily I’m getting more of the orange and orange blossom than the rose. I don’t understand why there’s even black tea in here to be honest, I don’t taste it at all, and there was very little in my sample. I expected it to taste woodsy from the Labrador tea, but I don’t taste that either. Maybe I’m misremembering what it tastes like?
Mostly, it’s a very light tisane-like blend with orange and orange blossom, and a somewhat rosy finish. Not a favorite for me. :P
Flavors: Airy, Floral, Orange, Orange Blossom, Orange Zest, Rose, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 12
Ooooh, I love this one! Such an interesting mix of roasted sakura blossoms and mint.
I find the flavor a bit difficult to describe. There’s definitely the classic sakura flavor – light and ethereal, floral yet somehow savory, with just a hint of fruitiness. But then there’s the roast, which I feel like further accentuates those savory qualities and turns a very spring-like flavor into a more autumnal one. It doesn’t taste roasty per se, not in the same way a hojicha might. But it does create a deeper flavor. And then the mint comes in at the end and adds a refreshing, cooling finish.
Just lovely, and so unusual. I don’t think they have been making this one lately (I believe it was the creation of a specific person who no longer works there), but I hope they will bring it back at some point…
Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Cherry, Cherry Blossom, Floral, Fresh, Fruity, Mint, Roasted, Sakura, Savory, Smooth, Sweet, Toasty, Woody
Preparation
Beach House Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 12
Last one from this set! Tomorrow, I’ll start 52teas! :3
I intentionally saved this for last because it sounded tasty and festive (I’m a “best for last” kind of person). I always get excited for candy cane teas even though I never seem to love them. This is no different. It’s really just a mellow peppermint black tea. The peppermint is nice and refreshing, no wet rags here. The black tea is nice at least, so still very enjoyable.
Maybe someday I’ll find a candy cane tea that I love? Maybe I only like the idea of candy cane tea ha ha…
Flavors: Fresh, Herbaceous, Malty, Peppermint, Smooth, Sweet
Preparation
I have this advent, but your mostly neutral reviews have not made me too excited to open it :P it’ll be a few months before I get around to it anyway!
My favorite candy cane tea is probably Angry Tea Room’s (so Adagio’s now). Not sure if you have tried that one!
Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 12
Halfway through! The pace feels about right to me this year, which is a first ha ha. Usually I’m either like “what, already?!” or “only halfway?!” XD
This tastes very similar to their Mermaid Matcha to me. It’s a French vanilla sort of ice cream, with a rich and custardy flavor. Almost cakey really, with a butteriness to it. Now I’m wondering if this and Mermaid are the same, they both have carob powder… Hmm…
Anyway, it’s not one I would buy as I tend to gravitate more toward fruity matcha, but still very enjoyable to have once in a while.
Flavors: Butter, Cake, Creamy, Custard, Grassy, Rich, Sweet, Vanilla
Preparation
Beach House Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 11
This one sounded good until I saw licorice root…
And sure enough, there’s a strong licorice root sweetness that coats the entire mouth and makes the whole thing taste cloyingly sweet. I can barely even taste the mint, to be honest, mostly it’s licorice root and cinnamon. Sweet on sweet lol.
Nope! XP
Flavors: Cinnamon, Herbaceous, Licorice, Licorice Root, Musty, Sweet
While I am definitely not coffee drinker, it seems very nice. Peppermint and coffee and hints of chocolate just sounds somehow refreshing.