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Kusmi Advent Calendar – Day 13

Lol, this sachet wrapper is so vague. It says something like “blend of herbs” instead of mentioning rooibos by name, which is odd. Dry scent is deliciously orange, yum.

I like the orange flavor here, it’s a good balance between sweet and zesty and it doesn’t taste artificial or like vitamin tablets. I get a little bit of caramel, but most of it is just coming from the rooibos itself. There’s a little taste of apple as well. I definitely don’t get lemon balm though.

Overall, I like it. I don’t think I like it quite enough to order it, but I’m really enjoying this one cup tonight. :)

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvvvDxAx9V/)

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 13 (from November backlog)

Ooh, this sounds yummy. I have a packet of Carrot Cake rooibos from Bird & Blend as well that I need to crack open… Dry scent is surprisingly strong on the ginger, which gives me pause.

Happily, the aroma is much more buttery and cakey. The flavoring isn’t terribly strong, and the rooibos base is still quite present, but it does have a nice cinnamon cake sort of flavor. The buttery cake comes out a bit more in the aftertaste, along with a slightly spicy ginger note.

It’s quite tasty, and I’m happy to sip on it this evening. It’ll be interesting to compare it with the Bird & Blend version, and eventually the Simpson & Vail version as well, when I get around to ordering…

Palais des Thés Advent Calendar – Day 13 (from November backlog)

This has a lovely tart fruity scent in the bag, and the steeped aroma is similar. I thought maybe there was hibiscus here, because the liquor also has a pretty pale coral color, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.

I was surprised by how mellow and mildly herby this is at first. It’s a bit haylike with a light sweetness. But the berry tartness starts to come out mid-sip, and the end and aftertaste become quite tart with a cranberry-like note. I can taste the elderflower as well, with a soft and subtly sweet floral flavor.

I dig it. I’m not sure I feel strongly enough to order this, as in some regards it sort of tastes like a very mild fruit tisane…

Adagio Advent Calendar – Day 13

Well this sounds pleasant enough. It’s nice to have a white tea in the mix, as I find them really enjoyable in the evening and it just shakes up the usual black/rooibos/herbal lineup a bit. However, the amount of leaf in my packet was pathetic, and I really should have probably steeped it in an even smaller cup…

It’s pleasant but quite bland because of there not being enough leaf for the amount of water. I get a strong licorice flavor along with some clove and perhaps a bit of cinnamon. There’s a soft sweetness from the licorice root as well. It’s enjoyable but I certainly wouldn’t know it’s a white base.

I won’t assign a rating, since this was obviously underleafed… Oops.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIw2VK0g7Cy/

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvvvDxAx9V/)

Plum Deluxe Advent Calendar – Day 13

Well, it’s nice to see a caffeinated black tea from this advent! I’m not a coconut lover, but I don’t dislike it either. It’s just not one of my favorite flavors. Dry, this definitely smells like coconut cream pie.

It’s fairly good. The coconut and cream flavors are nice, and overall they remind me of coconut macaroons (which I haven’t had in ages), or maybe those Brach’s coconut candies with the Neapolitan stripes. There’s a nice toasted note as well.

The base is unfortunately a tad bitter and overall just not very tasty. It’s tannic and a bit astringent which really takes away from the sweet coconut creaminess… :(

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvvvDxAx9V/)

Vahdam Advent Calendar – Day 13

Yay, a straight tea! I don’t have a lot of experience with Darjeeling teas, so this’ll be an interesting one. I steeped it at a much lower temperature than I normally would for a black tea. I don’t know if that’s necessary or not, but for a first flush I figured I would err on the cautious side.

It has a light amber color. The flavor reminds me of somewhere between black, green, and white teas. It has a lovely soft bready flavor with chewy oats and grains, and a touch of hay. There’s also a creamy nuttiness that reminds me of cashews. Some vegetal notes appear near the end of the sip, and there’s a crisp, somewhat grassy finish. Perhaps a soft musky floral note as well? And the pleasant lingering taste of autumn leaves…

There’s definitely a lot going on, but it’s still very smooth and easy to drink. I get a tiny hint of menthol and spice at the end of the sip, but I’m wondering if that’s more of a scent/flavor contamination issue from all of the neighboring masala chai and turmeric blends.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIwKiV8gKVk/

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvvvDxAx9V/)

DAVIDsTEA Matcha Advent Calendar – Day 13

Wow, this had a powerful aroma when I pulled the little packet out of its drawer! I immediately knew what it was without even looking at the name. I will say, I’m surprised they’ve been doing so many desserty flavors in such close proximity. There was maple, vanilla, gingerbread, and now this one all in the span of a few days. Not that I mind, I would just think they would spread them out more…

Prepared this as a matcha au lait (patent pending). I used 8 ounces of warm water to 4 ounces of milk. Honestly, this flavor just didn’t sound appetizing to me to drink straight, so my mind went to latte immediately.

It’s pretty tasty! I’m pleased by the amount of salt here, it’s just enough to really enhance the caramel without being weirdly salty. Sometimes I find salted caramel things to be too salty, and at the point I feel it takes away from the taste of the caramel. This has a pleasant caramel flavor as well that doesn’t taste artificial, which is something I’ve had issues with in the past with caramel syrups and the like. The grassy matcha is hanging out in the background, though I would prefer it more in the forefront. I do get a little bite of bitterness at the end of the sip.

Probably wouldn’t buy this since I would rather drink matcha without milk and these have too much sugar for that, but would definitely recommend it to anyone who drinks a lot of matcha lattes.

As for the jam, today it’s Grapefruit-Dragon Fruit Spread! Which is hilarious, because I just bought a dragon fruit at the grocery store last night. I’ve never had one, and I wanted to try it for “science” ha ha. I haven’t eaten it yet, but it’ll be fun to see how it compares. The jam is delicious! I get a sweet honey note at first bite, which is unexpected. The grapefruit is scrumptious, bright and zingy but not bitter. I’m not sure about the dragon fruit, as the grapefruit is rather dominant. But there is a vague sweet fruitiness as well that rounds it out nicely. I wish they offered a grapefruit jam year-round, it’s like a yummier marmalade! :3

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIvvvDxAx9V/)

Plum Deluxe Advent Calendar – Day 12

This sounds good, actually. I like cinnamon and a caffeine-free chai sounds nice tonight. My sample smells very strongly of anise.

Hmm… This tastes a bit… flat? It has a lovely spicy cinnamon aroma, but the flavor is somewhat bland. I taste cinnamon in a spicy Red Hots way, and there’s definitely clove, anise, and black pepper. But even with all of the spices, it’s quite flat. The only thing popping out at me is the peppercorns, and they’re creating a tingling, slightly burning sensation at the back of my mouth and in my throat.

Not a fan, unfortunately. Too much pepper and not enough anything else…

https://www.instagram.com/p/CIuXY1ig9Gp/

(today’s advent teas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CItKDkWgMAT/)

Sipdown!

I do like this one. It has a nice natural blueberry-elderberry flavor to it, with a bit of currant as well. The added maple and brown sugar adds just enough sweetness to help it taste richer and more jammy. The lemon is very subtle in comparison, but I can pick it out.

Does it taste like a scone? No. But I do like it as a jammy dark berry tea. I’m not sure whether I’ll reorder it – I don’t have a favorite blueberry black tea but I do have Lupicia’s in my cupboard to try.

Dammann Frères Advent Calendar – Day 12 (from November backlog)

Mint chai, huh? This one piqued my interest. It’s hard to tell what spices are in it, being in sachet form. I see the obvious mint leaf with red peppercorns and what could be dried ginger root. Scent is vaguely spiced mint.

Hmm… So it’s mostly mint here, and it seems like a combination of peppermint and spearmint to me. The spices mostly add a warm sweetness, and I think ginger is the only one I can pick out specifically. It’s very soft and pleasant, sort of like mint tisane +. (™)