3514 Tasting Notes
Dammann Frères Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 23
Ooh, I’ve been waiting for this one! I couldn’t decide which version to order, but when I saw that this raspberry one is in the advent, I ordered the caramel flavor so I could try both. The caramel one is scrumptious!
This is honestly lovely. It has all those wonderful sweet, creamy, oat notes, with a hint of hay and grassiness. And then add in the raspberry, and it tastes like some kind of oat raspberry baked good, maybe those baked fruit bars that have a sort of crumb cookie base, layer of jam, and streusel topping.
Love it, I’ll definitely have to pick up this one as well the next time I order. And I bet the two of them mixed together would be lovely as well…
Flavors: Creamy, Dry Grass, Grain, Hay, Oats, Raspberry, Sweet, Tart
Preparation
Nabo Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 23
Nice to see an oolong, but sadly it’s far too rosy for me. I do get some fruity notes of lychee and apple, but otherwise it’s pretty much all rose flavoring.
Nope! :P
Flavors: Apple, Floral, Lychee, Rose, Sweet, Tart
Preparation
BrutaliTeas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 23
So this is fine. The peppermint is very strong and refreshing, in a candy cane sort of way. There’s not really any creaminess despite the description mentioning it. Mostly it’s just a strong peppermint flavor on generic and fairly tannic black base. Maybe a hint of a chocolaty flavor too? And it leans very slightly fruity, which is a bit odd.
It is candy cane-esque, which is what it says. I think some vanilla or cream would’ve been nice here though.
Flavors: Brisk, Chocolate, Fruity, Menthol, Mint, Peppermint, Sweet, Tannic
Preparation
The Tea Practitioner Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 23
Ooh, this sounds interesting!
To be honest, it doesn’t really taste different from a second-flush Darjeeling to me? It’s a very nice tea and I like it, but I don’t really get any extra woody or boozy notes. It’s extremely smooth with yummy bread notes, hay, and a very strong and lovely honeyed flavor. Definitely some raw grains in there as well, maybe steel-cut oats? I do get a touch of that muscatel floral note, but it’s quite subtle.
It’s a yummy Darjeeling, not really getting the barrel aged part though. :P
Flavors: Bread, Creamy, Floral, Grain, Hay, Honey, Muscatel, Oats, Smooth, Sweet, Thick, Woody
Preparation
Provence d’Antan Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22
So, this tastes more like turmeric than I was expecting, given it’s the last ingredient in the list. It’s reminding me of all those Vahdam turmeric tisanes from the advent a couple of years ago…
It’s not unpleasant, mostly I get turmeric and ginger with the chocolate and cinnamon in the background, and a touch of the licorice root at the end of the sip. I could do without the licorice sweetness, but otherwise it’s a nice enough cuppa, sort of like a very earthy chocolate chai.
I wouldn’t expect chocolate and turmeric to go together, but it kind of works with the cinnamon and ginger there to bridge the gap.
Flavors: Cacao, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Earthy, Ginger, Licorice Root, Spices, Sweet, Turmeric
Preparation
Nordqvist Moomin Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22
Aloe vera flavor? Interesting…
Yeah no, this is terrible ha ha. It tastes like I’m drinking perfume, in a chemically way. I can taste the rooibos and a bit of chamomile as well, but mostly it’s the perfume flavoring.
Ick.
Flavors: Cardboard, Chamomile, Chemical, Floral, Perfume, Rooibos
Preparation
Nabo Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22
I actually quite like this one…
It’s like a version of a cinnamon candy rooibos, but the cinnamon is more restrained, and I can taste the cocoa and a bit of the orange. There’s sweetness as well, but just a little bit, which goes well with the sweet cinnamon. I don’t get blueberry flavoring, but I don’t think I would want it anyway?
I would consider ordering it, but it’s not listed on their website either so… consideration over. :P
Flavors: Cacao, Candy, Chocolate, Cinnamon, Orange, Rooibos, Smooth, Sweet, Wood
Preparation
The Tea Practitioner Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22
Aha, and finally we got a ripe pu’erh ha ha. Well technically this isn’t pu’erh, but same difference.
Thankfully, this is quite mellow. It’s not overwhelmingly earthy like some shou pu’erh can be. It’s smooth and somewhat creamy, with soft and sweet wood and musty hay notes alongside toasty grains, dark honey, and syrupy dried fruits like dates or jujubes. There is definitely a mineral earthiness to it, but it doesn’t taste like dirt and that’s a win for me heh heh. The color is also quite light and orangey compared to most ripe pu’erhs I’ve had.
Surprisingly very enjoyable, especially in the cold snap we’re having.
Flavors: Creamy, Dates, Dried Fruit, Earthy, Grain, Hay, Honey, Mineral, Musty, Smooth, Sweet, Syrupy, Thick, Toasted, Tobacco, Woody
Preparation
BrutaliTeas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22
Okay, so I admit at first I didn’t get the name. And then I was like, “ohhhh like gingerbread, doi” LOL! I blame it being morning when I opened my advents. And to be fair, it would be a bit clearer if the words were actually combined, like “The Walking GingerDead” or something.
So I didn’t even notice the rooibos when I steeped this, apparently it’s a mix of gingerbread black tea and rooibos chai. I’m honestly not a fan of this mix, as I feel like it leaves the tea tasting thin? Overall it tastes like a generic chai with cinnamon and clove, and a bit heavy on the ginger side of things. I don’t really get cookie from it, and I’m not tasting the vanilla. If anything, yesterday’s tea was almost more gingerbread-y to me? Now that I mention it, it’s a bit weird that they put two such similar teas on consecutive days…
Anyway, it’s fine but not good or special.
Flavors: Cinnamon, Clove, Ginger, Tea, Thin
Preparation
Nio Teas Advent Calendar 2022 – Day 22 (2/2)
Ooh, this is a nice one.
The first steep is quite golden in color, and it has a smooth and thick texture and intense vegetal flavor similar to a shaded tea, but with a bit more toastiness and nuttiness to it. But then in the middle of the sip, the flavor completely flips to being refreshing, slightly grassy, and tasting just like biting into a tart, crisp apple, like a Granny Smith. The finish is still somewhat grassy, but also some of those vegetal and nutty notes come back into play.
Subsequent steeps are very grassy, and interestingly a floral note comes out as well? Still a bit of that slightly astringent apple flavor at the end, but it’s more of an apple skin now as opposed to the flesh. I’m not sure I can identify the floral, but it reminds me of an oolong.
Very tasty, love the distinct apple notes!
Flavors: Apple, Apple Skins, Astringent, Dry Grass, Floral, Freshly Cut Grass, Grassy, Green Apple, Nutty, Smooth, Thick, Toasty, Umami, Vegetal
