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DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 11

Hojichaaaaaa! :D

The second of Obubu’s kuki-hojicha, this one has larger stems than Tsugumi, though they are both from the same harvest. Tsugumi seems more like the veins of the leaves and smaller auxiliary stems, while this one is the hardier ones.

Delicious and nutty, with quite a deep toasty flavor. There’s a touch of smokiness as well, though it’s not quite as strong as a campfire. More of a charcoal, mineral smoke than a savory one. There is a soft sweetness to it, and toasty coffee notes. In fact, it is reminding me quite a bit of coffee.

So cozy and nice for the cooler weather. Loving this DIY advent! :3

Tea at the White House Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

Straight up orange oil. Even the description mentions “essential oil of fresh oranges” lol.

I like essential oils as fragrance, but I feel like the citrus ones in particular just make tea taste like a cleaning product to me. They’re too sharp and just… I don’t know how to describe it, but I don’t like it ha ha.

There’s a touch of chocolate flavor, but mostly this tastes like Goo Gone smells to me.

Compagnie & Co Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

Boring! XD

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a perfectly pleasant Darjeeling (second flush, seems like). But I just can’t get excited about an unflavored tea in an advent calendar from a company that mostly specializes in flavored teas. Personally, I tend to buy my unflavored teas from different companies than my flavored ones.

Anyway, it’s smooth and somewhat bready with a noticeable hay note to it. A bit of underlying grapeyness as well. Slightly astringent on the backend, but nothing major.

Bird & Blend Matcha Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 11

Ooh, this is one of theirs that I really wanted to try! The crisp pear scent is very promising.

It’s definitely very crisp in flavor as well, perhaps a bit too much so. I feel like it makes it taste a bit artificial and also starts to lean into astringency. I might be crazy, but I taste banana here in addition to the pear? Or I should say, something is reminding me of banana.

It’s quite good overall, with a strong pear flavor and fairly smooth matcha base. It may have been my imagination, but I felt like the matcha here looked greener than some of the others? Maybe because it has no additional ground ingredients. I don’t think I would go order a whole tin of this, but I’m enjoying what I have of it.

Tea at the White House Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

So I thought this was going to be your run-of-the-mill mulled wine sort of fruit tisane, because it has hibiscus and spices and apple.

However, it actually veers more toward the fresh and tangy side, as I mostly taste the apple, orange, and hibiscus, and very little of the spices. A pleasant surprise as I enjoyed this much more than the more spiced versions.

Sipology Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

Oh, boy. Ha ha, so this is pretty much one of the worst tea combinations I could think of… At least there’s no stevia. XD

Thankfully, the almond here isn’t super strong. I’m still not a fan, just because the amaretto combined with the rooibos comes off very medicinal to me, similar to cherry and rooibos. But I am thankful that it’s restrained enough to be drinkable. :P

DIY Kyoto Obubu Advent Calendar – Day 10

Not gonna lie, I ate some pickled okra right before this, and the briny taste is lingering at the back of my throat and making it difficult to taste this tea ha ha… ^^’

This is an unshaded spring sencha. I never remember which of Obubu’s sencha is which, as they have so many and for some of them, the only difference is the cultivar. This is saemidori apparently, not that that means anything to me in terms of the flavor ha ha.

Since it’s not shaded, the flavor remains somewhat light but still smooth and rich. It’s quite mineral (makes sense given the name) with notes of cruciferous vegetables, specifically kale and broccoli. The texture is silky but not heavy, and there’s an underlying umami note that lingers into the finish. Definitely on the savory side, without much sweetness to it at all. Tiny touch of balancing bitterness near the end of the sip.

Really a lovely everyday kind of sencha, with classic flavors but perhaps a touch more refined. I think this might be one of their more expensive ones? I always get my teas through their subscription, so I don’t have a good grasp on the shop pricing he he. :P

Thésaurus Tea Fandom Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

Ooh, a Steven Universe tea! :D

This is quite nice – it’s mostly a chocolate and peppermint tea, but I almost feel like I’m getting a hint of some kind of fruit? The description is not informative, ha ha. As chocolate and peppermint go, it’s tasty. The chocolate flavor isn’t over-the-top artificial, and the peppermint is balanced and doesn’t take over the blend. The hint of strawberry (maybe?) makes it interesting as well.

I enjoyed it, though I don’t think I would rush out to order it. Also I remember the cookie cat being more of a vanilla/strawberry looking ice cream sandwich, so not sure where the peppermint came from? Not that it matters, just interesting. :P

Compagnie & Co Advent Calendar 2023 – Day 10

I think I may have use a bit too much water with this one, because it’s quite bland. These sachets have been consistently good with 8 ounces of water, but maybe this one had a bit less in it?

So a bit hard to review, but mostly getting watered down black tea with a bit of clove and a whisper of cinnamon.

Sorry, tea! :P

Beach House Teas 12 Teas of Christmas 2023 – Day 10

An interesting one today! This looks to be a coffee alternative, with chicory root and cacao.

Oof, this is so strong on the chicory! It’s basically all I taste, with a bit of black tea in the background. Very strongly acidic with a bitter undertone. I wish I could taste the chocolate, but I don’t see how it could stand up to the overpowering chicory without adding flavoring.

So a bit disappointing, sadly.