Cameron B. select Send Message

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Home – 4:30 PM

The Great Cupboard Excavation
Untasted teas remaining: 42

So I started looking at the Bonne Maman advent calendar on Amazon a couple of weeks or so ago, and I kept hemming and hawwing about whether I wanted to order it or not. Of course, once I decided I would like to have it, it was sold out everywhere online… Noooooooo… So obviously that only made me want it more, ha ha. Luckily, when I was searching for any online shop that had it in stock, I found the website for a chain store, and one of the local branches had it! So I drove there today and grabbed one (actually it was the only one). Huzzah!

So now I’m having some toast with butter and Bonne Maman jam from my fridge to test out my new toaster and celebrate my triumphant victory. Om nom. ❤

Anyway, this was supposed to be about tea, wasn’t it? Oops. This tea was a limited edition from Lunar New Year to celebrate the Year of the Dog. It’s a mix of roasted oolong, hojicha, and puerh. The tin has a super cute Shiba Inu on it!

I’m not sure how to describe the taste other than just “roasty”, lol! Which just sounds ridiculous to say. It’s smooth and slightly sweet. Maybe slightly grassy. It’s very comforting to sip while loafing about on the couch with my toast.

P.S. – Bonne Maman’s Four Fruits preserves are super tasty! Can’t wait to scarf my way through the advent calendar… ;)

Flavors: Autumn Leaf Pile, Grass, Roasted, Smooth, Sweet

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

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Bio

Hi, I’m Cameron!

I’m a 30-something software engineer currently living in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two pugs, Gobo and Ume. I tend to cycle between my different hobbies, and they include piano, knitting, video games, board games, miniature painting, planners, bento, Korean skincare, and – of course – TEA! But really, what I’m best at is “collecting” hobby-related things… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 1
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 157

I prefer my tea lukewarm or at room temperature and without milk or sugar. I steep Western style, and fluctuate between using big mugs or small teapots depending on the season.

I am always up for a swap! Just let me know if you’d like to try something in my cupboard.

Tea Preferences:
I enjoy both flavored and unflavored teas in many forms. These days, I drink mostly flavored teas, and I tend to gravitate most toward black, green, oolong, and herbal varieties. I do have a special fondness for straight Japanese green teas, however.

I do not sweeten my teas, and pre-sweetened teas are usually too sweet for me. I also do not enjoy stevia (or monkfruit, etc.).

I tend to reach for fruitier flavors rather than desserty ones these days, but I do have favorites from both categories. Willing to try anything once! There are a few ingredients/flavors that aren’t generally my jam, such as coconut, rose, lavender, and chocolate flavoring. But I also have teas that I love with some of those things, too! :)

Favorite Companies:
3 Leaf
Bird & Blend
Dammann Frères
Harney & Sons
Kyoto Obubu Tea Farms
Lupicia
Old Barrel Tea Co
Simpson & Vail
Taiwan Tea Crafts
TeaVivre

Tea Rating Scale:
90-100: Outstanding! Permanent cupboard resident
80-89: Great – a possible staple
70-79: Good, but I wouldn’t buy it
60-69: It’s decent
50-59: Meh… I may or may not have finished the cup
40-49: Ick. Couldn’t finish it.
00-39: Repulsive, I spat it out

I will sometimes refrain from rating a tea if I feel I’m too biased due to my personal dislikes, or if I suspect the sample has been compromised by age or scent contamination.

Cupboard Spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ZEuKf1-ppR-VXajO4vV39zU1N3zjFJteEPAynqD2yl0/edit?usp=sharing