Cameron B. select Send Message

347 Followers / 243 Following

Cameron B. drank Mrs Claus' Raspberry Prosecco by Bird & Blend Tea Co.

4308 tasting notes

Bird & Blend Tea Advent Calendar – Day 6

Personally, I would have called it “Mrs. Claus’s Raspberry Prosecco”, but I think that’s one of those grey areas in grammar where either usage is correct…

This one is a first-flush Darjeeling base, so I lowered both my steep temperature and time just a bit. I’m sure it probably would be fine at my usual temperature, as the leaf didn’t look overly Darjeeling-esque. Often with more sensitive Darjeeling teas, I’ve found the leaves look lighter, with more green/purple hues to them. But better safe than sorry!

Happily, it’s not bitter in the least. The base seems rather unremarkable to me, there’s some mustiness and perhaps some hay notes, but otherwise it almost tastes Lipton-y. Maybe a suggestion of baked bread? Or I’m just grasping at straws now, ha ha… It is slightly astringent at the end of the sip.

I do like the added flavors quite a bit. There’s a nice authentic raspberry flavor that’s boosted by a touch of hibiscus. I’m not sure that I get orange or ginseng though.

I think the lightness and slight drying quality of the Darjeeling plus with bright flavor of the raspberry does evoke the taste of sparkling wine a bit.

I have some of this coming to be in a stash sale soon, so I’ll have to experiment with the steeping parameters a bit to see if I can get a bit more flavor out of the base tea.

Flavors: Astringent, Autumn Leaf Pile, Bread, Earth, Hay, Musty, Raspberry, Tart

Preparation

190 °F / 87 °C 2 min, 30 sec 12 OZ / 354 ML

I Like This

10 likes

0 comments

People who liked this

Profile

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… ;)

~ 2025 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- January sipdowns: 25
- Total 2025 sipdowns: 25

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