Cameron B. select Send Message

347 Followers / 243 Following

Recommended

Cameron B. drank Black Tea with Cranberry by Fortnum & Mason

4288 tasting notes

Fortnum & Mason Advent Calendar 2021 – Day 13

Can’t believe we’re halfway through! I’m both happy and sad about it ha ha. And also excited for this tea because I love cranberry! I haven’t found a cranberry tea that I’ve really liked though, so hopefully this one is different. It certainly smells amazing in the tin!

Steeped aroma is also wonderful – like tart cranberry sauce. And it tastes quite good too! Definitely a recognizable cranberry flavor, though closer to the sweeter dried variety. But it’s certainly the most recognizably cranberry tea I’ve had. The flavor is similar in value to the strawberry tea from yesterday, versus the more subtle lemon and apple versions. I will say, there’s something here that’s reading a bit medicinal to me for some reason, and it’s making the whole thing veer slightly into cough syrup territory. The aftertaste is more like cranberry juice.

So I’m conflicted on this one, on the one hand overjoyed to find such a cranberry-forward tea, on the other trying to decide if I’m bothered by the cough syrup comparison… Hmm…

As far as the Bonne Maman jam goes, today it’s Apricot-Mango Spread. I adore apricot preserves, so of course I love this one. Apricot is the star but the mango gives it a great punch of tropical tartness that really adds a nice depth. Plus there are big chunks of apricot, yum!

Flavors: Candy, Cranberry, Dried Fruit, Earth, Hay, Medicinal, Musty, Smooth, Sweet, Tart, Wood

Preparation

200 °F / 93 °C 3 min, 0 sec 3 tsp 16 OZ / 473 ML

I Like This

17 likes

1 comments

Kelmishka
Delete

Apricot preserves are my favorite; apricot-mango sounds delightful!

People who liked this

Comments

Kelmishka
Delete

Apricot preserves are my favorite; apricot-mango sounds delightful!

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… ;)

~ 2024 SIPDOWN CHALLENGE! ~
- December sipdowns: 4
- Total 2024 sipdowns: 160

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